Professional Documents
Culture Documents
by
Devon K. Cowles
An Engineering Project Submitted to the Graduate
Faculty of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Approved:
_________________________________________
Ernesto Gutierrez-Miravete, Project Adviser
Copyright 2012
by
Devon K. Cowles
All Rights Reserved
ii
CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. v
LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF EQUATIONS ................................................................................................... vii
LIST OF SYMBOLS ........................................................................................................ ix
Glossary ........................................................................................................................... xii
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... xiii
1. Introduction\Background ............................................................................................. 1
1.1
Rockets ............................................................................................................... 1
1.2
Mission Requirements........................................................................................ 2
1.3
2. Methodology ................................................................................................................ 4
2.1
Assumptions ....................................................................................................... 4
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
Material ............................................................................................................ 11
2.5.1
2.5.2
3. Results........................................................................................................................ 16
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.2.1
3.2.2
Layup.................................................................................................... 21
3.3.2
3.3.3
3.3.4
4. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 29
References........................................................................................................................ 30
Appendix A Classical Lamination Matlab Code .......................................................... 31
iv
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1 Mission Requirements ....................................................................................... 2
Table 1.2 Tomahawk Cruise Missile Specifications ......................................................... 2
Table 1.3 Available Composite Propellant ........................................................................ 3
Table 2.1 E357 T-6 Casted Aluminum ............................................................................ 11
Table 2.2 Hexcel Intermediate Modulus Carbon Fiber/Resin Properties ........................ 12
Table 3.1 Engine Parameters ........................................................................................... 16
Table 3.2 Aluminum Engine Weight ............................................................................... 17
Table 3.3 Laminate Properties Calculated by CLT ......................................................... 22
Table 3.4 Composite Engine Weight ............................................................................... 23
Table 3.5 Laminate Properties in ANSYS ....................................................................... 24
Table 3.6 Composite Casing Stress and Margins ............................................................ 27
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1 Typical Rocket Components [2] ...................................................................... 1
Figure 2.1 Rocket Free Body Diagram [3] ........................................................................ 5
Figure 2.2 Aluminum Engine Casing Concept ................................................................ 10
Figure 2.3 Composite Engine Casing Concept ................................................................ 10
Figure 2.4 Finite Element Load and Boundary Conditions ............................................. 11
Figure 3.1 Aluminum Alloy Casing Detail...................................................................... 17
Figure 3.2 Maximum Stress Aluminum Engine Casing Upper ....................................... 18
Figure 3.3 Maximum Stress Aluminum Engine Casing Lower ...................................... 19
Figure 3.4 Assembly Flight Path ..................................................................................... 19
Figure 3.5 Flight Performance ......................................................................................... 20
Figure 3.6 Rocket Angle, Altitude and Velocities ........................................................... 21
Figure 3.7 Composite Casing Detail ................................................................................ 23
Figure 3.8 FEA Geometry for Composite Casing ........................................................... 24
Figure 3.9 Load and Boundary Conditions Composite Casing ....................................... 25
Figure 3.10 Maximum Total Deformation Composite Casing ........................................ 26
Figure 3.11 Top Radius Stress Composite Casing .......................................................... 26
Figure 3.12 Flight Performance Comparison .................................................................. 28
vi
LIST OF EQUATIONS
Equation 2.1 Flight path angle to ground ....................................................................... 5
Equation 2.2 Axial acceleration at 1,000 feet ................................................................ 6
Equation 2.3 Axial acceleration below1,000 feet ........................................................... 5
Equation 2.4 Radial acceleration above 1,000 feet......................................................... 6
Equation 2.5 Radial acceleration below 1,000 feet ........................................................ 6
Equation 2.6 Axial velocity ............................................................................................ 6
Equation 2.7 Radial velocity........................................................................................... 6
Equation 2.8 Axial dispacement ..................................................................................... 6
Equation 2.9 Radial dispacement .................................................................................. 6
Equation 2.10 Horizontal distance and altitude matrix .................................................. 6
Equation 2.11 Propellant burn Area ............................................................................... 6
Equation 2.12 X Function ............................................................................................... 7
Equation 2.13 Nozzle exit area ....................................................................................... 7
Equation 2.14 Nozzle throat area.................................................................................... 7
Equation 2.15 Combustion chamber pressure ................................................................ 7
Equation 2.16 Propellant burn rate ................................................................................. 7
Equation 2.17 Expansion ratio ........................................................................................ 7
Equation 2.18 Exit pressure ............................................................................................ 8
Equation 2.19 Ideal thrust coefficient ............................................................................. 8
Equation 2.20 Actual thrust coefficient .......................................................................... 8
Equation 2.21 Specific impulse ...................................................................................... 8
Equation 2.22 Propellant core area ................................................................................. 8
Equation 2.23 Propellant core volume............................................................................ 8
Equation 2.24 Combustion chamber volume.................................................................. 8
Equation 2.25 Propellant volume ................................................................................... 8
Equation 2.26 Propellant mass ....................................................................................... 8
Equation 2.27 Mass flow ................................................................................................ 8
Equation 2.28 Burn time ................................................................................................. 8
Equation 2.29 Total impulse ........................................................................................... 9
vii
viii
LIST OF SYMBOLS
Motion
a Acceleration (ft/s2)
awing Lift/Mass of Missile Wing. (32.174 ft/s2)
Cd Coefficient of Drag
Cl Coefficient of Lift
F Engine Thrust (lbf)
g Acceleration of Gravity on Earth (32.174 ft/s2)
l/d ratio Ratio of Cl to Cd
tn Time at Increment n (s).
