Kinetics Modeling of Hypergolic Propellants

Multi-phase ignition of hypergolic propellants Mono-methyl Hydrazine (MMH) and Red Fuming Nitric Acid (RFNA) is studied numerically to understand fundamental processes such as gas phase ignition, vaporization and liquid phase chemistry for characterizing ignition. Such understanding will be critical for future design efforts targeting rapidly repeatable cyclic ignition of these propellants. Three test cases are considered: gas and liquid phase autoignition, an opposed jet diffusion flame and a liquid opposed jet diffusion flame. For the first case, three reduced chemical kinetics mechanisms are used to study autoignition behavior in the gas phase and with premixed liquids. In the second case, a laminar diffusion flame of the gas phase reactants under varying strain rates is studied. The third case investigates the interface behavior for liquid-liquid contact and its effect on gas phase ignition. The original document contains color images. Sponsored in part by ARO.