Experimental Investigation of a Solid Rocket Ramjet with Central Air-inlet Mode

Paper number

IAC-06-C4.2.06

Author

Mr. Zheng Kaibin, CASC, China

Coauthor

Mr. Lin-quan Chen, CASC, China

Coauthor

Mr. Sheng-yong Zhang, CASC, China

Year

2006

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the practicability of solid rocket ramjet with central air-inlet mode.
    Firstly, the structure characteristics and application fields of solid rocket ramjet with central air-inlet mode were introduced. The central air-inlet mode is favorable to organize combustion and decrease drag of projectile and is becoming an important trend recently. The end combustion grain with higher burn rate was used in solid rocket ramjet with central air-inlet and the disadvantages of solid fuel ramjet, such as limited radial size, short operating times and little grain mass, will be overcome promisingly. Compared with solid rocket ramjet with side air-inlet mode, it has smaller radial size and simpler structure. Then it will be widely used in the fields of projectile with extended range and tactical missile with low cost.
    Secondly, the direct connect test facility and design of test motor were set forth, in which including compositions and technical capability parameters of direct connect test facility, operating principle and selection of important parameters of test motor and so on. The direct connect test facility were made up of the system of air source, the system of feeding air, the test-bed, the test motor and the system of measurement and monitor. The operating principle was that the fuel-rich gas of uncompleted combustion produced in the combustor by solid fuel and the air of simulating flight condition entered the combustor were mixed through the mixing plate and secondarily combusted in the dump combustor.
    Finally, the test results were discussed and analyzed. The four cases for hydrocarbon and aluminum-magnesium fuel-rich propellant in the different air-inlet mass flow rate were tested. The combustion stability of test motor was examined and the specific impulse and combustion efficiency were calculated. Furthermore, the energy, combustion efficiency and tail end combustion temperature of test motor in the different cases were analyzed and compared.
    The test results show that the method using solid rocket ramjet with central air-inlet mode is practicable and combustion performance in the ramjet is stabile and reliable. The aluminum-magnesium fuel-rich propellant has higher energy and combustion efficiency than the hydrocarbon fuel-rich propellant in the same structure of test motor and air-inlet parameters. When air inlet mass flow rate increases, tail end combustion temperature of test motor decreases and its combustion efficiency enhances, the mass flow rate of solid fuel gas has adaptive adjustment in a certain extent. 

Abstract document

IAC-06-C4.2.06.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-C4.2.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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