Engine Thrust Relative to Horizontal (degrees)
air Density of Air (lb/ft3)
Direction of Flight Relative to Horizontal (degrees)
v Velocity in Rocket Coordinates (ft/s)
x Axial Displacement in Rocket Coordinates (ft)
y Radial Displacement in Rocket Coordinates (ft)
ix
Engine
A* Nozzle Throat Cross-Sectional Area (in2)
Ab Propellant Burning Area (in2)
Aconduit Area of Core in Propellant Charge (in2)
Ae Cross Sectional Area of Exhaust Cone (in2)
Cf Thrust Coefficient
dc Propellant Outer Diameter (in)
de Diameter of Exhaust Cone (in)
Expansion Ratio
Fn Engine Thrust (lbf)
Specific Heat Ratio
Isp Specific Impulse (s)
It Total Impulse (lbf-s)
k Propellant Burn Rate Factor
Lc Length of Propellant (in)
Mass Flow Rate (lbm/s)
mc Mass of Propellant (lbm)
n Propellant Burn Rate Factor
Pc Chamber Pressure (psi)
Po Atmospheric Pressure (psi)
R Gas Constant (lbf-in/lbm-R)
rb Propellant Burn Rate (in/s)
tb Propellant Burn Time (s)
p Density of Propellant (lbm/in3)
Tc Propellant Burn Temperature (R)
V0 Volume of No Core Propellant (in3)
Vc Propellant Volume (in3)
Vconduit Conduit Volume (in3)
X* Non-Dimensional Mass Flow Rate in Nozzle Throat
Material
E Youngs Modulus (psi)
Normal Strain (in/in)
Shear Strain (in/in)
Fcy Yield Compressive Strength (psi)
Fcu Ultimate Compressive Strength (psi)
Fty Yield Tensile Strength (psi)
Ftu Ultimate Tensile Strength (psi)
Fsu Ultimate Shear Strength (psi)
G Shear Modulus (psi)
M.S.yld-comp Yield Strength Margin of Safety Compressive
M.S.ult-comp Ultimate Strength Margin of Safety Compressive
M.S.yld-tensile Yield Strength Margin of Safety Tensile
M.S.ult-tensile Ultimate Strength Margin of Safety Tensile
Poissons Ratio
Normal Stress (psi)
[Q] Laminae Reduced Stiffness Matrix (psi)
[Q] Laminae Transposed Reduced Stiffness Matrix (psi)
[S] Laminae Reduced Compliance Matrix (in2/lb)
[S] Laminae Transposed Reduced Compliance Matrix (in2/lb)
Shear Stress (psi)
xi
Glossary
Adiabatic A thermodynamic process in which heat is neither added nor removed from
the system.
AL Aluminum powder used as a solid fuel in a solid rocket motor.
ANSYS Software created by ANSYS Inc. used for finite element analysis.
AP A solid oxidizer made of Ammonium Perchlorate.
BurnSim Software created by Gregory Deputy to simulate the performance of a solid
propellant rocket motor.
BATES A cylindrical solid propellant configuration with a cylindrical core.
CATIA Software created by Dassault Systmes to perform 3 dimensional computer
aided design.
CLT Classical Laminate Theory used to calculate laminate properties from the
properties of the individual layers.
Condi Nozzle A convergent/divergent nozzle.
CTPB A polymer binder material made of Carboxyl Terminated Polybutadiene.
Isentropic A thermodynamic process in which there is no change in entropy of the
system.
Laminae A single layer of a composite matrix.
Laminate A stack of laminae.
Slinch Unit of mass in the United States customary units. 12 Slugs = 1 Slinch.
xii
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this project is to design a ground launched rocket booster to meet
specific mission requirements.
maximum flight altitude as well as length and weight limits. The mission is to launch a
3,000 lb payload such as a Tomahawk cruise missile to an altitude of 1,000 feet and
accelerate the missile to 550 MPH (807 fps). To meet these mission requirements, the
weight of the rocket body should be as light as possible while maintaining the required
structural integrity and reliability.
expansion ratio, propellant size and shape are determined through an iterative process.
The thrust performance from a preliminary motor design is used to calculate the
resulting flight performance based on the calculated thrust overcoming gravity, inertia
and aerodynamic drag of the booster rocket and cruise missile assembly. The engine
nozzle parameters are then varied to meet the mission requirements and to minimize
excess capability to ensure a weight efficient motor.
will be made of light weight cast aluminum. The aluminum motor design will be
compared to a design made of a fiber and resin composite material. The composition and
layup of the composite material and the thickness of the aluminum material will be
designed to meet industry standard safety margins based on the materials strength
properties. This paper will present the calculated engine parameters as well as the
engine weight and engine size for both the aluminum casing and the composite casing.
xiii
1. Introduction\Background
1.1 Rockets
Rockets are a type of aircraft used to carry a payload at high speeds over a wide range of
distances depending on the design. Rockets are powered by a reaction type engine
which uses chemical energy to accelerate and expel mass through a nozzle and relies on
the principles of Sir Isaac Newtons third law of motion [1] to propel the rocket forward.
