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Keywords: solid rocket motor, grain design, star grains, rocket propellant.
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Belgrade. All rights reserved FME Transactions (2007) 35, 35-40 35
2.1 Existing geometry The value for parameter eps (ratio of minor to major
ellipse axis) was chosen in such manner that stress
The existing geometry is classic five-star points with
concentration factor is minimal. Since the semi-circle
the following main cross section geometry.
star tip ( eps = 1 ) has one point of stress concentration
Table 1. Main dimensions of cross section and the geometry with eps = 0 has two points of
Designation Value Unit concentration, it is clear that at some intermediate value
D Outside diameter 116.50 mm of eps a transition from one point of concentration to
W Web thickness 28.85 mm two points of concentration must occur, and that at this
r1 Tip radius 8.00 mm transition the stress should be uniformly distributed
r2 Internal radius 2.00 mm around the tip. That transition will represent a minimum
o
Separation angle 23.00
stress configuration. A configuration of minimum stress
Rp Port radius 15.40 mm
occurs for a value of eps in the range 0, 35 < eps < 0, 7 ,
N Number of star points 5
and at a value of eps where the transition from one
concentration point to two concentration points is
occurring. To find the optimum value for the eps in our
case, we will use program package (Pro/Mechanica).
( H 1)( 2 1)
SR = = 1.421 . (10)
2
( H elip 1)( elip 1)
The ratio of elongation between radius and elliptical Figure 5. Pressure vs. time history for old star shape grain
fillet:
H ( 2 1)
ER = = 1.404 . (11)
2
H elip ( elip 1)
2 1
PR = =1.346 . (12)
2
elip 1
REFERENCES
[1] Fitzgerald, J.E.: Handbook for the Engineering
Structural Analysis of Solid Propellants, University
of Utah Lake City, Utah, 1971.
[2] Billheimer, J.S.: The Ballistic Interface in Grain
Configuration for Structural Analysis, Rep.
Figure 10. Thrust vs. time comparison between old and AFRPLTR-69-57 Solid Rocket Structural Integrity
new design with higher burning rate propellant Information Center Univ. of Utah, Vol. 6, No. 2,
pp. 1-40, 1969.
The new star design with the usage of the same
propellant gives satisfactory results. Motor burning time [3] Hartfield, R., Jenkins, R., Burkhalter, J., and Foster,
and obtained total impulse is practically the same for W.: A Review of Analytical Methods for Solid
both configurations. Maximal pressure for elliptic fillet Rocket Motor Grain Analysis, AIAA 2003-4506
design is lower than maximal pressure for original 39th Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit,
design, more than 20 bars (figure 7.). Only a small Huntsville, AL, July 2003.
disadvantage is in the fact that at start the thrust is lower [4] Massa, L., Jackson, and T., Buckmaster, J.:
22% but after 0.2 s is equal to the thrust of radius fillet Numerical Simulation of AP-Based Propellant
configuration (figure 8.). Because of lower maximal Combustion, Proceedings of AIAA Joint Propulsion
pressure that lack in thrust can be overcome by Conference AIAA 2006-4588, July 2006.
increasing the propellant burning rate (by decreasing the
oxidizer particle size), of course up to the same limit as NOMENCLATURE
in original design, 140 bars. In that case starting thrusts Hc Photo-elastic parameter in case of semi-
are almost the same and due to the higher average circle tip geometry
operating motor pressure a new design has slightly Photo-elastic parameter in case of
H elip
bigger total impulse, 0.7% (figure 10). elliptical tip geometry
5. CONCLUSION
a Radius to star valley
b Outside radius of proppelant grain
By the presented example it is shown that it is ET Tensile modul of propellant at
possible to significantly improve the design (from temperature T
mechanical point of view) of star perforated propellant T Temperature
grains only with optimization of the star tip geometry. Dic 0 Inner diameter of the combustion
The main geometry difference is in the fact that instead chamber at temperature T0
of classical round star tip elliptical tip geometry was D0 Outer diameter of the propellant grain at
introduced. In this way stress is uniformly distributed temperature T0
around the tip, which means that a minimum stress
configuration is achieved. The ratio of ellipse minor to Greek symbols
major axis (eps), which gives minimal concentration
factor, should be calculated for each independent case. Grain radius ratio
Parameter eps is mainly the function of the number of Tip radius, = r1 in case of semi-circle and
star points, ratio of outer grain to star tip radius, and = ea in case of elliptical tip geometry
ratio of star tip to star tip fillet radius. In most cases a