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Internal Flow Simulation of Enhanced Performance Solid Rocket Booster for the Space Transportation SystemAn enhanced performance solid rocket booster concept for the space shuttle system has been proposed. The concept booster will have strong commonality with the existing, proven, reliable four-segment Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) with individual component design (nozzle, insulator, etc.) optimized for a five-segment configuration. Increased performance is desirable to further enhance safety/reliability and/or increase payload capability. Performance increase will be achieved by adding a fifth propellant segment to the current four-segment booster and opening the throat to accommodate the increased mass flow while maintaining current pressure levels. One development concept under consideration is the static test of a "standard" RSRM with a fifth propellant segment inserted and appropriate minimum motor modifications. Feasibility studies are being conducted to assess the potential for any significant departure in component performance/loading from the well-characterized RSRM. An area of concern is the aft motor (submerged nozzle inlet, aft dome, etc.) where the altered internal flow resulting from the performance enhancing features (25% increase in mass flow rate, higher Mach numbers, modified subsonic nozzle contour) may result in increased component erosion and char. To assess this issue and to define the minimum design changes required to successfully static test a fifth segment RSRM engineering test motor, internal flow studies have been initiated. Internal aero-thermal environments were quantified in terms of conventional convective heating and discrete phase alumina particle impact/concentration and accretion calculations via Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. Two sets of comparative CFD simulations of the RSRM and the five-segment (IBM) concept motor were conducted with CFD commercial code FLUENT. The first simulation involved a two-dimensional axi-symmetric model of the full motor, initial grain RSRM. The second set of analyses included three-dimensional models of the RSRM and FSM aft motors with four-degree vectored nozzles.
Document ID
20020039527
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Ahmad, Rashid A. (ATK-Thiokol Propulsion Brigham City, UT United States)
McCool, Alex
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
AIAA Paper 2001-5236
Meeting Information
Meeting: 37th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Country: United States
Start Date: July 8, 2001
End Date: July 11, 2001
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Society for Electrical Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS8-38100
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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