Rocket engines use either solid or liquid fuel. They carry both the fuel and the oxidizer
required to convert the fuel into thermal energy and gas byproducts. The gas byproducts
under pressure are then passed through a nozzle which converts the high pressure low
velocity gas into a low pressure high velocity gas.
The following figure shows the different components of a typical rocket.
1.2
Mission Requirements
The rocket considered in this study is a ground launched booster that is used to launch a
payload such as a Tomahawk cruise missile to a prescribed altitude and to a required
velocity. The mission can be viewed in three phases. In the first phase, the booster is on
the ground at rest and launches vertically. In the second phase, the assembly transitions
from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation while climbing to 1,000 feet. In the
third phase, the booster accelerates the payload horizontally to 550 MPH (807 fps). The
rocket engine must be sized appropriately to meet the mission requirements as
summarized in Table 1.1. The Tomahawk cruise missile specifications are listed in
Table 1.2. The cruise missile in this mission will use an onboard gas turbine engine to
continue flight once the missile has reached 1,000 ft altitude and 550 MPH (807 fps). In
the horizontal portion of the flight, the cruise missile will deploy the stowed wings to
provide lift which will allow the thrust of the booster to be used solely to accelerate the
missile to the appropriate speed. Once the missile has reached the target altitude and
speed and the solid propellant has been consumed, the booster will be jettisoned from the
cruise missile assembly to fall back to earth. The total assembly is limited to 3,500 lbm
and the payload is 2,700 lbm. The properties of the fuel to be used in this mission are
shown in Table 1.3.
Table 1.1 Mission Requirements
Value
Units
Altitude range
0 - 1,000
ft
Minimum Velocity
550
MPH
Maximum Mass
3,500
lbm
Payload Mass
2700
lbm
Length (in)
Diameter (in)
Weight (lb)
219
20.9
2700
AP (70%)
Fuel Binder %
CTPB (12%)
Metallic Fuel %
AL (16%)
Curative %
Epoxy (2%)
6,840
.0341
0.4
Density (slinch/in )
1.64E-4
29.3
238,662.7
1.17
62008
2. Methodology
2.1 Assumptions
The following assumptions are made for the motor design to simplify the analysis.
1) The booster is an ideal rocket. This is to assume the following six assumptions
are true or they are corrected for with an efficiency factor. See Equation 2.20.
2) The specific heat ratio () of the exhaust gases is constant throughout the booster.
The specific heat ratio is a function of temperature and temperature is assumed to
be constant due to thermal insulation and low dwell time.
3) Flow through the nozzle is adiabatic, isentropic and one dimensional. This
assumption claims the process is reversible, no heat is lost and pressure and
temperature changes only occur in the axial direction. The true losses in the
system are accounted for in the efficiency factor.
4) There is no loss of total pressure during combustion. True pressure losses are
accounted for with the efficiency factor.
5) The flow area in the combustion chamber is large compared to the nozzle area so
the velocity at the nozzle entrance is negligible.
6) All of the exhaust gasses exit the nozzle in the axial direction. Due to the low
altitude range of this mission, the nozzle can be design such that the exhaust flow
is axial.
7) The nozzle is a fully expanding Condi nozzle. Due to the narrow altitude range
of this mission, the nozzle can be designed such that the exhaust is fully
expanding and not over or under expanded.
8) The coefficient of drag for the payload and booster assembly is 0.75. The actual
drag coefficient will be based on tests.
9) In the rocket combustion chamber, there is a 2mm (0.079 inch) liner is made of a
material of sufficient properties to keep the casing temperatures below 300
degrees Fahrenheit. This assumption is reasonable based on similar designs and
preliminary thermal analysis not presented here.
[2.1]
is the angle of the rocket axis to the ground as shown in Figure 2.1. The rocket at the
beginning of the launch is vertical (=90).
!"
#"
[2.2]
The axial acceleration is calculated by the following equation when the cruise missile
wings are deployed at 1,000 feet:
5
$"
!
!"
#"
[2.3]
The acceleration in the direction perpendicular to the cruise missile wingspan plane is
calculated as follows when below 1,000 ft is:
%
&'
[2.4]
The acceleration in the direction perpendicular to the cruise missile wingspan plane is
calculated as follows when the cruise missile wings are deployed at 1,000 ft:
% &' + $"
% (!% !#
[2.5]
[2.6]
[2.7]
[2.8]
[2.9]
The displacement values are then transformed into the ground reference frame to
determine the horizontal distance and the altitude.
,!-!"
# ""
,!-!"
# ""
" " "
.+
.+/
0+
+
.
