Development of low-thrust solid rocket motors for small, fast aircraft propulsion

Small, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) are expanding the capabilities of aircraft systems. However, a gap exists in the size and capability of aircraft: no small aircraft are capable of sustained fast flight. A small, fast aircraft requires a propulsion system which is both miniature and high-power, requirements which current UAV propulsion technologies do not meet. Solid propellant rocket motors could be used, but must be re-engineered to operate at much lower thrust and for much longer burn times than conventional small solid rocket motors. This imposes unique demands on the motor and propellant. This work investigates technological challenges of small, low-thrust solid rocket motors: slow-burn solid propellants, motors which have low thrust relative to their size (and thus have low chamber pressure), thermal protection for the motor case, and small nozzles which can withstand long burn times.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctoral

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Vernacchia, Matthew T.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• R. John Hansman, Paulo Lozano and Ahmed Ghoniem.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses may be protected by copyright. Please reuse MIT thesis content according to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy, which is available through the URL provided.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/127069

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/127069