Modelling and Verification of Solid Propellant Rocket Motor Operation

Abstract

This paper presents a mathematical-physical model of phenomena occurring in the combustion chamber of a new solid propellant rocket motor. Due to the fact that the geometrical shape of the propellant grain has already been elaborated, the proposal for the modelling of combustion gas generation is a novelty. To solve the system of equations associated with the mathematical model, a computer programme in Turbo Pascal 7.0 was developed. For the solution of ordinary first-order differential equations, the fourth-order Runge-Kutta numerical method was applied. The main results of the completed simulations, i.e. changes in gas pressure, p, in the combustion chamber, and the rocket motor thrust, R, as a function of time, t, of motor operation, are shown graphically. Experimental verification of the parameters of the designed motor shows good agreement with the numerically calculated parameters.