" %" %"
"
"
[2.10]
The
maximum diameter of the engine is sized to be similar to that of the cruise missile. The
length of the propellant is limited to 26 inches to minimize the length of the booster
motor. Knowing the diameter and the length of the charge, the burn diameter can be
calculated:
( 1 3
6
[2.11]
The X*-function is the non-dimensional mass flow of the motor and is calculated by:
4 6 /
67
68
69
[2.12]
The exhaust cone diameter is a variable that can influence thrust and is adjusted as
needed in the design to get the appropriate thrust based on a given expansion ratio. The
chosen diameter for this rocket motor is 13 inches. The exit area is calculated from the
cone diameter.
:
1
[2.13]
The nozzle area is calculated from the exit area and the prescribed expansion ration
epsilon. The expansion ratio can be adjusted in the design phase in an iterative nature to
achieve the required thrust.
;
[2.14]
The chamber pressure can now be calculated based on the propellant properties and the
nozzle area.
< +
= ( >?@ 9"
4
[2.15]
The burn rate of the propellant is sensitive to the chamber pressure. The burn rate is
calculated as:
( A ="
[2.16]
As can be seen in the previous two equations, the chamber pressure is dependent on
the burn rate and the burn area. Both the burn rate and the burn area are increasing as
the propellant is consumed which provides a progressive burn rate. To minimize this
effect, creative cross sectional areas can be made so that the total area does not increase
with propellant consumption.
In order to calculate the thrust coefficient, the exit velocity or exit Mach number need to
be calculated. Due to the nature of the following equations, an iterative process is used
to solve for Me.
; B +
6
68
68
69
69
B
67
[2.17]
< < +
6
96
69
B
[2.18]
Knowing the exit velocity and the chamber pressure, the thrust coefficient is calculated
as shown.
6
C D
/
6 67
68
69
E
<
<
69
6
F+
< <!
<
[2.19]
These calculations are based on an ideal nozzle with full expansion. Due to thermal and
other losses, the actual thrust coefficient will be about 90% of the ideal thrust
coefficient.
C
GH% C
[2.20]
A measure of the efficiency of the rocket design is the specific impulse. The specific
impulse can provide an idea of the propellant flow rate required for the given thrust. The
theoretical specific impulse is calculated by:
J#=
C C
[2.21]
The area of the core in the BATES type fuel configuration or a cylindrical configuration
should be four times the area of the nozzle to prevent erosive burning. From this area,
the volume of the core can be calculated using the propellant length. The propellant
volume is calculated by subtracting this core volume from the combustion chamber
volume. From this volume, the mass of the propellant can be determined.
!"
:
K!"
3
KH ( 3
K= KH K!"
= K =
[2.22]
[2.23]
[2.24]
[2.25]
[2.26]
To calculate the burn time, the mass flow rate is determined and then the burn time is
calculated based on the propellant mass.
L J
(
"
#=
[2.27]
L
[2.28]
An important characteristic of the motor performance is the total impulse. This is the
average thrust times the burn time.
J M (
[2.29]
All of the above calculations are performed in Microsoft Excel. The internal iterative
solver in Excel is used to determine the appropriate nozzle diameter and exhaust cone
diameter to meet the mission requirements.
assembly and then bonded into place. The composite material version of the rocket
9
motor casing will be designed of a similar shape as shown in Figure 2.3. The composite
assembly will be assembled similar to the aluminum version except the Thrust Plate is
bonded to the top of the casing.
Liner
Propellant
Integral igniter
housing
Filler
Nozzle
Casing
Figure 2.2 Aluminum Engine Casing Concept
Propellant
Liner
Nozzle
Thrust Plate/
Igniter Housing
Filler
Casing
Figure 2.3 Composite Engine Casing Concept
Figure 2.4 shows a typical 2 dimensional axisymmetric finite element model used to
analyze the motor casing. Pressure is applied to the internal surfaces up to the nozzle
where the pressure drops to near ambient values. A thrust load is applied to the top
surface in the axial direction (depicted as C). This load application represents where
the thrust is transferred to the payload. The casing is grounded at the end of the nozzle.
The load is typically distributed throughout the nozzle and not concentrated on the end
but the nozzle is structurally sturdy and not an area of concern for this project.
10
2.5 Material
2.5.1
Aluminum Alloy
The Table 2.1 shows the material properties for E357T-6 cast aluminum prepared per
AMS 4288 [6]. This alloy is used since it has a relatively high strength to weight ratio
for a cast alloy.
Ftu (ksi)
Fty (ksi)
Fcy (ksi)
Fsu (ksi)
E (ksi)
(lb/in3)
T=72F
45
36
36
28
10.4E3
0.33
0.097
T=300F
39
37
10.6E3
2.5.2
Composite Material
A carbon epoxy composite material from Hexcel [8] is chosen for the composite version
of the casing. The properties for unidirectional fibers are shown in Table 2.2. The
11
maximum casing temperature is 300F and so the strength is reduced by 10% based on
similar material trends. The strength is further reduced by 50% as an industry standard
ultimate strength safety factor.
