bulletinSMOKELESS PROPELLANTS SUBJECT

OF SECOND TOPICAL REVIEWAn ODDR&E Topical Review on Smokeless

held March 1-3, 1977, atPhysics Laboratory . Mr .ODDR&E Assistant DirectorTechnology, called theC .J . Thelen, Propulsion

Center served

Propellants wasthe JHU AppliedG .R . Makepeace,for Engineeringmeeting and Dr .Administrator, Naval Weaponsas the coordinator .

; HF JOHNS

The purpose of the meeting was toreview the technology status of reducedsmoke, minimum smoke, andpellants . Also discussedmeasurement methods, userand hazard and combustiontradeoffs associated withsystems .

smokeless pro-were definitions,requirementsinstabilitythese propellant

Fifty-three representatives from theServices' laboratories and agencies andfrom industrial contractors participatedin the review . Representatives fromRockwell International, Rocketdyne Division ;Hercules Incorporated, Allegany BallisticsLaboratory ; Thiokol Corporation, Hunts-ville Division ; Atlantic Research Corpora-tion ; and Aerojet Solid Propulsion Com-pany gave separate presentations to thegovernment participants .

H ORKIN',

CHEMICAL PROPULSION INFORMATION AGENCYA Department of Defense Information Analysis Center

NAVY, NASA NEW CONTRACT AWARDSSpacelab Integration

A NASA contract for Spacelab integra-tion was awarded to McDonnell DouglasTechnical Services Co ., Inc ., Huntsville,AL . The period of performance of the con-tract will be from March 1977 throughDecember 1983, including an option periodbeginning April 1981 . The contract iscost-plus-award-fee type with an estimatedvalue including fee of $43 .5 million .

The integration contract is for thedesign, development and fabrication ofmost of the Spacelab hardware for whichNASA is responsible . This includes thecrew transfer tunnel, verification flightinstrumentation, mockups and ground sup-port equipment .

Mr . Makepeace and Dr . Thelen are pre-paring a summary of the. review and willcirculate it to Service representativesfor comments . Eventually, the report willrepresent Tri-Service and ODDR&E positionsregarding the subjects discussed and willbe made available to the propulsion com-munity .

The government representatives prepare tosummarize the conclusions of the SmokelessPropellant review.

Also included in the contract aresystems engineering and integration effortsnecessary to develop Spacelab operationalcapability . Integration involves tasks insystems engineering, analytical experimentintegration, software development, launchoperations and logistics .

Trident Propellant

Vol .3 No.3 APRIL 1977

ANNOUNCED

A new Navy contract has been awardedto Hercules, Inc ., to perform additionalwork on the new Trident I (C4) missile .The new work involves development of analternate propellant for the longer-rangethree-stage missile and demonstration ofthis propellant for the second stagemotor .

Cont'd on page 2

PLANS UNDER WAY FORCOMBUSTION MEETING

Prof . Frederick H . Reardon, Califor-nia State Univ ., Sacramento, will act asProgram Chairman for the 14th JANNAF Com

bustion Meeting to beheld August 15-19,1977 at the U .S . AirForce Academy, Colo-rado Springs, CO .

The meeting will ad-dress the ignitionand combustion pro-cesses that occurwithin the interiorof lasers, guns, andcombustios of solid,liquid, and airbreath

ing missile and space propulsion systems .Its security level will be confidentialwith attendance limited to U .S . citizenswho possess the proper security clearanceand need-to-know.

The announcement and call for papersletter already has been distributed to thecombustion community . The deadline datefor receipt of abstracts by the CPIA isMay 30, 1977 . Those who did not receivethe letter but who wish either a copy oran invitation to the meeting should maketheir request known to the CPIA BulletinEditor .

Page 2

THF CPIA ISCi .1 .ETINis published hi monthIy bv

CHEMICAL PROPULSION INFORMATION AGENCYThe Johns Hopkins UniversityApplied Physics LaboratoryJohns Hopkins RoadLaurel, Maryland 20810Operating under Contract N00017-72-C-4401

Dr . Peter L . Nichols

SupervisorMr . Thomas W . Christian Editor

ilie Cherlical Propulsion Iii1orrsdlLiun

Ai;encv (CPIA) is a DoD Lniormation i~neilysis

('enter responsible for the acquisitcom

pilation, anculysis, and disscm:ination ~~t in-

lorinr:tion relevant t') chcmical propui :;ion .

