Performance Prediction for the first Static Test of a Large Solid Booster Motor

Paper number

IAC-10.C4.2.2

Author

Mr. Jayaprakash Janardhanan Nair, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India

Coauthor

Dr. Jeenu Raghavan, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India

Coauthor

Mr. Srinivasan Venkitaraman, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India

Coauthor

Mr. N Narayanamoorthy, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India

Year

2010

Abstract

S200 solid booster is developed as the strap-on motor for India’s prestigious next generation launch vehicle GSLV MKIII, which is designed to deliver heavier satellites. It is essential to limit the number of ground firings considering the development cost and time factors. However, the reliability of the prediction of motor performance plays an important role in building the confidence level for launch operations. Large boosters carrying several hundred tons of propellant, the accurate prediction of internal ballistics of the first full-scale solid propellant motor of a new design with the required accuracy is of paramount importance in minimizing the number of static tests. Such an accurate prediction is essential for optimizing the sub system design of motor such as motor case, insulation, nozzle, propellant grain and igniter in the design stage itself, whose alteration in the later stages are very expensive and time consuming. In many cases such alterations are not possible because it may affect the design of the total motor resulting into a new design.  

The present paper describes the details of the performance prediction of the successfully ground tested S200 motor (S200) of Indian Space Research Organization. The motor was static tested during January, 2010 from the space port of ISRO. The various parameters influencing the performance prediction such as erosive burning, nozzle throat erosion, mid-web anomaly, and burning rate augmentation factor are considered. The methodology adopted in the present analysis is to obtain the effect of these parameters in the next lowest sized motor and apply similar effect in the larger size motor with suitable scale factors. For the present analysis, S139 motor is taken as the model whose performance was available. This methodology provided better prediction for the first static test itself.

The present paper discusses mainly the performance prediction procedure and compares the predicted performance of S200 motor with the measured data of first static test. In addition, it also presents the minor changes required in the input parameters so as to get more accurate match with the measured motor performance.

Abstract document

IAC-10.C4.2.2.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-10.C4.2.2.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.