ZERO-EROSION THROATS FOR SOLID PROPELLANTS

ADVANCED SOLID ROCKET PROPELLANTS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TODAY THAT WOULD PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN PERFORMANCE AND/OR REDUCTION IN LAUNCH COST. THEY CANNOT BE USED, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY OF CONTAINMENT MATERIALS IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY ADVANCED. IN THIS PHASE I PROGRAM, ULTRAMET PROPOSES TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE PROCESSING METHODS APPLIED TO UNIQUE MATERIALS TO FABRICATE NEAR-ZERO EROSIN THROATS FOR THESE ULTRAHIGH TEMPERATURE SOLID ROCKET MOTOTRS AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR PERFORMANCE. SYSTEMS REQUIRING THE BENEFITS OF IMPROVED NOZZLE THROAT EROSION ARE VARIED AND NUMEROUS. AMONG THEM ARE THE ADVANCED SOLID AXIAL STAGE, KINETIC ENERGY ANTISATELLITE SYSTEMS, BRILLIANT PEBBLES, GUIDED BOMB PROPULSION SYSTEMS, AND ALL OTHER MILITARY SPACE APPLICATIONS. ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL INCLUDE UNCOOLED LEADING EDGES FOR HYPERSONIC VEHICLES AND REENTRY VEHICLES, AS WELL AS HIGH PERFORMANCE GUN BARRELS.