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Title	Some experiments on the effect of thermal radiation on composite rocket propellants
Publication Type	thesis
School or College	College of Engineering
Department	Chemical Engineering
Author	Mihlfeith, Carl Max
Date	1971
Description	A direct measurement was made of the dynamic response of burning solid-propellant strands to an externally imposed radiant heat flux. Burning rate changes were determined for both steady and periodic energy fluxes at atmospheric pressure. The strands were mounted at the secondary focus of an elliptical mirror system, and flux levels to 15 cal/(sec)(cm2) were obtained by use of a 5kw Xenon-Mercury lamp. Steady-state burning rates were obtained by a photographic technique, and the periodic variations in mass evolution rates were detected by measurement of the recoil force on the strands. A quartzcrystal microphone was used as a micro-force transducer. The heat flux response function, defined as (m'/rn) (F'/F) where m and F are mass rate and heat flux respectively and the prime and overbar denote perturbed and steady-state quantities, which was measured in this experiment, is closely related to the pressure, p, response function, (m'/rn) (p'/p) which is important to the combustion stability of a solid propellant in an engine. The approximate correspondence of these two response functions was demonstrated by calculations based upon current transient combustion theories. The sharp flame front model was employed for the gas phase, and the usual assumptions of a homogeneous, passive solid with energy release at / the surface and an Arrhenius type regression law were employed. Both response functions were calculated as a function of the dimensionless perturbing frequency (Q = wa/r2 where w is the radiant frequency; a the propellant thermal diffusivity and r the mean burning rate) for the same fixed parameters. At low frequencies, the response functions are essentially identical and both exhibit maxima in the response at nearly the same frequency in the range. of dimensionless frequencies of 6-50. At high frequencies, the pressure response is higher than the flux-driven response apparently because of the effect of rapidly responding gas-phase processes. For the opaque propellant, the correspondence is close enough that values of the flux-driven response are relatable to the more practically important pressure-coupled response.
Type	Text
Publisher	University of Utah
Dissertation Name	Doctor of Philosophy
Language	eng
Rights Management	© Carl Max Mihlfeith
Format	application/pdf
Format Medium	application/pdf
ARK	ark:/87278/s6bx628b
Setname	ir_etd
ID	2101272
Reference URL	https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6bx628b

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Title	Page 130
Format	application/pdf
Setname	ir_etd
ID	2101402
OCR Text	Show 119 [70] "A Theory of Low-Frequency Combustion Sehgal, R., and Strand, L. Instability in Solid Rocket Motors," AIAA J., 2 (1964), 696-702. [71] Seleznev, V. A., Pokhel, P. F., Maltrev, V. M., and Bavykin, I. "An Optical Method of Measuring the Burning Surface Temperature of Condensed Systems," Combustion and Flame, 13 (April 1969),139-142. B. [72] Selzer, "The Unstable Nature of the Burning Mechanism of AIAA 7th Aerospace Sciences H. AP-Propellants," in Meeting. New York: [73] Preprint "Acoustic Instability in the Combustion of Methane-Oxygen-Nitrogen Mixtures." Ph.D. thesis, W. Sipowicz, W. Department Utah, 1969. [74] January 20-22, 1969. 69-117. No. Steinz, of Chemical Engineering, University of J. A., Stang, P. L., and Summerfield, M. The Burning Mechanism of Ammonium Perchlorate-Based Composite SoUd Propellants. AMS Report No. 830; Princeton University, 1969. [75] Suddeth, R. Personal communication, Goddard Space February, 1968. g. Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. [76] Sutherland, G. S. Personal communication, Rocket Research Corporation, Seattle, Washington. February, 1968. [77] Tipper, C. 2. [78] Waesche, R. F. H. Oxidation and Combustion Reviews. H., Ed. pp. W., and Wenograd, Propellant Burning sition Waldman, "Calculation J. of from Condensed-Phase Solid Decompo in AIAA C. H., Cheng, S. 1., Sirignano, W. A., and Summerfield, Theoretical Studies of Diffusion Flame Structures. AMS Report [80] Rates 7th Aerospace Science Meeting. January 20-22, 1969. Preprint No. 69-145. Kinetics," New York: [79] Vol. 1.;..185. No. 860; Princeton Wise, H., Inami, H., and McCulley, Reactions in Ignition and University, 1969. L. "Role of Condensed-Phase Deflagration of Ammonium Perchlorate Propellants," Corribustion and (1967), 483-488. Flame, 11 M.
Reference URL	https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6bx628b/2101402