Advanced Solid Rocket Motor Technology for Tactical Missiles

ABSTRACT:Knobley Technical Associates Phase Il Advanced Solid Rocket Motor Technologies for Tactical Missiles program includes design, analysis, development and testing efforts to define and mitigate technical and operational challengesto be investigated and resolved for successful maturation ofthe performance enhancing burn-rate augment highly loaded propellant grain technology for next generation advanced solid rocket motors. The program as planned consist of task to1.) formulate and evaluate the high burn rate reduced signature (RS) and aluminized propellants relative to ballistic, mechanical and processing performance characteristics as required for use in advance technology energy managed solid rocket motors featuring burn rate-augmented end burning highly loaded grains, 2.) design and evaluate integrated starter grain and burn rate augmented end burning propellant grains that transition rapidly from ignition to near steady state boost or sustain conditions with good pressure and thrust neutrality characteristics, 3.) demonstrate the operational ballistic performance of the burn rate augmented propellant grain motor at operating temperature extremes of tactical air-launched rocket motors and 4.) demonstrate operational performance of the burn rate augmented grain motorwhen ignited with low and high L* conditions as would exist in a dual pulse solid propellant tactical rocket motor. The program as planned has task asist of an effort to design and manufacture subscale (3.5 Dia. by 31 Lg) diagnostic motors that will be used to demonstrate the operational performance of the burn rate augmented highly loaded grain motor when tested at ambient and tactical air launched motor operational temperature extremes.The motor will also be used to demonstrate the ignition transient performance of the highly loaded grain motor when tested at low and high L* conditions as may be present for ignition of pulse 1 and 2 grains of a multi-pulse motor.Results of the diagnostic motor testing will be used to design and demonstrate successful performance of a 7-inch diameter highly loaded grain dual pulse motor featuring a reduced signature pulse 1 grain, a high performance aluminized propellant pulse 2 grain and the associated igniters and thermal barrier designsrequired for the full scale dual pulse motor.BENEFIT:The successful Phase II Advanced Solid Rocket Motor Technology for Tactical Missiles program will serve to provide a performance enhancing capability to increase the propulsive energy of next generation envelope constrained tactical solid rocket motorsby approximately 20 percent.The technology of this program provides the rocket motor design and development community a totally new tool to be used in the design of next generation of tactical solid propellant rocket motors.