Solid Fuel rich Propellant Development for use in a Ramjet to Propel an Artillery Shell

Abstract

This study describes the development of a fuel-rich propellant to be used in a solid fuel ramjet to provide active propulsion to a 155 mm artillery shell. Fuel-rich propellants consisting of aluminum, ammonium perchlorate and hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene were developed and their ballistic properties were measured to choose the appropriate fuel for the ramjet application. The attempts made were to enhance the burn rates of the propellant to provide required burn rates at lowest possible pressures in primary combustor of the ramjet. The propellant selection was done with reference of working time period of the base bleed unit, to calculate the required burn rate and corresponding pressure in primary combustor. It was observed that the fuel rich propellant of composition 35% ammonium perchlorate with 1 % Iron oxide embedded on it, 30 % mechanically activated aluminum with 10% polytetrafluoroethylene, and 25 % HTPB was found suitable for the above application. This provided the higher burn rates among all developed propellants with high pressure index of 0.58. This makes it suitable for the ramjet requiring higher burn rates at lower possible primary chamber pressures. The Young’s modulus and tensile strength of this propellant was measured to be 1.73 MPa and 0.24 MPa, respectively.