Solid rocket motor propellants with reticulated structures embedded therein to provide variable burn rate characteristics
AssigneeMorton Thiokol, Inc.
InventorsJames O. Hightower, Jr., Tomio Sato
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Abstract
A solid propellant grain which comprises an homogeneous mass of propellant material including an oxidant. A variable burn rate is provided by embedding a reticulated structure in a portion only of the propellant mass. The reticulated structure may be coated with a high thermal conductivity material to provide an increased burning rate. The coat of material is selected to preferably provide improved bonding to the propellant mass.
Claims20
A variable burn rate solid propellant grain comprises:
- an homogeneous mass of propellant material including an oxidant, said propellant mass includes at least one first portion and at least one second portion;
- and at least one three-dimensionally reticulated structure which is embedded in said first portion only of said mass and which is distributed throughout the same volume as said first portion of said mass is distributed, said second portion of said mass being free of three-dimensionally reticulated structure whereby the first portion burns with a different burn rate than the second portion burns.
A solid propellant grain comprises:
- an homogeneous mass of propellant material including an oxidant, at least one reticulated structure embedded in said mass;
- and a coat of high thermal conductivity material applied to a plurality of surfaces of said reticulated structure.
A solid propellant grain comprises an homogeneous mass of propellant material including an oxidant;
- at least one reticulated structure selected from the group consisting of carbon and graphite embedded in said mass;
- and a coat of material selected from the group consisting of lead and copper applied to a plurality of surfaces of said reticulated structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.