ISSN: 1945-7553
CODEN: JTEVAB
Page Count: 7

Fracture of Rocket Grain Models Subjected to Cooldown: A Study of Temperature-Initiated Fractures of Two-Dimensional Rocket Grain Models

Francis, EC
Head of Propellant Properties Evaluation, technical specialist, and research engineer, United Technology Center, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Deverall, LI
Head of Propellant Properties Evaluation, technical specialist, and research engineer, United Technology Center, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Zitzer, HJ
Head of Propellant Properties Evaluation, technical specialist, and research engineer, United Technology Center, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Abstract

A method is presented for evaluating two-dimensional crack behavior resulting from thermal cooldown loading of rocket motor configurations in which the grain is bonded to a stiff case. The associated analytical solution used to quantitatively interpret the data is also presented. For three different grain geometries of a brittle epoxy tested, comparison was quite good between analytical predictions (using elastic fracture mechanics methods) and experimental observations. The results of this study can be applied to fracture analyses of solid propellant rocket grains and other structures containing cracks extending partially through the thicknesses of the structures.

Keywords:
cracking (fracturing), temperature, model tests, failure, finite element analysis

Paper ID: JTE10119J
DOI: 10.1520/JTE10119J
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