Aging and Surveillance Technology for Solid Rocket Motors

ASI proposes an innovative and numerically-efficient approach to the modeling of crack propagation in solid propellant rocket motors.  Our technology uses a coupled fluid-structure interaction model that is enhanced with an embedded grid capability.  Such an approach eliminates virtually all of the bottlenecks that occur in traditional approaches, through elimination of the re-gridding that must occur between each iteration.  Our approach improves on state of the art crack fluid dynamic modeling by treating the problem with the same fidelity as the structural aspects.  As a result, we can model an arbitrary flaw of any size and any shape. BENEFITS: This technology can be used to more accurately predict whether a known propellant flaw is of the minimum critical size or in a critical area to where it will propagate to motor failure.  It will be used, in the near term, to support ASIs activities in the Missile Defense Agencys upcoming aging and surveillance activities supporting the strategic targets program.  In the long run, it can be used across every such program run by the Department of Defense.