Table Of ContentAG! RD-CP-39 I
'-'A
LECTE
_
AR1519863
AGARD CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS No.39 I
Smokeless Propellaiits
This docuiment has boon OPP~uo'ed
for puiblic roleaso and sahi; its
di itribution is unlimited. 7
'N. '
DISTRIBUTION AND AVAILABILITY
ON BACK COVER
II
AGARD-CP-391
NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION
ADVISORY GROUP FOR AEROSPACE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
(ORGANISATION DU TRAITE DE L-ATLANTIQUE NORD)
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.391
SMOKELESS PROPELLANTS
Papers presented at the Propulsion and Energetics Panel 66th (A) Specialists' Meeting, held in
Florence, Italy, 12-13 September 1985.
THE MISSION OF AGARD
The mission of AGARD is to bring together the leading personalities of the NATO nations in the fields of science and
technology relating to aerospace for the following purposes:
- Exchanging of scientific and technical information;
- Continuously stimulating advances in the aerospace sciences relevant to strengthening the common defence posture;
- Improving the co-operation among member nations in aerospace research and development;
- Providing scientific and technical advice and assistance to the Military Committee in the field of aerospace research
and development (with particular regard to its military application);
- Rendering scientific and technical assistance, as requested, to other NATO bodies and to member nations in
connection with research and development problems in the aerospace field;
- Providing assistance to member nations for the purpose of increasing their scientific and technical potential;
- Recommending effective ways for the member nations to use their research and development capabilities for the
common benefit of the NATO community.
The highest authorihy within AGARD is the National Delegates Board consisting of officially appointed senior
representatives from each member nation. The mission of AGARD is carried out through the Panels which are composed of
experts appointed by the National Delegates, the Consultant and Exchange Programme and the Aerospace Applications
Studies Programme. The results of AGARD work are reported to the member nations and the NATO Authorities through
the AGARD series of publications of which this is one.
Participation in AGARD activities is by invitation only and is normally limited to citizens of the NATO nations.
4,
The content of this publication has been reproduced
directly from material supplied by AGARD or the authors.
Published January 1986
Copyright © AGARD 1986
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 92-835-0387-2
Printedb ) SpecialisedP rintingS ervices Limited
S40
Chigwell Lane, Loughton, Essex IGIO 3TZ
-- ?r . . .
RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF THE PROPULSION AND ENERGETICS PANEL
Conference Proceedings
Testing and Measurement Techniques in Heat Transfer and Combustion
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.28 1, 55th A Meeting, May 1980
Centrifugal Compressors, Flow Phenomena and Performance
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.282, 56th B Meeting, May 1980
Turbine Engine Testing
AGARD Conference F ,dings No.293, 56th Meeting, Sep/October 1980
Helicopter Propulsioi, _fpteins
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.302,57th Meeting, May 1981
Ramjets and Ramrockets for Military Applications
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.307, 58th Meeting, October 1981
Problems in Bearings and Lubrication
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.323,59th Meeting, May/June 1982
Engine Handling
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.324, 60th Meeting, October 1982
Viscous Effects in Turbomachines
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.351, 61 st A Meeting, June 1983
Auxiliary Power Systems
AGARD Conference Proceedings 352,61 st B Meeting, May 1983
Combustion Problems in Turbine Engines
AGARD Conference Proceedings 353,62nd Meeting, October 1983
Hazard Studies for Solid Propellant Rocket Motors
AGARD Conference Proceedings 367,63rd A Meeting, May/June 1984
Engine Cyclic Durability by Analysis and Testing
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.368,63rd B Meeting, May/June 1984
Gears and Power Transmission Systems for Helicopters and Turboprops
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.369, 4th Meeting October 1984
Heat Transfer and Cooling in Gas Turbines
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.390,65th Meeting, May 1985
Smokeless Piopellants
AGARD Conference Proceedings No.391,66th A Meeting, September 1985
Working Group Reports
Aircraft Fire Safety
AGARD Advisory Report 132, Vol.I and Vol.2. Results of WO II (September and November 1979)
Turbulent Transport Phenomena (in English and French)
AGARD Advisory Report 150. Results of WG 09 (February 1980)
Through Flow Caeulations in Axial Turbomachines
AGARD Advisory Report 175. Results of WG 12 (October 1981)
Alternative Jet Engine Fuels
AGARD Advisory Report 181. Vol.! and Vol.2. Results of WG 13 (July 1982)
Suitable Averaging Techniques in Non-Uniform Internal Flows !
