Rocket Propulsion:

Solid Propellant
By: Sashank Gummella
COSMOS Summer Program
Cluster 3: Introduction to Engineering
Mechanics
Background
Solid propellants investigatedbrieflybyRobertH.
Goddard(fatheroftheliquidfueledrocket)duringthe1920s
LookedintoformissilepropulsionduringWWII
J ohn Whiteside Parsons of Caltech combining
asphaltwithpotassiumperchloratewouldmakeforthefirst
castable compositesolidpropellant
Background
Whyasphalt?
Itsabinderandsourceoffuel. Itwouldbecombinedwith
potassiumperchlorate(KClO4),anoxidizer,toformasolid
propellantforrocketpropulsion
Yearslater,CharlesBartleyimprovedParsonsdesignbyreplacing
asphaltwithapolysulfidepolymer(LP2).Becameworldsfirst
elastomericsolidpropellant(better)
NewdesignledtoPolarisandMinutemanmissiles
Background
Keith Rumbel and Charles Henderson (Atlantic
Research Corporation) addingaluminumincreases
specificimpulse(forcewithrespecttotheamountof
propellantusedperunittime)ofcompositepropellant,
thusincreasingthrust
AllthisresearchandmodificationsledfromthePolarisand
MinutemenmissilestotheTitanrocketstothesolidrocket
boostersonNASAsSpaceShuttles
Missiles with Solid Propellant
Polaris
Missile
Minuteman ICBM
Rockets with Solid Propellant
Titan 3E
Rocket
Titan 4
Rocket
Space Shuttles with Solid
Propellant (in SRBs)
Space Shuttle
Discovery
Solid Rocket Boosters
containing solid
propellant inside
Solid Composite Propellant
Components
16% Atomized aluminum powder (fuel)
69.8% Ammonium perchlorate (oxidizer)
0.2% Iron oxide powder (catalyst)
12% Polybutadiene acrylic acid acrylonitrile (binder)
2% Epoxy curing agents
How It Works
Rocket propulsion relies on burning of the solid fuel with an
oxidizer:
1. Oxidizer (grain) is ignited. Propellant becomes oxidized.
2. Combustion produces gases through deflagration
(subsonic combustion)
3. High-temp pressurized gases spread adiabatically (no heat
transfer within system)
4. Reaction takes place in a high-pressure combustion
chamber.
How It Works
5. Resultant high-energy exhaust is then channeled
into converging section of nozzle (subsonic flow), through
the throat, and then out the diverging section (supersonic
flow) to give the rocket the boost to push against Earths
gravitational force and into the outer atmosphere.
****Perfect representation of Newtons Third Law of
Motion because the system is producing a reaction
force and goes upwards.****
Rocket Nozzle
Types of Propellants
Black Powder Propellants sulfur, charcoal, potassium
nitrate
Zinc-Sulfur Propellants sulfur and zinc metal
Candy Propellants potassium nitrate and sugar fuel
(dextrose, sucrose, etc.)
Double-Base Propellants nitroglycerin dissolved in
nitrocellulose gel and solidified with additives
Types of Propellants
Composite Propellants (most commonly used because
of high performance, moderate ease of manufacturing,
and moderate cost) - Heterogeneous and oxidizer is
mineral salt
High-Energy Composite Propellants
Composite Modified Double-Base Propellants
Minimum-signature Propellants (smokeless) non
pollutant, CL 20 used
Composite Propellants
Consists of a fuel, oxidizer, catalyst, binder, and curing agent
Fuel mainly fine aluminum powder (high specific impulse)
Oxidizer Ammonium perchlorate salt, grain material
(NH4ClO4)
Catalyst Iron oxide powder
Binder Polybutadiene acrylic acid acrylonitrile (binds fuel,
oxidizer, catalyst, and curing agent together into compact rubber
form)
Curing agent Epoxy curing agent (hardens polymer material so
it stays together)
Solid Propellant Facts
Solid Propellants are mixed and casted into segments prior to being
assembled in Solid Rocket Boosters
Cured solid propellant looks and feels like a hard rubber eraser.
(Synthetic rubber)
Flexibility of the propellant controlled by ratio of binder to curing
agent and solid ingredients (oxidizer and aluminum mainly)
Once propellant becomes oxidized, there is no possible way to
reverse or stop the process. The fuel and oxidizer will combust and
high energy exhaust will be expelled
Must burn propellant from outside and inside to keep the sum of
the surfaces of burning constant.
