NATO AOP-57 PDF

INTRODUCTION

1. The information and data reported in this Allied Ordnance Publication (AOP) was derived from a NATO Research and Technology (RTO), Advanced Vehicle Technology (AVT), Task Group (TG) 016 that was active from October 1997 to August 2001. A complete report of results from this Task Group's efforts is presented in Reference 1.

2. The focus of this AOP is small motor tests employed to determine the burning rate of solid rocket propellants. A survey is presented for test hardware used in eight NATO nations and twenty-two laboratories within those nations.

3. The AOP does not present a standardized design for a motor to measure solid rocket propellant burning rate. It does, however, give a recommendation for a motor configuration based on its survey.

4. Analysis of data from the small motor test to determine burning rate is the subject of AOP-58, "Methods for Analyzing Data from Tests Designed to Measure the Burning Rate of Solid Rocket Propellants' (Reference 2).

5. New non-intrusive instrumentation that might be used in small motor test to determine the burning rate characteristics of a solid rocket propellant is the subject of AOP-59, "Non-Intrusive methods for Measuring the Burning Rate if Solid Rocket Propellants" (Reference 3).