Critical Review of Phenomenological Models for Studying Transient Combustion of Solid Propellants

Abstract

A brief review of the existing generalizations of phenomenological model of solid propellants combustion, originally formulated by Ya. B. Zel'dovich in 1942, is presented. The model still remains valid and allows the description of different patterns of solid propellant transient combustion. However, over the years after this formulation was published, several publications appeared in the literature with assumptions that are not justified. Shortcomings of different model options and their limits of applicability are discussed. In fact, in some cases the attempts of model generalization are based on rather strong additional assumptions that lead to narrowing the applicability range of the model.

A Phenomenological Model for the Unsteady Combustion of Solid Propellants from a Zel’dovich-Novzhilov Approach

“…Traditionally, the equivalent counterpart of a QSHOD model in the ZN framework should be based on the linear equivalence [12,15]. In the present model, the corresponding ZN parameters can be calculated by Equation ( 7)…”

Limits of steady burning propellants in the phenomenological theory using effective initial temperature

“…There are other problems in the phenomenological approach, they are discussed in detail by (Zarko, V.E., and Gusachenko, L.K., 2010). Its further development must be seen not only in dealing with specific applications, but also in the critical revision of the foundations and theoretical proposals.…”