High Burning Rate Nanoenergetic Additive for HLG Rocket Propellants

Triton Systems proposes to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of producing high burning rate nanoenergetic additives for highly loaded grain solid rocket propellants with increased specific impulse and high thrust to achieve high speed, long range and maneuverability. By eliminating conventional center burning tube in the rocket propellant grain, end burning rocket propellants can achieve increased total impulse by greater than 15-20 % for the given rocket motor volume. The end burning propellants require high burning rate to achieve rapid acceleration. Leveraging Triton’s previous experiences with nano-energetic materials and scalable nanocomposite manufacturing processes, we will design, produce and test stable forms of nanoenergetics to significantly increase burning rates and shorten ignition delays in the advanced rocket propellants. The nanoenergetics will allow us to design and build advanced rocket propellants with significantly improved specific impulse and thrust without compromising initial boost thrust and rocket motor design flexibility. The stable form of nanoenergetics will be produced by employing standard industrial manufacturing processes, and thus, affordable and scalable. In Phase I, Triton will design, fabricate and test a stable form of nanoenergetic materials. We will also simulate and model combustion characteristics of the advanced rocket propellants with the nanoenergetics to determine burning rate, chamber pressure, maximum thrust and total impulse. Furthermore, we will experimentally measure ignition and hot spot formation characteristics as a function of shock pressure to determine and demonstrate benefits of the nanoenergetics in the advanced rocket propellants. In Phase II, Triton will further optimize nanoenergetic materials’ design and manufacturing processes. We will also simulate and design ignition and start features of advanced rocket propellants with the nanoenergetics Approved for Public Release | 20-MDA-10643 (3 Dec 20)