In

addi t ion ,

CI' I A

prcv i do,-;

tccIul i cHl

and

id-ill iuistrative

su1,i. . .rt

Lo

tl1e

Joint

Arm,,

tiaiv~°,

NASA, and Air for-, InLerai.;ency PropulsionComirnitt .~~e (_IANVAI) . 'lhe purpose oC JAINNAF

is to solve propulsion problems, ellect co-

ordination of Leclniical programs, and promote

an exchange of teciuiiual information in the

areas of missile, space, and gun propulsion

teciuiolop;y . A tee commeusyrate wiLh CP1A

products and services is charged to sub-

scribers . Also, subscribers must meet the

security and need-to-know requirements .

OMOTION PICTURES

NDT Techniques for Composite RocketMotor Components describes the final pro-totype system that was developed for inspection of multilayer debond in smallcomposite rocket motors . Systems usedwere x-rays and low frequency sonics .The film is unclassified, 16mm color andsilent, and has a running time of 6 1/2minutes . Requests should be sent to thefollowing :

Tomahawk Cruise MissiZe is an unclas-sified, 16mm, 15 minute duration color/sound movie which describes the key designfeatures and operation of the Navy TomahawkCruise :fissile . It documents significantbooster motor and Tomahawk missile test-ing which has been completed, includingunderwater static firing of the boostermotor, two underwater boost-to-glide

'~launches of missiles without sustainer ei.-gines, and air launch and flight of mis-siles with sustainer engines and TerrainContour Matching guidance systems . Re-quests should be addressed as follows :

TRIDENT (Cont'd)

United TechnologiesChemical Systems DivisionAttn : Richard W . Larrick1050 E . Arques Ave .Sunnyvale, CA 94088

General DynamicsConvair DivisionAttn : Motion Picture LibraryPO Box 80847San Diego , CA

92138

The first stage alternate propellantcontract was awarded to Thiokol Corp .,Brigham City, and the third stage to UnitedTechnologies Corp ., Chemical Systems Div .,Sunnyvale, CA .

Hercules Bacchus Works near Magna, ina Joint Venture with Thiokol, is develop-ing the entire propulsion system for thenew Navy missile under a subcontract fromLockheed Missiles and Space Co ., Inc .,missile system prime contractor . Itcovers development and initial productionthrough 1979 . The Trident missile alreadyhas had two fully successful flight testsfrom Cape Canaveral .

APL HOSTS WORKING GROUP MEETINGA group of about 60 rocket motor

structural integrity specialists met atthe JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel,MD, 15-17 February 1977, for the annualmeeting of the JANNAF Structures & Mechan-ical Behavior Working Group (S&MBWG) .Since it had been two years since any for-mal meeting of this entire group had takenplace, a lot of ground was covered in thecommittee meetings and the technical paperpresentations .

The three standing committees of theS&MBWG met concurrently during the firsthalf-day for informal progress reports,exchange of information, and assignment ofnew and continuing tasks for the comingyear . The committees and their chairmenare Experimental Stress Analysis--Mr .Eugene Francis, United Technologies Chem-ical Systems Div . ; Material Properties�Dr . John Bennett, Thiokol Corp ., WasatchDiv . ; and Mathematical Procedures--Prof .Thomas Cost, Univ . of Alabama .

The Experimental Stress Analysis Com-mittee attracted more interest than inyears past, and considered problems withinert components (e .g ., Kevlar cases andcarbon/carbon nozzles) as well as the tra-ditional concerns of instrumented motorsof both the strategic and tactical types .This committee now regards the nozzlemeasurements problems as higher prioritythan the grain problems, and the committee

is looking for more materials expertise toenhance the coverage in this importantarea .

The Material Properties Committeecontinued its emphasis on motor (grain)service life prediction problems withparticular techniques and data illustratedfor Minuteman motors (surely the moststudied missile system with regard toaging and service life) . Also, the com-mittee is considering adoption of the ex-isting strip biaxial tensile test procedureas a "tentative standard ." Progress isalso going well on rewriting the introduc-tory part of the Solid Propellant Mechani-cal Behavior Manual (CPIA Pub . No . 21),one of the S&MBWG's three reference booksdating back to the early 1960's .

The Mathematical Procedures Committeeis still concerned with comparative resultsand different approaches using finite element computer codes for stress analyses .The extensive case-liner bond study pub-lished as AFRPL-TR-76-52 will be reprintedas part of the JANNAF Solid PropellantStructural Integrity Handbook (CPIA Pub .No . 230) . The committee also discusseddynamic analysis methods for the steady-state frequency response of grains, trans-ient analyses for nonlinear effects duringblowdown and for malfunction conditions,and how best to utilize duomorph data .

Cont'd on page 7

Dr. Henry Shuey of Rohm & Haas/HuntsviZZe, (2nd from Left), was the guest speaker .

