Increase of regression speed of combustion through oxidizer doping

• Published in: Surface engineering and applied electrochemistry 2014-05, Vol.50 (3), p.267-274
• Main Authors: Mingireanu, Florin, Georgescu, Lucian P., Murariu, Gabriel, Mocanu, Ionut, Stoia-Djeska, Marius, Jula, Nicolae
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Engineering; Machines; Manufacturing; Processes
• ISSN: 1068-3755; 1934-8002
• DOI: 10.3103/S1068375514030053

This paper presents an innovative method to increase the regression speed of a solid fuel grain by using oxidizer doping. The results obtained on a propulsion application showing the performance parameters as an output of a numerical model are provided. Two models are given that predict the regression speed increase for embedding wires and for oxidizer doping with a factor of ∼2 to 3. Also, it is shown that this increase of the regression speed by using a low oxidizer doping percentage, which is based on the assumption that at a higher doping rate the combustion instabilities, can lead to detonations. Next, a thermochemical model for the combustion within the oxidizer doping model is afforded. For this model, the burn is assumed to take place around the surface of each of the oxidizer particles, being composed of two different burning processes: one is the burning on the surface of the solid fuel grain and the other is the burning between the solid fuel and the solid oxidizer. For a non-doped fuel grain, the burning takes place only on the surface of the fuel grain. Finally, a potential application of such propulsion units to small satellite launchers is presented, and a case study of such a vehicle intended to place a 50 kg payload on a low earth orbit (300 to 500 km altitude) is described. The modelling proposed is based on the assumption that the use of solid methane makes this launcher environmentally friendly.