Solid Propellant Flame Structure

AbstractPlanar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), UV/Vis Absorption, and thermocouple measurements were done for HNF, RDX, HMX, and XM39 deflagration with and without CO2 laser-support. RDX and especially HNF have very short self-deflagration flame length scales. HMX and XM39 have taller self-deflagration flames. XM39 has a marked dark zone with plateau temperature about 1400K. RDX's dark zone, present under laser supported deflagration, collapses when the external laser flux is removed. PLIF was used to measure the 2D NH, OH, and CN species profiles for these materials and OH temperature profile for RDX and HNF under non-laser supported conditions. The best spatial resolution for the RDX PLIF was about 4μm. Sandwiches of HNF and various binders were studied with PLIF and while obvious diffusion flames were present at low pressure, they are weak and are not expected to be burn rate controlling.