Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Robert A. Frederick Jr.

Committee Member

Marlow D. Moser

Committee Member

David M. Lineberry

Subject(s)

Solid propellants--Combustion, Solid propellant rockets

Abstract

The work presented here is a study of two new digital methods for determining the burning rate of a solid propellant sample using the ultrasonic pulse-echo technique. Previous work in laboratory-scale burning rate measurement is reviewed with an emphasis on the pulse-echo technique. The two new digital methods, which are named the "Digital Zero Crossing Method" and the "Digital Cross Correlation Method", are explained along with a background on the equipment used in conjunction with these methods. The two new methods are then compared to the original analog method of determining the solid propellant burning rate. From the results, the two new digital methods are more reliable than the analog methods, and parallel research shows these methods to be within 5% of the original analog method.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.