Table 2.2 Hexcel Intermediate Modulus Carbon Fiber/Resin Properties
room
temperature
300F
1.5 Safety
Factor
Ftu 1
Fcu 1
Ftu 2
Fcu 2
F12
E1
E2
G12
(psi)
(psi)
(psi)
(psi)
(psi)
(psi)
(psi)
(psi)
348,000
232,000
11,000
36,200
13,800
313,200
208,800
9,900
32,580
12,420
2,466,000
1,305,000
638,000
208,800
139,200
6,600
21,720
8,280
12
0.27
This unidirectional material is layered several plies thick into a laminate. In this project,
the laminate is made of 84 layers with each layer being 0.006 in thick for a total of 0.504
thick. Some of the layers will be at different angles from the others to tailor the material
for the mission loads. This allows the composite material to be optimized to minimize
weight without sacrificing strength. The overall laminate properties will be calculated
based on the material properties in Table 2.2 utilizing Classical Laminate Theory and
Kirchoffs Hypothesis [7]. The following assumptions are made:
1) Lines normal to the midplane of a layer remain normal and straight and normal
during bending of the layer.
2) All laminates are perfectly bonded together so that there is no dislocation
between layers.
3) Properties for a layer are uniform throughout the layer.
4) Each ply can be modeled using plane stress per Kirchoffs Hypothesis.
The following are the equations used to model the composite. For details see [7].
The stress strain relationship of the laminate is defined by:
NOP QRSNTP
12
W \
V]
;
V
W ; [ V]\
V ; Z V
V X Z V \
V6X Z
H
V6X Z V
U6 Y V H
V
V
U H
]
]
\
]X
\
\
\
]X
\
\
^X
^
H[
Z
H Z c
Z b c g
H Z` H `
Z
H Za H f
` H `
Z _d e
H Z
Z
^ Y
[2.30]
Using plane stress assumptions, the equation can be reduced to the following:
;
k
;
h i jk
6
H
c
H
c
H mh i
kll d
k
k
H
[2.31]
Where [S] in Equation 2.12 is the reduced compliance matrix. This matrix is
transformed for each layer to equate the properties into the laminate coordinate system
as follows:
n
6
%
Where
;
;%
k
o Q@S pk
H
k
k
H
c
H q Q@S h c% i
d%
kll
"
"
Q@S j "
" m
" " "
This can be represented by:
r
;
k
;
r
h % i pk
6%
r
k
l
r
k
r
k
r
kl
rl c
k
rl q h c% i
k
rll d%
k
[2.32]
[2.33]
[2.34]
[2.35]
[2.36]
s% kr
t% kr
ll
r
k
u% rk
13
[2.37]
[2.38]
r
k
u% r
[2.39]
r SN;P
NcP Qv
[2.40]
[Q] = [S]-1
[2.41]
k
In the laminate coordinate system, the stress to strain relationship for a single layer can
be written as:
where
To create the overall laminate load to strain relationship, the ABD matrix is created as
follows:
N
A ij = Q ijk (z k z k 1 )
[2.42]
k =1
N
[2.43]
[2.44]
Bij = Q ijk z 2k z 2k 1
k =1
N
D ij = Q ijk z 3k z 3k 1
k =1
Where zk is the z-directional position of the ply number k. In a symmetric layup, z=0 at
the midplane and is positive in the lower layers and negative in the upper layers.
The complete load to strain relationship matrix is:
N X A11
N A
Y 12
N XY A16
M = B
X 11
M Y B12
M XY B16
A12
A16
B11
B12
A 22
A 26
B12
B 22
A 26
B12
A 66
B16
B16 B26
D11 D12
B22
B26
D12
D 22
B26
B66
D16
D 26
0
B16 X
0
B26 Y
0
B66 XY
D16 0X
D 26 0Y
D 66 0
XY
[2.45]
The maximum stress for the laminate is based on Tsai-Hill failure criteria for each
layer. The laminate will be considered to have failed when any layer exceeds the
maximum allowed stress. An Excel spreadsheet is used to calculate the stress in the
layers based on the laminate stress from the finite element model. The layer stresses are
14
used with the Tsai-Hill equation to determine a static margin. The Tsai-Hill failure
criteria equation is as follows:
c
Where
/ 0 /
4
c c
4 4
0 + / 0 + /
c
15
d
k
0 <
[2.46]
3. Results
3.1 Engine Parameters
The predicted engine parameters based on the chosen nozzle diameter, expansion ratio
and fuel size are shown in Table 3.1.
Value
Units
Maximum Thrust
13,481
lb
1,104
psi
Total Impulse
120,150
lbf-s
Specific Impulse
237
Burn Diameter
20.87
in
Conduit Diameter
6.55
in
Propellant Length
26
in
Burn Time
12.88
Nozzle Diameter
3.28
in
8.02
in
Expansion Ratio
6.0
2.86
1.61
1.45
Optimal Thrust
Coefficient
Thrust Coefficient Actual
Based on the engine parameters shown in Table 3.1, an engine casing is designed and
optimized for weight based on the material strength as shown in Table 2.1.
The
maximum casing temperature is 300F and so the material properties are reduced from
the room temperature properties as shown in the table. Figure 3.1 shows the final
dimensions of the engine casing. Table 3.2 shows the final weight of the aluminum
16
engine casing assembly. The engine casing is inch thick throughout most of the
design. Some areas of the casing are thicker to accommodate the stresses due to the
thrust load transmitted to the payload through the top of the casing in addition to the
internal pressure load.
