Fuels in The Missiles
Fuels in The Missiles
Fuels in The Missiles
The Space Shuttle was launched with the help of two solid-fuel boosters known as SRBs
A solid rocket or a solid-fuel rocket is a rocket with a motor that uses solid propellants (fuel/oxidizer). The
earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used in warfare by
theChinese, Indians, Mongols and Arabs, as early as the 13th century.[1]
All rockets used some form of solid or powdered propellant up until the 20th century, when liquid
rockets offered more efficient and controllable alternatives. Solid rockets are still used today in model
rockets and on larger applications for their simplicity and reliability.
Since solid-fuel rockets can remain in storage for long periods, and then reliably launch on short notice, they
have been frequently used in military applications such as missiles. The lower performance of solid propellants
(as compared to liquids) does not favor their use as primary propulsion in modern medium-to-large launch
vehicles customarily used to orbit commercial satellites and launch major space probes. Solids are, however,
frequently used as strap-on boosters to increase payload capacity or as spin-stabilized add-on upper stages
when higher-than-normal velocities are required. Solid rockets are used as light launch vehicles for low Earth
orbit (LEO) payloads under 2 tons or escape payloads up to 1100 pounds. [2][3]
Contents
[hide]
1 Basic concepts
2 Design
3 Grain geometry
4 Casing
5 Nozzle
6 Performance
7 Propellant families
o 7.1 Black powder (BP) propellants
o 7.2 Zinc–sulfur (ZS) propellants
o 7.3 "Candy" propellants
o 7.4 Double-base (DB) propellants
o 7.5 Composite propellants
o 7.6 High-energy composite (HEC) propellants
o 7.7 Composite modified double base propellants
o 7.8 Minimum-signature (smokeless) propellants
8 Hobby and amateur rocketry
9 History
10 Usage
o 10.1 Sounding rockets
o 10.2 Missiles
o 10.3 Orbital rockets
11 Advanced research
12 See also
13 References
14 External links
Basic concepts[edit]
Design[edit]
Design begins with the total impulse required, which determines the fuel/oxidizer mass. Grain geometry and
chemistry are then chosen to satisfy the required motor characteristics.
The following are chosen or solved simultaneously. The results are exact dimensions for grain, nozzle, and
case geometries:
The grain burns at a predictable rate, given its surface area and chamber
pressure.
The chamber pressure is determined by the nozzle orifice diameter and grain
burn rate.
Allowable chamber pressure is a function of casing design.
The length of burn time is determined by the grain "web thickness".
The grain may or may not be bonded to the casing. Case-bonded motors are more difficult to design, since the
deformation of the case and the grain under flight must be compatible.
Common modes of failure in solid rocket motors include fracture of the grain, failure of case bonding, and air
pockets in the grain. All of these produce an instantaneous increase in burn surface area and a corresponding
increase in exhaust gas[clarification needed] and pressure, which may rupture the casing.
Another failure mode is casing seal design. Seals are required in casings that have to be opened to load the
grain. Once a seal fails, hot gas will erode the escape path and result in failure. This was the cause of
the Space Shuttle Challengerdisaster.
Grain geometry[edit]
Solid rocket fuel deflagrates from the surface of exposed propellant in the combustion chamber. In this fashion,
the geometry of the propellant inside the rocket motor plays an important role in the overall motor performance.
As the surface of the propellant burns, the shape evolves (a subject of study in internal ballistics), most often
changing the propellant surface area exposed to the combustion gases. The mass flow rate (kg/s) [and,
therefore, pressure] of combustion gases generated is a function of the instantaneous surface area , (m2),
and linear burn rate (m/s):
Several geometric configurations are often used depending on the application and desired thrust curve:
C-slot simulation
Casing[edit]
The casing may be constructed from a range of materials. Cardboard is used for small black powder model
motors, whereas aluminum is used for larger composite-fuel hobby motors. Steel is used for the space shuttle
boosters. Filament wound graphite epoxy casings are used for high-performance motors.
The casing must be designed to withstand the pressure and resulting stresses of the rocket motor, possibly at
elevated temperature. For design, the casing is considered a pressure vessel.
To protect the casing from corrosive hot gases, a sacrificial thermal liner on the inside of the casing is often
implemented, which ablates to prolong the life of the motor casing.
Nozzle[edit]
Main article: Rocket engine nozzle
A convergent-divergent design accelerates the exhaust gas out of the nozzle to produce thrust. The nozzle
must be constructed from a material that can withstand the heat of the combustion gas flow. Often, heat-
resistant carbon-based materials are used, such as amorphous graphite or carbon-carbon.
