Performance analysis of small-scale low-cost solid propellant rocket motor

Abstract

A low-cost rocket motor was designed to test the performance characteristics of the composite propellants and also to estimate the rate of burn. This objective was achieved by casting the composite propellants encased in a chamber and the propellants were ignited. The combustion chamber was fabricated with steel alloy and was designed to operate at different pressures in order to obtain the burn rates, thrust-time history and specific impulse. The nozzle was designed according to mass flow rate characteristics. A static           device of capacity of 100 N was used to monitor the thrust generated by the motor. The impulse traits of  the motor were obtained. Ammonium nitrate was the material used to cast the solid propellant along with plasticizers and binding materials. The burning rate was estimated using strand burner at different pressures. The total thrust was found to be 116.739 N and the specific impulse was about 132 seconds.