AGARD Advisory Report 182 (in English and French). Results of WG 14 (June/Augus* 1983)
!iii
S_ , , , ,, r "b . . ... . . " . . . I
Lecture Series
Non-Destructive Inspection Methods for Propulsion Systems and Components
AGARD LS 103 (April 1979)
The Application of Design to Cost and Life Cycle Cost to Aircraft Engines
AGARD LS 107 (May 1980)
Microcomputer Applications in Power and Propulsion Systems
AGARD LS 113 (April 1981)
Aircraft Fire Safety
AGARD LS 123 (June 1982)
Operation and Performance Measurement of Engines in Sea Level Test Facilities
AGARD LS 132 (April 1984)
Ramjet and Ramrocket Propulsion Systems for Missiles
AGARD LS 136 (September 1984)
3-D Computation Techniques Applied to Internal Flows in Propulsion Systems
AGARD LS 140 (June 1985)
Other Publications
Airbrcathing Engine Test Facility Register
AGARD AG 269 (July 198 1)
iv
THEME
vipcntoir siwoloilpbeakeicselI ltilliniteaonys ntn thsewt,nes ndee. d PrisTefesEfd ,he sP retmtea o5snti cen3tbod irrmdpw,i neauaS gnvmiyd zetm o' :aslglerpua enofidtcogsheeltikelhud orsm: w; ssa pmln-iooedgonnch k irt"aae eSldcdlioetizuiflsevfcisdudie t s dypiRe orxwsoonmppc aeeksaor lnektlsstdaue n Mg ictong ofoec nt tshphottirreersoamd Tspf.iti eee;sI lcltnldprhay ltnnuth;o otmise sl;dxo e itpgs swacmeynuor".noanm lmkýhysea eestlylinheds ts.eS asiilpr n eirpn cSehrispaoiurlbbiliintsltsetgo sm r'a s1Mns;9 dase7 mne9thtd,io en dkitgirhev ec eom ordnmgee "afipniSsraugnmrri itveosiiomokeaenwe lsneos stfooss s,n nm P spormakoroetpilkceeellsel saanndts",
t gd"pdllLu1'dPaeormo9nbsormr7 odsibsp~9capr larnri,edmo nctcdruo pegeec eu.e5 os tsrr d3 lAs Igsvýe oe ou u dt Snfcl coduscoosy ino nfnmsndiuutc dorniGpuroavni ots,dJde e sdtgerolering;'d u ;m ldo dnmalronl dcia's rsat rt dedlseanamsuuiuta oonrd losPsuynidus orEsu lrdsnemi rP nel eaddi i dsn tsFuoe ifui o d uumfrspnonun pa ma" iildldLdnda~eeee aea5 fis oc"edua ;T,htlno p niree isrlcdof acot~uodeu hpsnv,sosun es,i l Idosraftduigaoelvb'ton rou osieeig lnlndtcisci ctse uclx6 .' ncmp ddrfioddluuein ursrrsdi dne smgeMnoiidssote nodnndpddtotea ear dsrruadut dtjiroexdecshuex uuu xxpesirlFtp etse cj u srrco sit,donu sdio~ mliro oddsef su,epsfu u s hnaqdn diruiPtdicoaf diotfrmi odos.vi n orploLacfd neuiuneer nststgsde c oosacspsue lu r6 ncglojt ooSogdpcstno dos paglr rruiruddgedosots oeepduuu"l eodspr,l sit;soqpd ad ouuldstcos uir',fso e ru cenSinsrnxuu duehatciren vmc ilstlbi r e;qeici l ntuuot Iehe Nsiaau ~ rcdur s 'mtsoiul ufpc infedvurnuc adiirose rsniner otnsn;:~me ccdpches imIsic1
Acceslon For
NTIS CRAWI
DTIC TAB 0
Uitannouiced 0
Justificatioa
Distributiony.