3.2.2
Component
Weight (lb)
Engine Casing
172
Fuel
507
Liner/Filler
50
Nozzle
Total
736
Linear elastic finite element analysis is performed using ANSYS Workbench V13. The
loads and boundary conditions are applied as shown in Figure 2.4 in section 2. The
results are shown in Figure 3.2 and Figure 3.3. The peak stress occurs in the top of the
casing in Figure 3.2 where the structure is supporting the internal pressure load as well
17
as a bending load due to the thrust load. The thickness of the casing in this area is
increased to 1.20 inches as shown in Figure 3.1. Figure 3.3 shows the stresses for the
lower section which are not as high as in the upper section. This peak stress in this
figure occurs where the structure is supporting a bending load in addition to the internal
pressure load. The thickness in this area is increased to 0.7 inches as shown in Figure
3.1 to accommodate the higher stresses. The margins of safety are calculated using the
maximum casing stress with a 1.5 safety factor on the ultimate strength and a 1.15 safety
factor on the yield strength.
Bk%
.z{c
%
Bk
.z{c
[3.1]
[3.2]
With a maximum stress of 25,817 psi, the margin of safety for the aluminum casing is
0.24 for yield strength and 0.01 for ultimate strength.
18
1200
Altitude (ft)
1000
altitude (ft)
800
600
400
200
0
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
19
Figure 3.5 shows the thrust, altitude and the horizontal velocity over time. As shown,
the assembly reaches the target altitude of 1,000 feet at about 10 seconds and then
continues to accelerate until it reaches the target velocity of 807 ft/sec at 12.6 seconds.
The thrust shown in Figure 3.5 is predicted by BurnSim.
progressive since the burn rate accelerates with increased burn area and increased
chamber pressure. The thrust has a drop at approximately 9.6 seconds. The hypothesis
as to why this occurs is the propellant is divided into 3 stages in BurnSim. The bottom
stage is allowed to burn on the nozzle end which is open as shown in Figure 2.2. The
other two segments are prevented from burning on the ends. As the propellant is
consumed, the bottom charge is burning both axially and radially and eventually there
will no longer be an end face. At this point, the total burn area will drop, resulting in a
pressure drop which will result in a thrust decrease. This phenomenon can be further
explored with the aid of the software designer to verify accuracy.
Flight Performance
14000
1000
12000
Thrust (lb)
600
8000
6000
400
800
10000
Thrust (lb)
altitude (ft)
horizontal velocity
(ft/sec)
4000
200
2000
0
0
10
12
TIme
20
Flight Performance
90
1000
80
70
(degrees)
50
600
40
400
30
800
60
(degrees)
altitude (ft)
horizontal velocity
(ft/sec)
vertical velocity
(ft/sec)
20
200
10
0
0
10
12
TIme
3.3.1
Layup
The composite layup is [902/02/45/-45]s. Each layer is 0.006 inches thick. The sublaminate has 12 layers and the sub-laminate is layered 7 times. The engine casing is 0.5
inches thick made up of a total of 84 layers. The 0 degree orientation is in-line with the
casing axis but following the contour of the shell from top to bottom and the 90 degree
orientation is in the hoop direction. This layup will give strength in the hoop direction
for the pressure loading with the 90 degree fibers. The 0 and 45 degree fibers give the
laminate strength for bending in the curved geometry at the top and bottom of the casing
to react thrust load.
The overall properties of this layup are calculated using classical laminate plate theory.
The resulting three dimensional stiffness properties of the laminate as well as the
21
Poissons ratios are shown in Table 3.3. The stress allowable for this laminate would
ultimately be determined through physical testing of the laminate. The safety factors are
calculated based on the unidirectional material properties and CLT with Tsai-Hill failure
criteria.
Ey
10^6 psi
10^6 psi
10.68
10.68
3.3.2
Ez
Gxy
Gxz
Gyz
10^6 psi
10^6 psi
10^6 psi
10^6 psi
1.73
2.54
0.53
0.53
xy
zx
zy
0.20
0.38
0.38
Based on the engine parameters shown in Table 3.1, an engine casing is designed and
optimized for weight based on the material strength as shown in Table 2.2. Figure 3.7
shows the final dimensions of the engine casing. Table 3.4 shows the final weight of the
composite engine casing assembly. Figure 3.7 shows the dimensions of the composite
casing. Due to the superior strength of the composite material over the aluminum, the
thickness of the structure is 0.5 inches throughout. Since the composites are lower in
density than the aluminum and the structure is thinner, the composite casing is lighter
even with the additional thrust plate hardware.