Onhis right is the SBMBWG Chairman Dr . ArnoZd Adicoff of NWC/China Lake, and on his Left arethe Program Chairman, Mr . Thomas Duerr, AMRADCOM/Redstone ArsenaZ, and the CPIA Representa-tive, Mr . RonaZd Brown .

Page 3

JANNAF WORKING GROUP CHAIRMENDr . Arnold Adicoff is Associate Head, Chemistry Division and

Head, Polymer Science Branch, at the Naval Weapons Center, China Lake,CA . He was a research chemist and engineer in the fields of polymersand adhesion and adhesive forces prior to joining the staff at theNWC in 1957 . Dr . Adicoff has been activeof propellant binders, polymer chemistry,and grain mechanical properties . In 1973duties of Associate Head of the Chemistrysponsible for supervision and guidance ofpropellants,stressreceived his Ph .D . from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1955 .He has been associated with the Structures and Mechanical BehaviorWorking Group and its parent groups for more than 15 years . He is amember of the American Chemical Society, Rheology Society of the AIP,Sigma Xi and Phi Lambda Upsilon .

in research in the fieldsadhesion, and propellanthe was also assigned theDiv ., and also became re-the research in materials,

pyrotechnics, explosives, viscoelasticity, propellantanalysis, lasers, and other selected activities . Dr . Adicoff

Page 4

Mr . Sidney E . Solomon, recently elected Chairman of the newJANNAF Propulsion Systems Cost Working Group, is a member of theSenior Staff of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory's Chemical Propulsion Information Agency . He had previouslyserved on the now defunct JANNAF Operational Serviceability WorkingGroup . Prior to joining JHU/APL in 1971, Mr . Solomon was associatedwith the General Electric Company's Space and Rc-entry Divisions .His professional career also includes an eight-year span with theAerojet General Corp . in Sacramento, where he served as programmanager and engineering specialist in advanced technology programs .He had been associated with the Westinghouse Electric Corp . and withthe General Electric Co ., where he designed and developed componentsfor nuclear power plant systems . Mr . Solomon received his B .M .E .degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY in 1949 . Heis a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics,Scientific Research Society of America, Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, andPi Tau Sigma .

Mr . Forrest S . Forbes has served as chairman of the JANNAF Mono-propellant Working Group since its organization in 1973 . He has beenassociated with many JANNAF activities, serving as Chairman of theJANNAF Hazards Working Group, 1964-1966 ; Chairman JANNAF PropellantTest Methods Working Group, 1967-1969 ; General Chairman, 11th LiquidPropulsion Meeting, and Session chairman and organizer for numerousJANNAF meetings . Mr . Forbes began his civilian career at the WrightAir Development Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH . Transferred to theAir Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Edwards AFB, CA in 1959, heserved as Senior Project Engineer, managing the liquid rocket fuelsand oxidizers research, development and evaluation programs . Pre-sently, he is Chief of the Propellant Section, Liquid Rocket Division .Mr . Forbes' responsibilities have included specification development,establishment of safety and design criteria, propellant synthesis,thermodynamic and physical property determinations, combustion kineticsstudies and heat transfer measurements .

EROSIVE BURNINGWORKSHOP STUDIES-

The analyses and experimental investi-gations of erosive burning phenomena werethe subjects of a workshop held March 7-8,1977 in Lancaster, CA . Erosive burningrefers to the sensitivity of the propel-lant burning rate to gas flow parallel tothe burning surface . The workshop wassponsored by the JANNAF Combustion WorkingGroup and was coordinated by Dr . MaxMihlfeith of the Wasatch Div . of Thiokol .

Erosive burning in center-perforatedgrains can lead to large variations in theperformance of rocket motors since it cancause the propellant grain to burn un-evenly rather than in parallel layers asis generally assumed in performance cal-culations . The aft end of the grainburns faster than the forward end unlessthe burn rate decrease associated with thepressure drop compensates for the burningrate increase due to the gas flow velocityincrease . Thus, the actual pressure/timehistory of a motor will be differentthan predicted . The differences, which

-onsist chiefly of a pressure spike after.aotor ignition and long pressure tailoffafter motor burnout, are caused by alocal increase in the propellant burn rateat the aft end of the grain, and by pro-pellant fragments still burning (slivers)in the forward end of the motor, respec-tively .