. . .
Availability Codes
Avail aad I or ~
A?
v
PROPUL~SION AND ENERGETICS PANEL
Chairman: Prof. H.Wittenberg Deputy Chairman: Dr W.L.Macmillan
Delft University National Defence Headquarters
Dept. of Aerospace Engincering CRAD/DRDA
Kluyvcrwcg I 10 1 Colonel By Drive
2629 HS Delft, Netherlands Ottawa, Ontario KI A 0K2, Canada
PROGRAMME COMMITTEE
Prof. Dr A.Occr (Chairman) T'en. Col. Gari L.Gagliardi
Middle East Technical Univcrsity 0 D T 0 Ministero della Difesa
Makina Miih. 13816il'i Dirzitone Generale Costruzoni AAAS
Ankara, urkey Viale declUnivcrsitýs 4,00185 Roma, Italy
Dip.-Ing. B.Crispin DrWL.Macmillan
Messcrschmitt-136lkow-lBlohni GmbH. ANt AE 15 National Defence Headquarters
Postfach 801149,8000 M(inch,, Germany CRAD/DRDA 6
10 1 Colonel By Drive
Mr A.ruttndenOttawa, Ontario KI A 0K2, Canada
Royal Ordnance FactoriesMrLaih
Explosives Division HO Soci6tt Europ~enne de Propulsion
Westcott, Aylesbury, Bucks iP 18 ONZ. UK Le llaillan; Boite Postalc 37
33165 Saint M&Iard en Jalles, France
Prof. F.E.Culick
201 Karman Laboratory Prof. Ir. l-t~ittenbcrg
Mail Stop 301 "46 Delft University of Technology
California lnstituic. of Technology Department of Aerospace Engineering
Pasadena, California 91125. US Kluyverwel; 1,2 629 HS D#elft, Netherlands
M.B.Zcller
Soci6t6 Nationale des Poudres ct flxplosifs
917 10 Vert-le-Petit, France
HOST NATION COORDINATOR
Lt Col. A.Castrueci
PANEL EXECUTIVE
4 Dr E.Riester
AGARD-NATO
7r ue Ancelle
t 9220(0 Neuilly sur Seine
France
'~ACKNOWLEDGEMEN'T
The Propulsion and Energetics Panel Xvishe9to~xpress its thanks to the Italian National Dclegates for the invitation to hold
thisme nig In Florece;Italy, nd fort~ facilities and pcrsconoel which made the meeting possible.
4 9A
CONTENTS
Page
RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF PEP iii
THEME v
PROULSONAND ENERGETICS PANEL v
by G.I.Evans i
Reeec
SESSION I- A REVIEW OF SMOKELESS PROPELLANT TECHNOLOGY
HAZARDS/PERFORM)ANCE TRADEOFFS FOR SMOKELESS SOLID PROPELLANT
ROCKET MOTOPSý-
by R,L.Dcrr and T.L,Boggs I
SESSION 11- PREDICTION AND MEASUREMENTS OF SIGNATURE
ROCKET CONDENSATION TRAILS: PROPELLANT AND ALTITUDE EFFECTS FOR
TACTICAL MISSILFS0'
by DE.Jenscn and A.C.H.Mace 2
METHODOLOGIE ET M9YEN D'ETUDE DE LA DISCRETION DES MOTEURS
A PROPERGOL SOLIDE!