22
Weight (lb)
Engine Casing
97
Fuel
507
Liner/Filler
50
Nozzle
Thrust Plate
Total
662
23
3.3.3
Throat Top
Radius
Throat
Bottom
Cone Radius
Barrel
Top
Cone
Top Radius
Bottom Radius
Ey
Ez
Gxy
Gxz
Gyz
6
10 psi
6
10 psi
6
10 psi
6
10 psi
6
10 psi
6
10 psi
1.73
10.68 10.68
0.53
0.53
2.54
xy
zx
zy
0.06
0.06
0.20
Figure 3.9 shows the load and boundary conditions similar to that of the aluminum
casing shown in Figure 2.4. The additional remote displacement is used on the top
section of the casing to represent the bonded thrust ring shown in Figure 2.3. This
24
constraint prevents the edges of the top hole from expanding or contracting radially but
allows all rotations and axial displacement. Figure 3.10 shows the deformation of the
casing and Figure 3.11 shows the peak stresses in the top curved section. The peak
stresses occur in areas similar to the aluminum casing as expected. The margins are
calculated using Tsai-Hill failure criteria. A summary of the margin of safety is listed in
Table 3.6.
25
26
Axial
Hoop
Hoop
Shear
Shear
min
max
min
max
min
max
Cone
-20144
-4729.2
-4897.3
-566.72
-312.46
794.8
2.081
Cone radius
-13465
-6717
-6074.4
-1876.2
-722.42
674.68
3.716
Nozzle
-9718.6
-8095.4
-2745.3
295.22
-426.46
183.22
5.415
-14915
24486
-413
28774
-2014.8
504.71
0.696
-13401
24279
15498
28629
-123.22
1809.9
0.718
-546.32
17727
3015.8
23340
-1188.7
1851.8
1.163
Barrel
3701.5
13574
13057
24296
-1144.8
1116.6
1.198
Top Radius
-14147
29048
2951.3
19953
-1482.9
1158.1
0.793
Top
-21888
34018
8241.7
40858
1248.8
5475.1
0.129
Location
Throat Top
Radius
Bottom
Bottom
Radius
Margin
The lowest margin in the composites is similar to that of the aluminum casing in the top
section which is reacting the thrust forces as well as internal pressures. These margins
include the temperature knock downs as well as the 1.5 safety factor. Since composites
behave as a brittle material in that they do not significantly plastically deform prior to
failure, only ultimate margins are calculated.
3.3.4
Comparing the total weight of the aluminum engine as shown in Table 3.2 to that of the
composite engine as shown in Table 3.4, the total weight savings is only 74 lb in an
assembly that weighs over 3,000 lb. As show in Figure 3.12, this weight savings has a
minor effect on the flight performance of the assembly.
27
1000
800
700
800
500
600
400
400
300
200
200
100
0
0
10
12
TIme
28
Altitude (ft)
600
Aluminum Casing
Altitude
Composite Casing
Altitude
Aluminum Casing
Velocity
4. Conclusion
A rocket motor provides a great deal of power for a short duration of time. In this
project, a solid fuel rocket motor is designed to produce over 13,000 lb of thrust for
almost 13 seconds which is capable of lifting over 3,000 lb of mass to a height of 1,000
feet and accelerate it to over 550 mph. There are many options for size and shape of the
propellant which can have a great influence on the thrust profile. A simple cylindrical
propellant shape was utilized in this project for simplicity but other options can be
explored. The thrust profile is progressive in that the thrust increases with time. The
chamber pressure is a moderate pressure of about 1,000 psi. The pressure makes it
feasible to use metal alloy and composite casings. The advantage of the composite is the
high strength to weight which allows for weight savings. For this design, the weight
savings is only 74 lb in an assembly that weighs more than 3,000 lbs. This weight
savings provides marginal flight performance increase as shown in Figure 3.12. Further
refinements can be done for the composite casing design to decrease the thickness in
high margin locations.
terminations which requires special stress analysis. Overall, composites can be more
expensive and more technically challenging to manufacture than metal alloys. A further
cost and manufacturing analysis would need to be performed to determine if the use of
composites is justified.
29
References
[1] Newton, Isaac. The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, pg 19 1729
[3] Sutton, George Paul. Rocket Propulsion Elements. New York: John Wiley &
Sons, 1992
[4] Ward, Thomas A. Aerospace Propulsion Systems. Singapore: John Wiley &
Sons, 2010
[5] Young, Budynas, and Sadegh. Roarks Formulas for Stress and Strain. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.
