Numerical Simulation on Unsteady Combustion of NEPE Propellant

doi:10.12382/bgxb.2025.0148

Abstract

Abstract:

The micro-scale transient combustion characteristics and flame structure of nitrate ester plasticized polyether (NEPE) propellant under rapid depressurization are investigated.In this study,the heterogeneity of NEPE propellants is characterized by introducing the randomly distributed particle filling structures,and a semi-global gas-phase chemical reaction kinetic model is constructed to simulate the combustion process of NEPE propellants.The results show that the flame structure changes continuously in the initial stage of combustion,showing a significant oscillation characteristic lasting for about 3.5ms.The oscillation is due to the interaction between particle distribution and depressurization.When the decompression process lasts for 19ms,the pressure drops to about 0.1MPa,and the flame exhibits a premixed structure.The heterogeneity and pressure change of NEPE propellant lead to the unstable flow of gas-phase components on its surface,thus forming a dynamic flame structure.

Key words: nitrate ester plasticized polyether propellant, flame structure, rapid depressurization, combustion instability, random filling

CLC Number:

V512+.3

WU Haoyang, CHEN Kaixuan, XUE Xiaochun, YU Yonggang. Numerical Simulation on Unsteady Combustion of NEPE Propellant[J]. Acta Armamentarii, 2025, 46(11): 250148-.