It was generally concluded that thereare two classes of rocket motors whichhave a high risk of erosive burning :motors that have low port-to-throat arearatios or large length-to-diameter ratios .Tactical and nozzleless motors are ex-amples of the first class ; boosters andstrategic motors are examples of the sec-ond class . Although insufficient dataexist to determine the effect of propel-lant variables on erosive burning, it hasbeen observed from motor firings that anincrease in solid loadings or aluminum inpropellants produces higher erosive co-efficients . Slower burning propellantsalso are `more sensitive to erosive burn-ing .

Experimental studies have shown that,for many propellants, a threshold gas flowvelocity exists below which there is zeroeffect . Also, at high pressures, thePage 5

Dr. Max A1ihZfeith (standing), ThiokoZ/Wasatch. Division oversees the discussionat JANNAF Erosive Burning Workshop .

burning rate under erosive gas flow con-ditions approaches the same value for allpropellants regardless of their initialburning rate .

Currently, two types of analyticalmodels based on the following assumptionsare being developed . The first type considers the gas flow forming a turbulentboundary layer which interacts with thecombustion process on the propellant sur-face . This interaction increases theheat transfer back to the propellant whichin turn enhances its burning rate . Thesecond type of model considers that thegas flow simply bends the propellant flameso that it is closer to the propellant sur-face . Again, heat transfer is intensi-fied and the burning rate increases .

The review of past modeling effortsgenerally rejected those models basedupon the assumption that erosive burningis driven by increased heat transfer fromhot center core gas flow . The best knownand most widely used model, that ofLenoir and Robillard, falls into thiscategory . The model predicts substantialdependence on the temperature of the coregas, but this dependence was subsequentlydisproved experimentally by other in-vestigators .

A full report of the discussions andrecommendations of the workshop parti-cipants is being prepared by Dr . Mihlfeith .After the participants review the report,it will be presented in August at the 14thJANNAF Combustion Meeting .

ROC!( ISLAND MEETING ON HMXA meeting, sponsored by the JANNAF In-

teragency Propulsion Committee, on the re-quirements and supply of HMX in support ofpropulsion research and development, washeld at the Headquarters, US Army ArmamentMateriel Readiness Command (ARRCOM), RockIsland, IL, February 24, 1977 .

The technical requirements for HMX inmissile propellants were delineated . EachService discussed its projected needs andtrends in some detail . The quantitativerequirements for HMX were then addressed .

Personnel from the Holston Army Am-munition Plant (HARP) then described theproduction of HMX and the process development activities now under way . Emphasiswas placed on large quantity requirementssuch as those of the Trident program whichis typical of the production problems fac-ing HAAP . The final subject discussedcentered on procedures for obtaining HMXfor independent research and developmentprograms .

It was concluded that particle sizeuniformity and reproducibility were para-mount to efficient propellant processing .Generally, particle size tailoring is bestleft to the propellant manufacturer . Re-quirements as to type or quantity of HMXvary greatly from year to year ; however,these needs are generally within HAAP'scapability .

Services needs should be coordinatedwith the Army and the facts made known tothe Services' staffs and OSD when the programs are submitted for full-scale develop-ment commitments . This can assure thatproper attention is given to the logisticsof supply . The Army is undertaking majorprocess improvements to reduce cost andto increase output of HMX . Process changeswill require product evaluation, and the

Summaries of the meeting will be madeavailable to the JANNAF Executive Commit-tee and to participating industrial organi-zations .

THREE JANNAF COMBUSTIONWORKSHOPS SCHEDULED

Thomas L . Boggs, NWC, and CharlesLenchitz, ARRADCOM, co-coordinators ofthe JANNAF Workshop on Burning Rate Measurements, Calculations, and Data ReductionProcedures announced that the Workshopwill meet April 19, 1977, at ARRADCOM,Dover, NJ . The Workshop will discussdata reduction methods used to calculatethe propellant burn rate from closedbombs . It is unclassified and open tothe U .S . public .

The Workshop on Liquid Propellantsfor Gun Applications will be held May3-4, 1977 at the U .S . Army Ballistics Research Lab ., Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD .It will address the physical and chemicalproperties of liquid propellants withspecific emphasis on monopropellants asthese properties relate to gun applica-tion . Dr . Nathan Klein of BRL is the co-ordinator . The security level of theWorkshop is Confidential and thus is re-stricted to those individuals possessingthe proper security clearance and need-to-know .

Mr . Robert L . Geisler, AFRPL, co-ordinator of the 1977 JANNAF AluminumCombustion Workshop has announced that itwill be held May 10-11, 1977, at HerculesInc ., Bacchus Works near Salt Lake City,UT . The general objective is to reviewthe present state of knowledge of aluminumcombustion as it relates to the optimiza-tion of the design and performance ofsolid rocket motors . This Workshop willalso be classified .

