• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2004.03a
• /
• pp.605-610
• /
• 2004

Solid propellants allow thrusters to be light-weight, com-pact and robust because they require neither tank nor valve, Moreover, the solid propellant will not leak, spill or slosh. Consequently, the solid propellant thruster is one of the potential candidates for the microthruster. On the other hand, the control of the solid propellant combustion is difficult, since the conventional solid propellant continues to bum until all the stored propellant is consumed. Although particular devices like thrust reverser were designed to control the combustion, these devices were rarely used in the practical rocket motors. These devices rise thruster weight as well as complicate the thruster operation. In this study, a solid propellant microthruster using laser sustained combustion was designed in order to develop a high-efficiency microthruster overcoming the previously-mentioned difficulty. This designed thruster has semiconductor lasers and non-self-combustible solid propellants in addition to the conventional solid propellant thruster. In this designed thruster, the semiconductor laser controls the combustion of the non-self-combustible solid propellant. In order to demonstrate that the solid propellant combustion is controllable with laser, some non-self-combustible solid propellants were irradiated with the laser at a back-pressure of about 1㎪. A 40-W class Neodymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (ND:YAG) laser was used as a tentative alternate to the semiconductor laser. This experiment has shown that the solid propellant combustion was controllable with 10- W class laser irradiation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2003.05a
• /
• pp.147-150
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this research was to develope components of micro solid propellant thruster. Micro solid propellant thruster had four basic components: combustion chamber, nozzle, solid propellant and micro heater for ignition. A performance of micro heater and characteristic of solid propellant was investigated. Micro heater was fabricated by conventional MEMS process and Platinum layer was used for heating element. Effect of geometry parameters on micro heater was tested. The temperature responses of heater with respect to each parameters was compared for a given electrical power. The characteristic of solid propellant(HTPB/AP) was investigated to obtain burning velocity in small chamber. Additionally, a capacity of filling propellant with high viscosity in small chamber was checked to guarantee for the micro fabrication.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.1264-1270
• /
• 2004

In this paper research on micro solid propellant thruster is reported. Micro solid propellant thruster has four basic components; micro combustion chamber, micro nozzle, solid propellant and micro igniter. In this research igniter, solid propellant and combustion chamber are focused. Micro igniter was fabricated through typical micromachining and the effect of geometry was evaluated. The characteristic of solid propellant was investigated to observe burning characteristic and to obtain burning velocity. Change of thrust force and the amount of energy loss following scale down at micro combustion chamber were estimated by numerical simulation based on empirical data and through the calculation normalized specific impulses were compared to figure out the efficiency of combustion chamber.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2004.04a
• /
• pp.1280-1285
• /
• 2004

Microsystem technology has been applied to space technology and became one of the enabling technology by which low cost and high efficiency are achievable. Micro propulsion system is a key technology in the miniature satellite because micro satellite requires very small and precise thrust force for maneuvering and attitude control. In this paper research on micro solid propellant thruster is reported. Micro solid propellant thruster has four basic components; micro combustion chamber, micro nozzle, solid propellant and micro igniter. In this research igniter, solid propellant and combustion chamber are focused. Micro igniter was fabricated through typical micromachining and evaluated. The characteristic of solid propellant was investigated to observe burning characteristic and to obtain burning velocity. Change of thrust force and the amount of energy loss following scale down at micro combustion chamber were estimated by numerical simulation based on empirical data and through the calculation normalized specific impulses were compared to figure out the efficiency of combustion chamber.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2007.11a
• /
• pp.225-228
• /
• 2007

Micro solid propellant thruster is the most feasible for development with current MEMS. Basic components of micro solid propellant thruster are diverging nozzle, micro igniter, combustion chamber, and solid propellant. Micro nozzles and micro chambers were fabricated using photosensitive glass by anisotropic wet etching technique. Micro Pt heaters on glass membrane which ignited solid propellant were developed. Components of thruster were integrated. Successful ignition was observed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.77-84
• /
• 2006

With the development of micro/nano spacecraft, concepts of micro propulsion are introduced for orbit transfer and drag compensation as well as attitude control. Micro solid propellant thruster has been attention as one of possible solution for micro thruster. In this paper, micro solid propellant thruster is introduced and research on basic components of a micro solid propellant thruster is reported. Micro Pt igniter was fabricated through negative patterning and quantitative effect of geometry was estimated. The characteristic of HTPB/AP solid propellant was investigated to measure the homing velocity. A combustion chamber was fabricated by means of anisotropic etching of photosensitive glass. Finally, micro solid propellant thrusters having various geometries were fabricated and tested.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.61-67
• /
• 2004

The extinction characteristics of the solid propellant were studied experimentally in this paper. These characteristics are required for designing TCO (thrust cut off) system of the solid rocket motor Parameters to characterize solid propellant extinction were defined by physical observation. A device was designed (or acquiring these parameters and the firing tests were implemented to get the preliminary data for the extinction characteristics of HTBP propellant.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2010.05a
• /
• pp.71-77
• /
• 2010

As a hybrid model of continuum motion description which combines the advantages of classical kinematical descriptions i.e. Lagrangian and Eulerian description, the ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian) description is adopted for the simulation of a fluid-structure interaction of solid propellant rocket interior. The fluid-structure interaction phenomenon with the deformation of solid domain during the simulation. The developed solver is applied flow and propellant structure. The computed results show complex flow physics in the combustion chamber and the behavior of a solid propellant deformation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2009.11a
• /
• pp.185-188
• /
• 2009

The rocket motor of the space launch vehicle offers thrust for satellite to enter into the orbit. Characters of the solid propellant for rocket motors are affected by the space conditions such as vacuum and space radiation. The solid propellant used for such a purpose should not undergo physical, internal ballistic and energetic changes when exposed to vacuum and space radiation. This study describes the development of the solid propellant composition for the rocket motor of the space launch vehicle. Also, experimental study was conducted on supersonic diffuser in order to verify the performance of the solid propellant composition which was applied to standard motor on the ground in the vacuum condition.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2017.05a
• /
• pp.972-977
• /
• 2017

The propellant tile and crack which account for the greatest proportion of solid rockets are profoundly affected by viscosity and mechanical properties of solid propellant. In this paper solid propellant with nitrate ester polyester(NEPE) system has been researched for the viscosity, mechanical properties and burning properties with size and mixing ratio of RDX. the viscosity of propellant was changed significantly depending on the size of RDX and mixing ratio, and mechanical properties of NEPE system propellant were also varied. Considering both lower viscosity and stable mechanical properties, the optimum size and mixing ratio of RDX can be identified as the main factors to the NEPE system propellant.