Solid propellant grain
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsAndrew William McBain, Zachary Keith Wingard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid rocket propellant grain having rocket propellant and a membrane in contact with the rocket propellant. The membrane includes a highly heat conductive pattern which affects the propellant burning rate through localized conductive heat transfer from the combustion zone and into the uncombusted propellant. Different geometries for the thermally conductive pattern produce different combustion results.
Claims20
A solid propellant grain comprising:
- a propellant having an interior,
- a polymer sheet having at least one surface and having a thermally conductive pattern disposed on said at least one surface, said polymer sheet and said thermally conductive pattern being in contact with said propellant wherein said thermally conductive pattern transfers heat from a combustion zone through the interior of the propellant to increase the rate of combustion and provide greater propulsion, wherein said thermally conductive pattern comprises a metal.
The solid propellant grain of 1 wherein said polymer sheet has a vertical axis and said heat conductive pattern is vertically oriented and symmetrical about the vertical axis of the polymer sheet and said propellant.
A rocket propellant grain comprising:
- a rocket propellant grain having a vertical axis that aligns with a vertical axis of a rocket, and
- a polymer sheet having at least one surface and having a heat conductive pattern disposed on said at least one surface wherein said heat conductive pattern is symmetric about a sheet axis and comprises a metal;
- wherein said sheet axis aligns with the vertical axis of the rocket propellant grain and said heat conductive pattern being in contact with said rocket propellant grain such that the heat conductive pattern affects the rocket propellant grain burning rate though localized heat transfer from the combustion zone into the uncombusted rocket propellant grain.
A method of forming a solid propellant grain comprising:
- forming a thermally conductive pattern comprising a metal on a polymer sheet,
- positioning the polymer sheet in a mold such that said thermally conductive pattern is configured to transfer heat from a combustion zone through an interior of said solid propellant grain, and
- casting propellant in the mold so that the polymer sheet is embedded within the propellant and the thermally conductive pattern on the polymer sheet is in contact with said propellant.
A method of increasing the mass flow rate and thrust of an end-burning solid rocket motor, the method comprising:
- forming a thermally conductive pattern comprising a metal on a polymer sheet,
- positioning the polymer sheet in a mold such that said thermally conductive pattern is configured to transfer heat from a combustion zone through an interior of said solid propellant grain, and
- casting propellant in the mold so that the polymer sheet is embedded within the propellant and the thermally conductive pattern on the polymer sheet is in contact with said propellant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.