Figures/Tables 11

References 34

[1]	KUMAR N, ALEXANDER Y R, RAMAKRISHNA P A. Extinction of AP monopropellant by rapid depressurization: computational and experimental studies[J]. Combustion and Flame, 2017, 184(10): 90-100. doi: 10.1016/j.combustflame.2017.05.030 URL
[2]	DONDE R, RIVA G, LUCA L D. Experimental and theoretical extinction of solid rocket propellants by fast depressurization[J]. Acta Astronautica, 1984, 11 (9) :569-576. doi: 10.1016/0094-5765(84)90029-8 URL
[3]	BECKSTEAD M W, DERR R L, PRICE C F. A model of composite solid-propellant combustion based on multiple flames[J]. AIAA Journal, 1970, 8(12): 2200-2207. doi: 10.2514/3.6087 URL
[4]	LIU L, YUE S C, WEN Z, et al. Formulation effect on combustion and agglomeration characteristics in nitramine solid propellants[J]. Acta Astronautica, 2024, 219:60-70. doi: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.03.011 URL
[5]	MASSA L, JACKSON T L, BUCKMASTER J D, et al. Three-dimensional heterogeneous propellant combustion[J]. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2002, 29(2):2975-2983. doi: 10.1016/S1540-7489(02)80363-7 URL
[6]	MASSA L, JACKSON T L, BUCKMASTER J D. Role of kinetic models in multidimensional analysis of solid propellant deflagration[C]// Proceedings of the 41st AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit.Tucson,AZ, US: AIAA, 2005:3977.
[7]	WANG X J, BUCKMASTER J D, JACKSON T L, et al. Burning of ammonium-perchlorate ellipses and spheroids in fuel binder[J]. Journal of Propulsion & Power, 2006, 22 (4): 764-768.
[8]	叶振威, 余永刚. 脉冲点火射流与高氯酸铵/端羟基聚丁二烯固体推进剂耦合燃烧的试验研究及数值模拟[J]. 兵工学报, 2018, 39(8): 1507-1514. doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1000-1093.2018.08.007
	YE Z W, YU Y G. Experimental research and numerical simulation of coupling combustion of pulsed jet and AP/HTPB propellant[J]. Acta Armamentarii, 2018, 39(8): 1507-1514. (in Chinese)
[9]	LIU S Y, HAN L Y, HE P X, et al. Conjugate heat and mass transfer at heterogeneous burning surface of AP/HTPB/Al composite propellant at 2-10MPa[J]. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2023, 227:120362. doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120362 URL
[10]	LIU S Y, HE P X, HAN L Y, et al. Numerical study on the effect of pressure on transient micro-combustion and heat release characteristics of AP/HTPB/Al composite propellant fuel[J]. Fuel: A Journal of Fuel Science, 2023, 347: 128445.
[11]	PLAUD M, GALLIER S, MOREL M. Simulations of heterogeneous propellant combustion: effect of particle orientation and shape[J]. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2015, 35(2):2447-2454. doi: 10.1016/j.proci.2014.05.020 URL
[12]	FAVALE G, MICCIO F. Modeling unsteady and perturbed combustion of heterogeneous composite propellants[J]. Aerospace Science & Technology, 2008, 12(4):285-294.
[13]	KANAGARAJAN B, QUINLAN J M, RUNNELS B. A diffuse interface method for solid-phase modeling of regression behavior in solid composite propellants[J]. Combustion and Flame, 2022, 242:112219. doi: 10.1016/j.combustflame.2022.112219 URL
[14]	CHEN K X, YE Z W, XUE X C, et al. Chemical behavior research of high-energy aerospace propellant with a mesoscale heterogeneous packing model[J]. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2024, 486:150430. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2024.150430 URL
[15]	王文俊. 固体推进剂的最新进展—NEPE推进剂[J]. 国外固体火箭技术, 1985(3):93-96.
	WANG W J. Recent advances in solid propellants-NEPE propellants[J]. Foreign Solid Rocket Technology, 1985 (3):93-96. (in Chinese)
[16]	LI S P, LÜ X, LIU L, et al. Comparative study on aluminum agglomeration characteristics in HTPB and NEPE propellants:the critical effect of accumulation[J]. Combustion and Flame, 2023, 249:112607. doi: 10.1016/j.combustflame.2022.112607 URL
[17]	TU C Y, FENG Y Y, LING Z G, et al. Thermal decomposition,ignition process and combustion behavior of nitrate ester plasticized polyether propellant at 0.1-3.0MPa[J]. International Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2022, 2022: 6439787.
[18]	GALLIER S, HIERNARD F. Microstructure of composite propellants using simulated packings and X-ray tomography[J]. Journal of Propulsion and Power, 2008, 24(1):154-157. doi: 10.2514/1.30454 URL
[19]	VIJAY C, RAGUVARUN K, BHARGHAV K V S, et al. Use of X-ray computed tomography for validation of random packs of composite solid propellants[J]. Propellants Explosives Pyrotechnics, 2019, 44(7): 915-922. doi: 10.1002/prep.v44.7 URL
[20]	VIJAY C, RAMAKRISHNA P A. Estimation of burning characteristics of AP/HTPB composite solid propellant using a sandwich model[J]. Combustion and Flame, 2020, 217(9):321-330. doi: 10.1016/j.combustflame.2020.04.006 URL
[21]	RAJORIVA G, VIJAY C, RAMAKRISHNA P A. Thermal conductivity estimation of high solid loading particulate composites: a numerical approach[J]. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 2018, 127:252-265. doi: 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2018.01.023 URL
[22]	BUCKMASTER J D, CHEN M, JACKSON T L, et al. Numerical modeling of three-dimensional heterogeneous propellant combustion[C]// Proceedings of the 40th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting & Exhibit.Reno,NY, US: AIAA, 2002:780.
[23]	CHEN K X, XUE X C, YU Y G. Modeling transient combustion and regression behavior of NEPE propellant based on random particle packing[J]. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 2024, 126:85-104. doi: 10.1016/j.apm.2023.10.036 URL
[24]	GROSS M L, HEDMAN T D, SON S F, et al. Coupling micro and meso-scale combustion models of AP/HTPB propellants[J]. Combustion and Flame, 2013, 160(5):982-992. doi: 10.1016/j.combustflame.2013.01.016 URL
[25]	KUMAR K R A, LAKSHMISHA K N. Dynamic combustion of solid propellants: Effects of unsteady condensed phase degradation layer[J]. Journal of Propulsion and Power, 2002, 18(2): 312-321. doi: 10.2514/2.5936 URL
[26]	BUCKMASTER J D, JACKSON T L, ULRICH M. Numerical modeling of heterogeneous propellant combustion[C]// Proceedings of the 37th Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit.Salt Lake City,UT, US: AIAA, 2001:3579.
[27]	PRICE C F, BOGGS T L, DERR R L. The steady-state combustion behavior of ammonium perchlorate and cyclotetramethylenete-tranitramine[C]// Proceedings of the 17th Aerospace Sciences Meeting.New Orleans,LA, US: AIAA, 1979:164.
[28]	BECKSTEAD M W, PUDUPPAKKAM K V, THAKRE P, et al. Modeling of combustion and ignition of solid-propellant ingredients[J]. Progress in Energy & Combustion Science, 2007, 33(6):497-551.
[29]	PUDUPPAKKAM K V, BECKSTEAD M W. Combustion modeling of Nitrate Esters with detailed kinetics[C] // Proceedings of the 41st AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit.Tucson,AZ, US: AIAA, 2005:3770.
[30]	MASSA L, BUCKMASTER J D, JACKSONT L. New kinetics for a model of heterogeneous propellant combustion[J]. Journal of Propulsion & Power, 2005, 15(10):654-660.
[31]	YAN X T, XIA Z X, HUANG L Y, et al. Combustion of nitrate ester plasticized polyether propellants[J]. Journal of Zhejiang University Science A, 2020, 21(10): 834-847. doi: 10.1631/jzus.A1900668
[32]	PRASAD K, PRICE E W. A numerical study of the leading edge of laminar diffusion flames[J]. Combustion and Flame, 1992, 90(2):155-173. doi: 10.1016/0010-2180(92)90117-8 URL
[33]	CHEN K X, YE Z W, YU Y G, et al. Unsteady heat and mass transfer mechanism in AP/HTPB propellant combustion under rapid depressurization[J]. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, 2023, 146:106949. doi: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2023.106949 URL
[34]	MASSA L, JACKSON T L, BUCKMASTER J D, et al. Fluctuations above a burning heterogeneous propellant[J]. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 2007, 581:1-32. doi: 10.1017/S0022112007005927 URL

