Optimization and Burn-back Analysis of Grain of Solid Rocket Motor

Abstract

The aim of this project is to develop a numerical code in MATLAB to evaluate the performance of propellant grain of solid rocket motor by accurate regression of grain surface in burnback analysis. A numerical technique namely Level Set Method (LSM) is used to evolve the grain surface in both 2D and 3D configurations. In order to reduce computational requirement while evolving 3D grain surface, an innovative method of quasi-3D has been implemented. In Quasi-3D, 3D grain section is divided into several 2D cross-sections and then each 2D cross section is evolved using less-demanding (in term of computational power) 2D Level-Set Method. And in the end interpolation technique is applied to reconstruct the 3D grain regression from 2D results. For Internal ballistic calculations, well-established models of 0D-unsteady and 1D-quasi-steady methods has been implemented. Combining 2D and quasi-3D burnback simulation with 0D-unsteady and 1D-quasi-steasdy ballistic models, three following cases have been modeled in this research: 1. 2D-grain burnback and 0D-unsteady flow 2. Quasi-3D grain burnback and 0D-unsteady flow 3. Quasi-3D grain burnback and 1D-quasi-steady flow For validation purpose, results of first and second cases, 2D and Quasi-3D grain burnback and 0D unsteady, are compared against reference cases. While the results of 3rd case, 1D quasi-steady flow model, are analyzed only qualitatively. Keywords: Solid Rocket Motor, Grain burnback, Level Set Method, Internal Ballistics and Performance