Solid Propellant Facts
V
e
= (2C
p
T
c
)
Exit velocity of gases
based on combustion and
temperature
Solid Propellant Facts
Solid combustion produces thermal energy -> changes
to kinetic energy when exiting nozzle
r = c(P
c
n
)
m
g
= (r)(A
b
)(
p
)
n
Velocity (speed) of
mass burning
Mass flow rate of gases
produced by combustion
of solid propellant
n is a number
(exponent) that
determines whether
or not a rocket is in
stable or unstable
equilibrium based on
its numerical value
Solid Rocket Motor Equilibrium
dP
c
/dt = AP
c
n
- BP
c
Must lose temperature
gained and stabilize rocket
or it will explode
Stabilize energy
(temperature) and mass
in rocket for stability
Solid Rocket Motor Equilibrium
m
g
that goes through nozzle: BP
c
m
g
that is produced by combustion: AP
c
n
**** BP
c
= AP
c
n
****
The equation above MUST hold true for STABLE
equilibrium
Amount of gas that goes
through nozzle
Amount of gas
combusted
Solid Rocket Motor Equilibrium
m
g
= P
c
n
If n > 1, then rocket is in unstable equilibrium (NOT
GOOD!). If amount of gas combusted is too much or
gas is not released, rocket will EXPLODE! Too much
accumulation of mass and retention of it is not good.
Solid Rocket Motor Equilibrium
If n < 1, then rocket is in stable equilibrium (GOOD!).
Rocket can stabilize itself if perturbed.
*** n must be less than 1 at ALL times ***
this will ensure stability of combustion process. If n
is not less than 1, then reject nozzle design.
Solid Rocket Motor Equilibrium
If energy produced by combustion is greater than the
energy lost due to cooling, the rocket will explode
because it is in UNSTABLE EQUILIBRIUM.
If energy produced by combustion is less than the
energy lost due to cooling, the rocket will be fine since
it is in STABLE EQUILIBRIUM.
Solid Rocket Motor Equilibrium
e
(-Ea)/(RT)
= h(T

- T)
Energy
generated
because of
combustion
Energy lost due
to cooling
Arrhenius
Newtons Cooling
Law
Solid Propellant Facts
Advantages: low cost, easy to store because it is
premade into compact rubber form, good thrust
Disadvantages: low specific impulse (efficiency)
compared to liquid/hybrid propellants, volatile burn
rate, all fuel is burned (no way of stopping/reversing
combustion)
Exploded View of Solid Rocket
Booster
Stored solid
propellant
Solid Rocket Booster
Here is an example of a solid rocket booster being
tested:
Companys name is Alliant Techsystems (ATK)
Testing the DM-3 5 Segment Solid Rocket Booster
It is stationary because they are just doing a motor test.
SRB operates for approx. 2 minutes.
Propellant ignites and starts to combust instantly
because of the very reactive and strong oxidizer:
Ammonium perchlorate
SCIENTISTS!
Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann Glauert
Hermann von Helmholtz
August 31, 1821 September 8, 1894
Born in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia
Not financially stable
Father encouraged to study medical field but
Helmholtzs work influenced by and attributed to
philosophy of Fichte and Kant
Background
German physicist and physician
Interested in natural sciences as young man
Law of Conservation of Total Energy
Mechanical foundation of Thermodynamics
Fluid dynamics theorems for vortex dynamics in
inviscid fluids
Background
1849: Associate Professor of physiology at Prussian
University of Knigsberg
1855: Professor of anatomy and physiology at
University of Bonn
1871: Professor of physics at University of Berlin
Research and Contributions
Law of Conservation of Energy physics
Studied physiology of senses and optics:
Stressed importance of materialism, unity of mind and
body
Invented ophthalmoscope examine inside of human
eye
On the Conservation of Force: conservation of energy
(1847)
Research and Contributions
Studied:
Mechanics
Physiology (nerve and sensory)
Optics
Acoustics and aesthetics
Electromagnetism
Mechanics, heat, light, electricity, and magnetism are all
manifestations of a single force (energy)
Hermann Glauert
October 4, 1892 August 6, 1934
Born in Sheffield, Yorkshire
Wrote a plethora of reports and notes/records about
aerofoil and propeller theory
Background
British aerodynamicist and Principal Scientific Officer
of Royal Aircraft Est., Farnborough (Head of
Aerodynamics Dept.)
Extensive work with airplane performance stability
and control, propellers, aerodynamics, autogyros and
helicopters
Royal Aeronautical Society
Research and Contributions
The Elements of Aerofoil and Airscrew Theory
Spread Prandtls airfoil and wing theory
Independently developed Prandtl-Glauert method
from the aerodynamic theory of his time
Research and Contributions
Ludwig Prandtl
Research and Contributions
Prandtl-Glauert Method:
Published in The Proceedings of the Royal Society in 1928
Mathematical technique to solve compressible flow
problems with incompressible flow calculation
methods
Can only use when Mach
number is greater than
0.7
Research and Contributions
Plot of the subsonic and supersonic
PrandtlGlauert transformations as
a function of the Mach Number
Works Cited
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/88635main_H-2330.pdf
http://inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/SolidPropellant.htm
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/system/system_SRB.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-fuel_rocket
http://www.astronautix.com/articles/comlants.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_von_Helmholtz#Research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Glauert
http://aerosociety.com/Assets/Docs/Publications/The%20Journal%20of%20Aeronautical%20Histor
y/2011-02HermannGlauert_AckroydandRiley.pdf
Fundamentals of Solid-Propellant Combustion edited by Kenneth K. Kuo and Martin Summerfield