Further information regarding theseworkshops may be obtained from the CPIABulletin Editor .

Page 6

MONOPROPELLANT WORKING GROUP MEETING

The 11th MonopropellantWorking Group Meeting will beheld 20-21 April 1977, at theEssex House, Lancaster, CA .Further information regardingthis meeting may be obtainedby contacting the Chairman,Mr . F .S . Forbes, AFRPL/LKDP, §Edwards, CA 93523 §

Services should be prepared to performnecessary tests to assure that the materialgenerated from such processes meets require-ments .

WORKING GROUP MEETING (Cont'd)

Following the committee meetings, fourhalf-day sessions of technical paper pre-sentations were led off by an invited talkby Dr . Henry Shuey of Rohm and Haas Co,who cited Russian fables very effectivelywhen urging the group to seek those pro-perties and analytical solutions that aredescriptive of the motor in the field, notthe component in the laboratory . Dr . Shueycriticisms of the S&MB community were notas severe as they have been at some pastgatherings ; he acknowledged that there canbe some net payoff to computer analyses .

Thirty-one technical papers were pre-sented in the four sessions . The sessiontitles and chairmen were ExperimentalAnalysis and Motor Instrumentation--Mr .Ron Pritts, Thiokol Corp ., Huntsville Div . ;Service Life Prediction--Mr . RaymondMellette, McDonnell Douglas AstronauticsCo . ; Material Properties--Mr . Gilbert Lewis,CIT Jet Propulsion Lab . ; and MathematicalProcedures--Mr . McKay Anderson, HerculesInc ., Bacchus Works .

The Session Chairmen : Ron Pritts,Ray McZZette, Gil Lewis, and McKay Ander-

son .

's

In addition to a Technical SteeringCommittee meeting, two additional ad hocmeetings were held during the S&MBWG gathering : a meeting to organize workshops onspecific topics of immediate and high in-terest and a meeting to justify more formalacceptance of nozzles technology into theS&MBWG activities . As a result, a new "adHoc Committee on Nozzles Technology" wasestablished, and the chairmanship was ac-cepted by Mr . William Payne of the AFRPL .Workshops tentatively planned for the

,--coming months, in order of priority, are(1) Nozzle Analytical Methods and ExperienceDocumentation, (2) Stress Gage Interpreta-tion, and (3) New Developments in ServiceLife Prediction .

RECENT LITERATURE SEARCHESAVAILABLE FROM CPIA

LS77-1 : Solid Propellant Pulse MotorTechnology (Period covered 1966-1976 ; 45citations ; titles and abstracts ; CONFI-DENTIAL) .

LS77-2 :

Propellant Cook-off Tests (Periodcovered 1958-1976 ; 27 citations ; titlesand abstracts ; CONFIDENTIAL) .

LS77-3 : MonomethyZhydrazine Compatibilitywith Aluminum and Stainless Steel Alloys(Period covered 1958-1976 ; 51 citations ;titles and abstracts ; CONFIDENTIAL) .

LS77-4 : Uncured Composite Propellants(Period covered 1960-1976 ; 26 citations ;titles and abstracts ; UNCLASSIFIED) .

LS77-5 : Liquid Propellant Gun Technology(Supersedes LS75-29 ; Period covered 1947-1976 ; 130 citations ; titles and abstracts ;CONFIDENTIAL) .

LS77-6 : TPDI "ure Studies (Period covered1968-1976 ; 5, citations ; titles and sub-ject index ; UNCLASSIFIED) .

LS77-7 : HydroxyZammonium Nitrate (RAN)MonopropeZZant Technology (Period covered1958-1976 ; 41 citations ; titles and ab-stracts ; CONFIDENTIAL) .

LS77-8 : Solid Rocket Aging, Surveillance,and Service Life Prediction (Period covered1969-1976 ; 648 citations ; titles and sub-ject index ; UNCLASSIFIED) .

LS77-9 : Deterred Coatings : Materials andDiffusion Analyses (Period covered 19-47-1976 ; 107 citations ; titles and abstracts ;CONFIDENTIAL) .

JANNAF EXEC . COMMITTEE MEETSThe JANNAF Executive Committee plans

to meet June 21-23, 1977, for review ofairbreathing propulsion technology programs, for hearing presentations of annualreports by working group chairmen, and forreview of solid propulsion technology pro-grams . The meeting will be held at theJHU/Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD .The two technology sessions are restrictedto DOD, Tri-Service, and NASA employees .The working groups review meeting will beopen to the U .S . public .

Page 7

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0 bulletinSMOKELESS PROPELLANTS TOPICAL REVIEW

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" EROSIVE BURNING WORKSH

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