par E.Ajdari 3
EXHAUST SIGNATURE PREDICTIONS FOR ROCKET MOTORS~.-
by A.C.H,Mace 4
SESSION III - CHEM!' TRY OF SMOKELESS PROPELLANTS (1)
PROPERGOLS SANS FUMEE CONTENANT DES NITRAMINES,
par R.Couturier 5
SMOKELESS PROPELLANTS OF IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
by EA.Baker 6
* NITRAMIN SOLID ROCKET PROPELLANTS WITH REDUCED SIGNATURE,
*by W.Khihn and SEiselc 7
COMBUSTION DES PROPERGOLS A IfASE D'OCTOGENE
par G.Lengelle et J.Duterque 8
STABILITY OF NITROCELLULOSE PROPELLANTS ASSESSED VIA THERM~AL
DECOMPOSITION AND ALTERATION OF THE STABILIZER COMPOSITION
by P.van de NMey and A.H.Heemskcrk 9
BURNING STABILITY OF DOUBLE BASE PRIOPELLANTS
by L. De Luca, C.Zanotti, G.Riva, R.IDondk, A.Volpi, C.Grinialdl and G.Colointia 10
ENERGETIC BINDERS AS INGREDIENTS FOR MINIMUM SMOKE PROPEILLANT5
1:FOR
by R.Reed, Jr, T.L.Boggs and M.LClian I11
LOW VISCOSITY SATURATED HYDROXYLTERMINATED POLYMERS
COMPOSITE PROPELLANTS*'
by R.A.H.Strecker and IHarrer 12
ELASTOMER MODIFIED CAST DOUBLE BASE PROPELLANTS
by G.I.Evans and D.Facer 13
*Issued inc lassified publication CP 391 (Supplemnent)
vii
Reference
Paper 14 withdrawn (
INHIBITEURS POUR MOTEURS D'ENGINS TACTIQUES SANS FUMEESD
par B.Gonthier et J.N.Tauzia 15 4C
SESSION IV - CHEMISTRY OF SMOKELESS PROPELLANTS (11)
THE REDUCTION OF EXHAUST SIGNATURE IN SOLID PROPELLANT ROCKET
MOTORS
by G.I.Evans and P.K.Smith 16
THE CHEMICAL INTERACTION OF BALLISTIC MODIFIERS IN CDB PROPELLANT -
ITS EFFECT UPON BALLISTICS AND STABILITY
by J.D.M.Pearson, A.C.J.Shedden and I.A.Duncan 17
SESSION V - SMOKE MEASUREMENTS (I)
DIRECT EROSIVE BURNING MEASUREMENTS OF A REDUCED-SMOKE SOLID
PROPELLANT ROCKET BY FLASH X-RAYS
by T.Constantinou and D.Greatrlx 18
SESSION V'I- SMOKE MEASUREMENTS (II)
EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES FOR OBTAINING PARTICLE BEHAVIOR IN SOLID
PROPELLANT COMBUSTION
by D.W.Netzer and J.P.Powers 19
ANALYSE DES GAZ DANS L'ETUDE DE LA COMBUSTION DES PROPERGOLS
DOUBLE BASE ET DE L'OCTOGENE
,par J-F.Trubert 20
MEASUREMENTS OF DISTRIBUTED COMBUSTION
by M.W.Beckstead, P.C.Bralthwalte and D.L.Gordon 21
'Issued in classified publication CP 391 (Supplement)
VIII
TECHNICAL EVALUATION REPORT'
by
G.I.Evans
IMI Summerficld
Kidderminster, Worcs DY I I 7RZ
UK
j
This conference's papers show significant advanc, si n some areas of smokeless propellants since the 53rd PEP Meeting
inO slo. In other areas the advances are not so obviou's aod further work remains within the AGARD Community.