Some designs include directional control of the exhaust. This can be accomplished by gimballing the nozzle, as
in the Space Shuttle SRBs, by the use of jet vanes in the exhaust similar to those used in the V-2 rocket, or by
liquid injection thrust vectoring (LITV).
An early Minuteman first stage used a single motor with four gimballed nozzles to provide pitch, yaw, and roll
control.
LITV consists of injecting a liquid into the exhaust stream after the nozzle throat. The liquid then vaporizes, and
in most cases chemically reacts, adding mass flow to one side of the exhaust stream and thus providing a
control moment. For example, the Titan IIIC solid boosters injected nitrogen tetroxide for LITV; the tanks can be
seen on the sides of the rocket between the main center stage and the boosters. [4]
Performance[edit]
An exhaust cloud engulfs Launch Pad 39A atNASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida as space shuttle Endeavour lifts off into the
night sky.
Propellant families[edit]
Black powder (BP) propellants[edit]
Composed of charcoal (fuel), potassium nitrate (oxidizer), and sulfur (additive), BP is one of the
oldest pyrotechniccompositions with application to rocketry. In modern times, black powder finds use in low-
power model rockets (such asEstes and Quest rockets), as it is cheap and fairly easy to produce. The fuel
grain is typically a mixture of pressed fine powder (into a solid, hard slug), with a burn rate that is highly
dependent upon exact composition and operating conditions. Due to its sensitivity to fracture (and, therefore,
catastrophic failure upon ignition) and poor performance (specific impulsearound 80 s), BP does not typically
find use in motors above 40 Ns.
"Candy" propellants[edit]
In general, candy propellants are an oxidizer (typically potassium nitrate) and a sugar fuel
(typically dextrose, sorbitol, orsucrose) that are cast into shape by gently melting the propellant constituents
together and pouring or packing theamorphous colloid into a mold. Candy propellants generate a low-medium
specific impulse of roughly 130 s and, thus, are used primarily by amateur and experimental rocketeers.
Composite propellants[edit]
A powdered oxidizer and powdered metal fuel are intimately mixed and immobilized with a rubbery binder (that
also acts as a fuel). Composite propellants are often either ammonium nitrate-based (ANCP) or ammonium
perchlorate-based (APCP). Ammonium nitrate composite propellant often uses magnesium and/or aluminum
as fuel and delivers medium performance (I sp of about 210 s) whereas Ammonium Perchlorate Composite
Propellant often uses aluminum fuel and delivers high performance (vacuum I sp up to 296 s with a single piece
nozzle or 304 s with a high area ratio telescoping nozzle).[8]Composite propellants are cast, and retain their
shape after the rubber binder, such as Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene(HTPB), cross-links (solidifies) with
the aid of a curative additive. Because of its high performance, moderate ease of manufacturing, and moderate
cost, APCP finds widespread use in space rockets, military rockets, hobby and amateur rockets, whereas
cheaper and less efficient ANCP finds use in amateur rocketry and gas generators. Ammonium dinitramide,
NH4N(NO2)2, is being considered as a 1-to-1 chlorine-free substitute for ammonium perchlorate in composite
propellants. Unlike ammonium nitrate, ADN can be substituted for AP without a loss in motor performance.
In 2009, a group succeeded in creating a propellant of water and nanoaluminum (ALICE).
The Constellation Program uses a mix of aluminum, ammonium perchlorate, a polymer
of polybutadiene and acrylonitrile,epoxy and iron oxide.[16]
History[edit]
Solid rockets were invented by the Chinese, the earliest versions were recorded in the 13th century. Hyder Ali,
king ofMysore, developed war rockets with an important change: the use of metal cylinders to contain the
combustion powder.
Castable composite solid rocket motors were invented by John Whiteside "Jack" Parsons at Caltech in 1942
when he replaced double base propellant with roofing asphalt and potassium perchlorate. This made possible
slow-burning rocket motors of adequate size and with sufficient shelf-life for jet-assisted take
off applications. Charles Bartley, employed at JPL (Caltech), substituted curable synthetic rubber for the gooey
asphalt, creating a flexible but geometrically stable load-bearing propellant grain that bonded securely to the
motor casing. This made possible much larger solid rocket motors. Atlantic Research Corporation significantly
boosted composite propellant Isp in 1954 by increasing the amount of powdered aluminum in the propellant to
as much as 20%.[17][dead link]
The largest solid rocket motors ever built were Aerojet's three 260 inch monolithic solid motors cast in Florida.