30
31
for i=1:3
for j=1:3
ABD(i,j)=A(i,j);
end
end
for i=4:6
for j=1:3
ABD(i,j)=B(i-3,j);
end
end
for i=1:3
for j=4:6
ABD(i,j)=B(i,j-3);
end
end
for i=4:6
for j=4:6
ABD(i,j)=D(i-3,j-3);
end
end
ABD;
abd=ABD^-1;
e0k=abd*[Nx;Ny;Nxy;Mx;My;Mxy];
e0=[e0k(1);e0k(2);e0k(3)];
k=[e0k(4);e0k(5);e0k(6)];
for j=1:2:2*h %creates matrix with 2*h columns so to have top and
bottom values for each layer
jmod=.5*j+.5; %converts j back to j=1:h for layer properties
theta=plystacktheta(jmod)*pi/180;
epsilonxytop=e0+z(jmod)*k;
epsilonxybottom=e0+z(jmod+1)*k;
stiffness=qbar(theta,E1,E2,poisson12,shear12);
sigxytop=stiffness* epsilonxytop;
sigxybottom=stiffness* epsilonxybottom;
sig12top=tmatrix(theta)*sigxytop;
sig12bottom=tmatrix(theta)*sigxybottom;
epsilon12top=tmatrix(theta)*epsilonxytop;
epsilon12bottom=tmatrix(theta)*epsilonxybottom;
for i=1:3
stressxy(i,j)=sigxytop(i,1);
stress12(i,j)=sig12top(i,1);
strainxy(i,j)=epsilonxytop(i,1);
strain12(i,j)=epsilon12top(i,1);
end
for i=1:3
stressxy(i,j+1)=sigxybottom(i,1);
stress12(i,j+1)=sig12bottom(i,1);
strainxy(i,j+1)=epsilonxybottom(i,1);
strain12(i,j+1)=epsilon12bottom(i,1);
end
end
S =
compliancematrix(E1,E2,E3,poisson12,poisson13,poisson23,shear12,shear13
,shear23);
deltaH=0;
for i=1:2:2*h
imod=.5*i+.5;
32
epsilon3(imod,1)=S(1,3)*stress12(1,i)+S(2,3)*stress12(2,i);
deltah(imod,1)=epsilon3(imod,1)*plystackz(imod);
deltaH=deltaH+deltah(imod,1);
end
for i=1:2*h
if (stress12(1,i)<0)
X1=Fcu1;
else
X1=Ftu1;
end
if (stress12(2,i)<0)
X2=Fcu1; Y1=Fcu2;
else
X2=Ftu1; Y1=Ftu2;
end
S1=F12;
tsaihill(1,i)=(stress12(1,i)/X1)^2stress12(1,i)*stress12(2,i)/(X2^2)+(stress12(2,i)/Y1)^2+(stress12(3,i)/
S1)^2;
ms(1,i)=1/tsaihill(1,i)-1;
end
Ex=1/(abd(1,1)*t)
Ey=1/(abd(2,2)*t)
Gxy=1/(abd(3,3)*t)
poissonxy=-abd(1,2)/abd(1,1)
stress12
ms
epsilon3;
deltah;
deltaH;
epsilonz=deltaH/t;
poissonxz=-epsilonz/e0(1);
poissonyz=-epsilonz/e0(2);
33
%Graphitepolymer
E1=2.4656*10^7;
E2=1.305*10^6;
E3=E2;
shear12=638000;
shear13=shear12;
poisson12=0.27;
poisson13=poisson12;
poisson23=1-(E2/E1)*(1+(E1/(3.4*shear12)-1)*2*sqrt(2)*poisson12);
shear23=E2/(2*(1+poisson23));
Ftu1=208800;
Fcu1=139200;
Ftu2=6600;
Fcu2=21720;
F12=8280;
%compliancematrix.m
function [S] =
compliancematrix(E1,E2,E3,poison12,poison13,poison23,shear12,shear13,sh
ear23)
S=[1/E1,-poison12/E1,-poison13/E1,0,0,0;-poison12/E1,1/E2,poison23/E2,0,0,0;-poison13/E1,poison23/E2,1/E3,0,0,0;0,0,0,1/shear23,0,0;0,0,0,0,1/shear13,0;0,0,0,0,
0,1/shear12];
end
%qbar.m
function [qbar] = qbar(theta,E1,E2,poisson12,shear12)
S=[1/E1,-poisson12/E1,0;-poisson12/E1,1/E2,0;0,0,1/shear12];
Sbar(1,1)=S(1,1)*cos(theta)^4+(2*S(1,2)+S(3,3))*sin(theta)^2*cos(theta)
^2+S(2,2)*sin(theta)^4;
Sbar(1,2)=(S(1,1)+S(2,2)S(3,3))*sin(theta)^2*cos(theta)^2+S(1,2)*(sin(theta)^4+cos(theta)^4);
Sbar(1,3)=(2*S(1,1)-2*S(1,2)-S(3,3))*sin(theta)*cos(theta)^3-(2*S(2,2)2*S(1,2)-S(3,3))*sin(theta)^3*cos(theta);
Sbar(2,1)=Sbar(1,2);
Sbar(2,2)=S(1,1)*sin(theta)^4+(2*S(1,2)+S(3,3))*sin(theta)^2*cos(theta)
^2+S(2,2)*cos(theta)^4;
Sbar(2,3)=(2*S(1,1)-2*S(1,2)-S(3,3))*sin(theta)^3*cos(theta)-(2*S(2,2)2*S(1,2)-S(3,3))*sin(theta)*cos(theta)^3;
Sbar(3,1)=Sbar(1,3);
Sbar(3,2)=Sbar(2,3);
Sbar(3,3)=2*(2*S(1,1)+2*S(2,2)-4*S(1,2)S(3,3))*sin(theta)^2*cos(theta)^2+S(3,3)*(sin(theta)^4+cos(theta)^4);
qbar=inv(Sbar);
end
%tmatrix.m
function [T] = tmatrix(theta)
n=sin(theta);
m=cos(theta);
T=[m^2,n^2,2*m*n;n^2,m^2,-2*m*n;-m*n,m*n,m^2-n^2];
end
34