Two-phase unsteady flow in solid rocket motors

Aluminized propellants are frequently used in solid rocket motors to increase specific impulse, Unlike the other ingredients, aluminum particles can burn in a significant portion of the chamber and produce a condensed phase that is carried out into the flowfield. Thereby, aluminum particles can affect appreciably combustion instabilities by acting as driving or, on the contrary, as damping mechanisms. Therefore, a reliable stability prediction must include the description of the reactive two-phase flow, in the motor. Studies realized on this subject in the ASSM program are reviewed. (C) 2002 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.