NATO AOP-58 PDF

INTRODUCTION

1.1 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. Over 20 facilities from 7 NATO member countries were surveyed for their methods used and their characteristics. This represents a complete survey of all the international facilities involved in burning rate measurement, and is a thorough representation of the fundamental methods used in the solid propulsion community today. A complete report of results from this Task Group’s efforts is presented in Reference 1.

1.2 The focus of this AOP is methods for analyzing data from small motor tests designed to measure the burning rate of solid rocket propellants. This AOP describes procedures that are the subject matter of STANAG 4673 “Methods for Analyzing Data from Tests Designed to Measure the Burning Rate of Solid Rocket propellants with Sub-scale Motors” (Reference 29)

1.3 The design of small motor tests for measuring the burning rate of solid rocket propellants is the subject of STANAG 4672 & AOP-57, “Methods for Measuring the Burning Rate of Solid Rocket Propellants with Subscale Motors” (Reference 2).

1.4 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 STANAG 4674 & AOP- 59, “Non-Intrusive methods for Measuring the Burning Rate of Solid Rocket Propellants” (Reference 3).

1.5 The understanding of burning rate analysis methods can be improved by examining practices employed by various facilities and countries engaged in the measurement and analysis of burning rate in solid propellant systems. The fundamental means of determining burning rate and basic definitions are reviewed first, focusing upon methods encountered in the international survey. Results of the international survey are summarized and findings discussed. Methods developed at different facilities typically yield different measures of the burning rate. One approach to isolating the data analysis methods from the propellant, motor, and instrumentation variations is to generate and analyze “simulated” motor pressure-time data for an “ideal” propellant in an “ideal” motor with “perfect” instrumentation. Realism may be approached asymptotically by adding known non-ideal propellant, motor, or instrumentation phenomena to the simulated motor data. Alternatively, “real” motor data may be analyzed to expose any effects artificially induced by using simulated data. Both approaches to examining the influences of realism were explored by the TG. The results of multiple analysis round robins, and analysis of real motor data are reviewed and findings discussed in Reference 1. As a minimum, review of the methods and their performance in the assessments can yield the reader suggestions for improving their own methods while understanding others.