Statistical simulation of aluminum agglomeration during combustion of heterogeneous condensed mixtures

Abstract

A statistical model of aluminum agglomeration during combustion of solid composite rocket propellants is considered; the model describes the process dynamics, beginning from propellant heating in the combustion wave and ending by separation of agglomerates from the burning surface. An algorithm of computing the agglomeration process by the Monte Carlo method is proposed. A series of computations of aluminum agglomeration is performed; the density distribution functions for agglomerate sizes are derived; the dependence of the mean-mass size of agglomerates on the mean-mass size of ammonium-perchlorate particles is determined. The model proposed predicts power dependences of the mean-mass size of agglomerates on pressure and burning rate, which agrees with available experimental data.

Effect of acceleration on agglomeration of aluminum particles during combustion of composite solid propellants

“…If the acceleration is negative, the inertial force acts as a separating force. Generalizing relation (16) in [11], we write condition (1) of agglomerate separation as…”

“…Such a model was developed in [9][10][11] without using the pocket concept, which is believed to be a certain conventional notion and cannot be uniquely identified in a real propellant. The model [9][10][11] is statistical and allows one to calculate not only the mean-mass size of agglomerates but also the size distribution functions.…”

“…The model [9][10][11] is statistical and allows one to calculate not only the mean-mass size of agglomerates but also the size distribution functions. This model predicts experimentally observed correlations of the mean-mass sizes of separating agglomerates and oxidizer [ammonium perchlorate (AP)] particles [12,13].…”

“…The effect of g-loads on agglomeration is studied in the present work within the framework of the statistical model developed in [9][10][11], and the size distribution functions of agglomerates are calculated for different values of the normal acceleration.…”

Heterogeneous solid propellants: from microstructure to macroscale properties

“…On the one hand, tentative models describing the physics of agglomeration have been proposed by Russian scientists [15,16] but they come up against the di©culty of modeling surface adhesion schemes, liquid particle movement on surface, etc. On the other hand, a very simple and attractive approach is the pocket model [17,18].…”