[18]
Motors 260 SL-1 and SL-2 were 261 inches in diameter, 80 ft 8in long, weighed 1,858,300 pounds and had
a maximum thrust of 3.5M pounds. Burn duration was two minutes. The nozzle throat was large enough to walk
through standing up. The motor was capable of serving as a 1-to-1 replacement for the 8-engine Saturn 1
liquid-propellant first stage but was never used as such. Motor 260 SL-3 was of similar length and weight but
had a maximum 5.4M pounds thrust and a shorter duration.
Usage[edit]
Sounding rockets[edit]
Almost all sounding rockets use solid motors.
Astrobee
Black Brant (rocket)
S-310, S-520
Terrier-Orion, Terrier-Malemute
VSB-30
Missiles[edit]
Due to reliability, ease of storage and handling, solid rockets are used on a number of missiles and ICBMs.
Delta II
Titan IV
Space Shuttle
Ariane 5
Atlas V (optionally 1-5 boosters)
Delta IV (optionally 2 or 4 boosters)
H-IIA, H-IIB
PSLV - optional solid boosters to lift heavier payloads
GSLV Mk III
Advanced research[edit]
Environmentally sensitive fuel formulations such as ALICE propellant
Ramjets with solid fuel
Variable thrust designs based on variable nozzle geometry
Hybrid rockets that use solid fuel and throttleable liquid or gaseous oxidizer
See also[edit]
Fireworks
Pyrotechnic composition
Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant
Intercontinental ballistic missile
Jetex engine
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
Crawford burner
Skyrocket
References[edit]
1. Jump up^ chapters 1–2, Blazing the trail: the early history of spacecraft and
rocketry, Mike Gruntman, AIAA, 2004, ISBN 1-56347-705-X.
2. Jump up^ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/main
3. Jump
up^ http://www.space-travel.com/reports/LockMart_And_ATK_Athena_Launc
h_Vehicles_Selected_As_A_NASA_Launch_Services_Provider_999.html
4. Jump up^ Sutton, George P. (2000). Rocket Propulsion Elements; 7 edition.
Wiley-Interscience. ISBN 0-471-32642-9.
5. Jump up^ ATK Space Propulsion Products Catalog, May 2008, p. 30
6. Jump up^ http://www.pw.utc.com/Products/Pratt+
%26+Whitney+Rocketdyne/Propulsion+Solutions/Space
7. Jump up^ http://www.pw.utc.com/Products/Pratt+%26+Whitney+Rocketdyne
8. ^ Jump up
to:a b http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/elvs/titan4b_specs.shtml
9. Jump up^ http://www.russianspaceweb.com/engines/rd0124.htm
10. Jump
up^ http://www.pw.utc.com/StaticFiles/Pratt%20.../Products/.../pwr_rl10b-
2.pdf
11. Jump up^ Solid
12. Jump up^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/d-5-features.htm
13. Jump up^ Minotaur IV User's Guide, Release 1.0, Orbital Sciences Corp.,
January 2005,p. 4
14. ^ Jump up to:a b http://www.navair.navy.mil/techTrans/index.cfm?
map=local.ccms.view.aB&doc=crada.13
15. Jump up^ M. D. Black, The Evolution of ROCKET TECHNOLOGY, pp. 92-
94, Native Planter, SLC, 2012, payloadz.com underebook/History
16. Jump up^ Chang, Kenneth (August 30, 2010). "NASA Tests Engine With an
Uncertain Future". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
17. Jump up^ M. D. Black (2012). The Evolution of Rocket Technology. Native
Planter, SLC. p. 39. payloadz.com underebook/History[dead link]
18. Jump up^ "The 260 - The Largest Solid Rocket Motor Ever
Tested". nasa.gov. June 1999. Retrieved July 2014.
External links[edit]
Robert A. Braeunig rocket propulsion page
Astronautix Composite Solid Propellants
Ariane 5 SRB
Amateur High Power Rocketry Association
Nakka-Rocketry (Design Calculations and Propellant Formulations)
5 cent sugar rocket
Practical Rocketry
NASA Practical Rocketry
[show]
V
T
E
Spacecraft propulsion
Categories:
Rocket engines
Spacecraft propulsion
Solid-fuel rockets
Solid fuels
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