Pulsed instability in rocket motors - A comparison between predictions and experiments

Baum, Joseph D.; Levine, J.; Lovine, R.

doi:10.2514/3.23068

Cited by 111 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Solid propellant rocket motors have been known to exhibit two qualitatively different kinds of behavior at onset of combustion instability: 1) linear instability, where the acoustical fluctuations, in response to a small perturbation, build up to a limit cycle, and 2) nonlinear instability, where the acoustical fluctuations show a stable, damped response for small perturbations, but show a limit cycle response to larger perturbations. Nonlinear instability of this nature has been called pulsed or triggered instability [2,3]. Both linear and nonlinear (triggered) instability have been observed in recent experiments on a gas turbine combustor as well [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling and Dynamics of Nonlinear Acoustic Waves in a Combustion Chamber

Ananthkrishnan¹,

Deo²,

Culick³

2002

38th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference &Amp;amp; Exhibit

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Future combustors designed for better efficiency and lower pollutant emission are expected to operate closer to their stability boundary, thereby increasing the risk of encountering combustion instability. Onset of combustion instability leads to limit cycle oscillations in the acoustical fluctuations that can often reach amplitudes large enough to cause severe damage. Active control strategies are, therefore, being considered to prevent combustion instabilities, but their development requires nonlinear models that can faithfully capture the combustor system dynamics. A framework for the approximate analysis of the nonlinear acoustics in a combustion chamber exists, which includes all relevant linear contributions and also second order gasdynamic nonlinearities. Nonlinear combustion effects in the form of pressure and velocity coupling models have also been incorporated into the analysis with the aim of capturing the phenomenon of triggered instability, where the acoustical fluctuations are linearly stable to small perturbations, but show a limit cycle behavior for larger perturbations. However, several questions such as those relating to 1) modal truncation of the equations for the acoustic dynamics, 2) absence of triggered limit cycles in the formulation with only second order gasdynamic nonlinearities, and 3) the form of the velocity coupling function, including the need for a threshold character, have not been satisfactorily resolved. In this paper, we address some of these questions on modeling and dynamics of acoustic waves in combustion chambers, using the approximate analysis, that have remained unanswered over the years.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling and Dynamics of Nonlinear Acoustic Waves in a Combustion Chamber

Ananthkrishnan¹,

Deo²,

Culick³

2002

38th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference &Amp;amp; Exhibit

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“…Recent research indicates that velocity coupling is a non-linear phenomenon and that conventional linear approaches cannot be applied. 4,15,16,17 Unlike acoustic pressure, acoustic velocity not only varies in the longitudinal direction but also in the radial direction due to a thick acoustic boundary layer. Because of these variations, the acoustic velocity can have phase differences in both radial and longitudinal directions.…”

Section: ) Velocity-coupled Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons Learned In Solid Rocket Combustion Instability

Blomshield¹

2007

43rd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference &Amp;amp; Exhibit

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Over the last 60 years, a considerable amount of time and money has been spent improving our understanding of combustion instability in solid rocket propulsion systems. Over this period, significant knowledge has been accumulated that can influence the acoustic stability of solid propulsive systems. Unfortunately, many of these lessons learned about combustion instability remain the knowledge of a select few in government and industry who work with combustion instability on a daily basis. This paper attempts to organize many of these "rules of thumb" that propellant formulators and motor designers need to be aware of in order to minimize the chances of combustion instability. In addition, several mathematical relationships are presented which can be used to predict the frequency of potential acoustic modes and determine resultant thrust oscillations produced by acoustic oscillations. Also included are some key fundamental equations which can be used to gain insight into combustion instability in rocket motor systems and there is a short section on motor instrumentation. This paper is not an attempt to be an exhaustive study into combustion instability, but rather, will attempt to list in a clear fashion some of the more important lessons learned and empirical observations of solid propellant combustion instability. This paper emphasizes composite propellants, but many observations apply to double base and composite modified double base propellants, as well.

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“…We use the ad hoc model for the velocity-coupled response function first proposed by Baum, Levine and Lovine (1988) in their successful numerical simulations of pulsed instabilities. Burnley (1996) later showed that the model also gives pulsed instabilities when used with the analysis described here in Section 3.3.…”

Section: Limit Cycles With Velocity-coupled Surface Combustionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combustion instabilities - Mating dance of chemical, combustion, and combustor dynamics

Culick

2000

36th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit

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Pulsed instability in rocket motors - A comparison between predictions and experiments

Cited by 111 publications

References 9 publications

Modeling and Dynamics of Nonlinear Acoustic Waves in a Combustion Chamber

Modeling and Dynamics of Nonlinear Acoustic Waves in a Combustion Chamber

Lessons Learned In Solid Rocket Combustion Instability

Combustion instabilities - Mating dance of chemical, combustion, and combustor dynamics

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