Rocket Motors and Propellants

On successful completion of the course participants will be able to:

• Recognise the importance of rocket propulsion as a form of jet propulsion and give examples of its relevance in the defence and commercial sectors
• Transfer the principles of thermodynamics and gas dynamics to rocket propulsion
• Define key terms such as impulse, specific impulse, thrust coefficient and characteristic velocity and recognise their significance
• Outline the principles of propellant charge design
• Show that a solid propellant rocket motor is a self-regulating device.

External Ballistics - Physics:

• Principles of reaction propulsion
• Fundamental principles of applied thermodynamics and gas dynamics
• Mach number, flow function, flow area relationship
• Convergent-divergent nozzles.
• Definitions of propulsion performance criteria: intrnal ballistics of solid propellant rocket motors.
• Charge design for particular applications.
• Rocket motor components.
• Thrust vector control methods.
• Velocity and range equations for accelerating and cruising projectiles.

Propellant Chemistry:

• Principles of rocket propellant composition
• Properties and applications of cast and extruded double base propellants
• Properties and applications of rubbery composite propellants
• Properties and applications of liquid monopropellants and bipropellants
• New developments in propellant composition and formulation.