Solid Motor Casing & Design

Solid Design Team:

Tony, Jason, Andrew, Tarique, Esteban, Jack 1
Quick Recap
Motor and Propellant Selection
● Non-Toxic
● Non-Detonable
● HTPB/AP/AL Composite

Aerotech L2200G-P Mojave Green

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Design Process
● Payload
● Drogue Chute
● Payload/Avionics
● Main Chute
● Motor and Casing

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Motor Case Design Considerations

What we know:
● Peak Thrust ≈ 3100N
● Burn Duration ≈ 2.4s
● Dimensions

What we need to know:

● Chamber Pressure (in)
● Chamber Temperature

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Nozzle Design Considerations

What we know:
● Peak Thrust ≈ 3100N
● Burn Duration ≈ 2.4s
● Dimensions

What we need to know:

● Chamber Pressure
● Gas Exit Velocity
● Gas Exit Temperature
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Igniter Considerations

What we know:
● Motor Overall Performance

What we need to know:

● Nothing

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Solid Rocket Motor

● Case
● Solid Propellant
● Igniter
● Nozzle
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Motor Case Loadings/Stresses

(1)

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Motor Case Materials
● Composite
o E-glass
o Aramid (Kevlar 49)
o Carbon fiber
● Metal
o Titanium alloy
o Alloy steel
o Aluminum alloy 2024
● Combination
(1)
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Composites

(3)

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Filament Winding
● Orientation of Filament
o Compromise

(1)
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(1)
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Metals
● Titanium alloy
o Heavy
o Good strength to weight ratio
● Alloy steel
o Heavier
o Strongest
● Aluminum
o Provides good strength to weight ratio
o Lightest 13
(1)
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 Nozzles
There are five types
● Fixed (a)
● Movable (b)
● Submerged (c)
● Extendible (d)
● Blast-Tube-Mounted (e)

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Nozzles: Design and Construction
● Ablatively Cooled
● Steel or aluminum Shells
● Composite ablative liners

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Nozzle Design Decision

WE’RE NOT BUILDING ONE!!

Why?!?

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Nozzle Selection
● Aerotech L2200G-P Mojave Green and RMS
75/5120 kit comes with a nozzle

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Solid Rocket Motor Expert
Robert Watson

Robert at BuyRocketMotors.com
817-494-3834

rwatson@buyrocketmotors.com
www.BuyRocketMotors.com

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Igniters
Pyrogens
Pyrotechnic

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Igniters
Most frequent is Electroexplosive device
(Pyrotechnic)
● Bridgewire

NASA- Solid Rocket Motor Igniters March 1971 pg. 45

http://electronicpackaging.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/article.aspx?articleid=1408779
http://electronicpackaging.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/article.aspx?article 22
id=1408779
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Field Trip?

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Summary
● Motor Case: 2024 Aluminum Alloy
o Lightweight
o Capable of enduring thermal and pressure loads
o Machined or Off-The-Shelf (TBD)
● Nozzle: Built into Motor
o Saves time and money
o Redundant to build additional nozzle
● Igniter: Bridgewire explosive
o Reliable
o Good “performance”
o Cheap

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Whats Next?
● Propellant Combustion
o Burn rate
o Flame Pattern
o Ignition Characteristics
● Propellant Stability
o Acoustic Resonance
o Ignition Wire Configurations
o Internal Gas Flow Cavity Considerations

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References
(1) Rocket Propulsion Elements, 8th Edition. Sutton, George P. and Biblarz, Oscar.
(2) Solid Rocket Motor Igniters. NASA
(3) Cowles, Devon K. "Design of a Rocket Motor Casing." Diss. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2012. Print.

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Questions?
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