Electrical control over propellant combustion has the opportunity to improve the functionality and performance of various propulsion systems. In solid rocket motors, active burn rate modulation has the potential to enable throttling. In spacecraft propulsion systems, electrolysis of propellants may provide a means to reduce energy requirements and eliminate the need for expensive catalysts. The work presented in this thesis is concerned with fundamental science related to propellant electrolysis and the performance of rocket propulsion systems using electrolytic ignition. Specifically, the present research is concerned with the effect of conductive and energetic additives on the ignition, combustion, and extinction characteristics of lithium perchlorate-based propellants. Particular attention is paid to the relative importance of electrochemistry and ohmic heating during ignition and steady-state combustion as well as the relative influence of pressure and voltage during steady combustion.
Research into the development of an electrically initiated propellant and its integration into a rocket motor is presented as well. This work focused primarily on surveying propellants based on ammonium perchlorate, lithium perchlorate, and hydroxylammonium nitrate for use in a small rocket motor. The decomposition processes of propellants based on ionic liquids and gel polymer electrolytes are detailed. Finally, data from motor firings is presented and parameters influencing the motor's performance and consistency are identified for future improvement. / Master of Science / The principal disadvantage of solid rocket motors is the lack of an active throttling and restart capability. Put simply, once a motor is ignited, it will burn until all of the propellant is consumed and there currently isn't a good method to speed up or slow down a solid rocket on command after it has been launched. As a result, the situations in which solid rocket motors can be used are limited. For example, solid rockets are not used in satellite propulsion because satellites need periodic adjustments to attitude and altitude, not a single boost. But solid rockets are relatively cheap, simple, and reliable and so various means of throttling solid propellants are being investigated. The method relevant to this work is throttling by using an electrical stimulus. By applying voltage across a propellant, the propellant can be ignited and the burning rate can be changed. The research here investigates what materials can be added to these propellants to make them ignite and burn faster as well as the development of novel propellants for applications in a small rocket motor.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/119236 |
| Date | 03 June 2024 |
| Creators | Whalen, Sean Christopher |
| Contributors | Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Young, Gregory, Seidel, Gary D., Meadows, Joseph |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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