Radiative heat feedback in aluminized solid propellant combustion

A one-dimensional model has been developed to describe the combustion, flow, and radiant transport processes by aluminum and alumina particles near the surface of a burning aluminized composite solid propellant. The equations of mass, momentum, and energy have been solved to obtain the species concentration, velocity, and temperature profiles near the propellant surface. The decoupled radiative transfer equation has also been solved using the two-flux model to obtain the radiant flux profiles and the radiative heat feedback to the propellant surface. The results of the model indicate that the radiant heat feedback to the surface of a typical aluminized composite propellant would be 300-400 W/sq cm or about 20 percent of the total energy flux required to heat the solid propellant to the surface temperature. (Author)