Experimental Study of Low-Thrust, End-Burning Solid Rocket Motors Including Plume Radiant Emission

Abstract

Low-thrust, end-burning solid rocket motors have applications as propulsion systems for a class of small, transonic, uncrewed aerial vehicles. This paper provides new experimental measurements for characterizing small, low-thrust, end-burning motors. Four static fires measured the effects of motor chamber pressure and propellant oxamide content on exhaust plume radiant intensity, which could be important for vehicle visibility and tracking. Exhaust plume radiant intensity was found to be sensitive to a change in oxamide content and relatively insensitive to a change in chamber pressure for these motors. Thrust, chamber pressure, and burn rate were also measured for these motors, and a model for the minimum burn pressure of oxamide-doped propellants was improved.