A study of combustion features of high-density propellants in a nozzle test facility

This paper considers the combustion of high-density propellants with the use of a manometric bomb and a nozzle test facility. The propellant combustion within the manometric bomb is explored at ignition pressures of 18, 50, and 100 MPa. The study results for the propellant combustion in the laboratory nozzle test facility, including a set of nozzles with throat diameters varying from 8 to 20 mm, are presented. The nozzle cluster allows one to adjust the opening pressure up to about 200 MPa. A microwave radar is used to detect the moment of nozzle opening. Some features of the outflow of gunpowder and propellant combustion products are revealed at various geometric dimensions of the nozzle cluster and its opening methods. The laws of propellant combustion along the end face in closed and semi-closed volumes with the gas outflow from a nozzle are obtained. Good agreement is observed in terms of the pressure curve shapes on the ascending and descending branches. The discrepancy in the maximum pressure is less than 5%. The parametric study results for the end combustion of high-density propellants at various nozzle diameters are presented. It is shown that the considered propellants can be used to maintain constant pressure in a semi-closed volume.