Design and Geometric Optimization of Solid Propellant Grain for Large Motors

Abstract

In solid propellant grain, the burning surface area changes during motor operation and at each point its regression is in the direction of normal to the surface. The relationship between burning surface and web distance burned depends on the geometric shape and size of grain. The rate of propellant burnt is a factor of burning surface area. Thus the main focus is to design and optimize the grain shape and to obtain near constant values for thrust-time graph dependent parameters are burning surface area, L/D ratio, web thickness, burn rate. Finocyl grain(“fin in cylinderâ€) is selected for the studies as it is a 3D geometric configuration usually are complicated in terms of geometric analysis, it burns in both radial and longitudinal directions. A solid model of the grain is developed using 3D software. Therefore depending on the boundaries, fin geometries maybe varied to obtain desired results.