Assessment of Slag Accumulation in Solid Rocket Boosters: Summary of the VKI research

In solid propellant rocket motors incorporating a submerged nozzle, the entrapment of liquid residues of the combustion in the cavity formed in the surrounding of the nozzle integration part can lead to the accumulation of slag with a considerable mass. The goal of the present study is to characterize experimentally the driving parameters of the slag accumulation in a stagnant area modelling the nozzle cavity. Furthermore, the experimental database is used for validating a numerical tool as well. In the present article a summary of the VKI (von Karman Institute) research carried out during the last four years is shown. Single-phase and two-phase measurements are performed using a cold-gas simplified model. Simultaneously, the experimental configuration is simulated numerically with the help of a commercial solver (CFD-ACE+). The final aim of the article is to point out the driving forces of the droplet entrapment process.

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