MODIFICATION OF COMMERCIAL ROCKET MOTORS FOR TACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Several design modifications to commercial off-the-shelf solid rocket motors have been evaluated in support of the Naval Postgraduate School tactical rapid-response payload delivery vehicle. The modifications include a novel head-end ignition system and a tailorable nozzle end cap designed to provide reliable at-altitude ignition by improving the transient behavior of the initial combustion chamber pressure rise. The nozzle cap also provides the additional benefit of extending the shelf life of the propellant by creating an environmental seal to prevent ambient humidity from affecting the propellant. A preliminary design of a blast tube was proposed to explore how the motor exhaust could be channeled through a smaller-diameter tube before reaching the nozzle throat, thereby accommodating the volume requirements of aft fin control servos without sacrificing the overall rocket diameter or precluding use of larger-diameter rocket motors. Implementation of a blast tube also resulted in a favorable shift of the center of gravity of the rocket, which preserved and enhanced control authority during simulated fly-outs. All of the modifications were designed to be directly interchangeable with the OEM hardware to minimize the cost of implementing the new capabilities. Both the head-end ignition and nozzle enclosure systems were successfully demonstrated during flight testing, and a design process for the future implementation of a blast tube was proposed.

Department dc:contributor.department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)

Grantor dc:publisher

Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Stuffle, Nathan D.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Brophy, Christopher M.

Statement dc:rights

• This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10945/70766

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:calhoun.nps.edu:10945/70766