Smoke consists of condensed phase particles suspended in ag as. Accordingly, metals such as aluminium fuel materials
which inevitably give rise to condensed phase as propellant ingredients arc eliminated ft om the definition of smokeless
propellantts. Paper No 3b y Mr Ajdari of SN PE showed even small proportions of aluminium give unacceptablc smoke
penaslty. For example 2' 'aluminium in ad ouble base matrix resulted in only 580/ transmission through~the plume of av isible
wavelength beam. Of interest this paper showed that at thc 2%a lumini~um level the transparency of the plume int he infra-red
region was much higher than int he visible. This phenomenlon is explainable, however, from the optical properties of
particulate clouds. The light or beam scattering coefficient of as ingle particle reaches ap eak at as pecific particle size. This
I nseak in th~seca ttering coefficient shifts to the high particle size regions at the longer infra-red wavelengths. Thus the relatively
dlilute cloud of aluminium oxide smoke inM ir Ajdari's example becomes more transparent in the infra-red regions.
Nevertheless, at slightly higher aluminium contents the particulate cloud would become more dense and wvhen entering the
state of multiple particle scattering of the incident beam, the attenuation in the infra-red wavelengths would also climb
steeply.
It follows from the sbove that, since aluminium or other metal fuels are not compatible with smokeless propellants, an
energy penalty isi nevitable as at rade-off for desirable plume properties. The conference papets rcflecc the attempts to
minimise this energy penalty and achieve other utilisable pronellant properties by propellant formulation advances.
This latter task has to be constrained by the definition of smokeless propellant. It isn otewvorthy that this conference
programme preamble referred to the findings of the 57 rd PEP Meeting"t.The lattck referred to differences of view on the
I; definitions of smoke and visibility and the "further nfcd for specialists to consider furthcr, etc".
The evaluator considers thle conference ing eneral did not address itself to this specific question and there isa need for
an ageced quantitative measure and methodology for defining smoke properties of propellants.
Papet No I by Dr R.L.Derr was the only paper int he conference specifically devoted to attempting this definition and
this paper also introduced the important subject of hazard classification associated with minimum smoke whiech isr eferred to
later. This paper No I classified piopellants into smoky, reduced smoke, minimum smoke, smokeless related to classification
of propellant types, i.e. binder and fillers, under these headings. Whilst valuable inq ualitatively stating generally observed
principles this classification ist oo imprecise and broad-brush to serve as am eaningful definition, which isf undamental to
this subject area. There ist he danger of ap roliferation of terminology which furthers confusion rather than clarity, for
example, the impgt cisc sub-division of "'m~'imum smoke" aad 'smokeless" where the latter isa n esoteric ideal of no
hydrogen inp ropellant (because of the special case of potential water contrails at high altitudes).
The evaluator would wish to see ar eturn to basics centring around the real requirements of missile systems and
guiidance/signature requirements of tile propulsion plume. From this aq uantitative definition of as mokeless propellant
would be one that gives 90%/o r more transmission of an incident beam wavelength when such ab eam isd irected through [lhe
axis of thle plutme or at a narrow angle (e.g. 7') to the plume. Instrumented measurements of rocket motor firings along these
lines have been inp ractice for matny years itt the UK and, to the writer's knowledge, inF rance, Such ap lume transparency
property implies dilute particulate clouds manifesting single particle scattering of an incident beam. In flight, thcretforL, thle
plume isv irtually invisible and the definition of visibility may be, at worst, conveniently circumvented. Similarly quantitative,
instrumented measurements of other plume signature and transparency features at othe. wavelengths are established
practice and may serve for definition purposes,
If we move from. "smokeless" to the so called "redstced smoke" terminology. confusion arises. The practition.2rs hit
I
propellants and system,; in :,its area have not defined what ism eant by reduced smoke or by how much the "smoke" has to be
* The report re~ects the personal opinion of the anthor. Some Members of the Programme Comimittee do not always concur willt the
aui~ior's considerations
'AGARD Conference Proceedings No.259
ix