参数	数值	参数	数值
ρ_AP/(kg·m^-3)	1950	E_AP/R_u/K	11000
ρ_HMX/(kg·m^-3)	1900	E_HMX/R_u/K	12700
ρ_Binder/(kg·m^-3)	1600	E_Binder/R_u/K	10500
A_AP/(cm·s^-1)	145000	Pr	0.79
A_HMX/(cm·s^-1)	1800000	c_p/(J·kg^-1·mol^-1)	1255.2
A_Binder/(cm·s^-1)	100000	D₁/(g·cm^-3×s^-1·ba ${r}_{1}^{-n}$)	13720
λ_s,AP/(W·m^-1·K^-1)	0.405	D₂/(g·cm^-3×s^-1·ba ${r}_{2}^{-n}$)	9736
λ_s,HMX/(W·m^-1·K^-1)	0.4347	D₃/(g·cm^-3×s^-1·ba ${r}_{3}^{-n}$)	1500
λ_s,Binder/(W·m^-1·K^-1)	0.25	E₁/R_u/K	8000
E_pf/R_u/K	8000	E₂/R_u/K	12000
E_ff/R_u/K	11000	E₃/R_u/K	10000
Q_s,AP /(kcal·kg^-1)	-100	n₁	1.7
Q_s,HMX/(kcal·kg^-1)	-167.26	n₂	1.8
${{Q}_{s,Binde}}_{r}$/(kcal^-kg^-1)	-382.32	n₃	1.8
D_pf/(g·cm^-3·s^-1·bar^-1.8)	209000	n_pf	1.8
D_ff/(g·cm^-3·s^-1·bar^-1.8)	30000	n_ff	1.8
R_u/(J·mol^-1·K^-1)	8.314	M_u/(g·mol^-1)	34

参数	数值	参数	数值
ρ_AP/(kg·m^-3)	1950	E_AP/R_u/K	11000
ρ_HMX/(kg·m^-3)	1900	E_HMX/R_u/K	12700
ρ_Binder/(kg·m^-3)	1600	E_Binder/R_u/K	10500
A_AP/(cm·s^-1)	145000	Pr	0.79
A_HMX/(cm·s^-1)	1800000	c_p/(J·kg^-1·mol^-1)	1255.2
A_Binder/(cm·s^-1)	100000	D₁/(g·cm^-3×s^-1·ba ${r}_{1}^{-n}$)	13720
λ_s,AP/(W·m^-1·K^-1)	0.405	D₂/(g·cm^-3×s^-1·ba ${r}_{2}^{-n}$)	9736
λ_s,HMX/(W·m^-1·K^-1)	0.4347	D₃/(g·cm^-3×s^-1·ba ${r}_{3}^{-n}$)	1500
λ_s,Binder/(W·m^-1·K^-1)	0.25	E₁/R_u/K	8000
E_pf/R_u/K	8000	E₂/R_u/K	12000
E_ff/R_u/K	11000	E₃/R_u/K	10000
Q_s,AP /(kcal·kg^-1)	-100	n₁	1.7
Q_s,HMX/(kcal·kg^-1)	-167.26	n₂	1.8
${{Q}_{s,Binde}}_{r}$/(kcal^-kg^-1)	-382.32	n₃	1.8
D_pf/(g·cm^-3·s^-1·bar^-1.8)	209000	n_pf	1.8
D_ff/(g·cm^-3·s^-1·bar^-1.8)	30000	n_ff	1.8
R_u/(J·mol^-1·K^-1)	8.314	M_u/(g·mol^-1)	34