Manufacturing Methods for a Solid Rocket Motor Propelling a Small, Fast Flight Vehicle
A gap exists in the design space for aircraft mass and speed: no flight vehicles with a mass of less than 10 kg and speed greater than 100 m/s are available. The small, fast "Firefly" flight vehicle is being developed to explore the capabilities and challenges for aircraft in this gap. The...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
2019
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121214 |
| _version_ | 1826189380660756480 |
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| author | Mathesius, Kelly J. Hansman, R. John |
| author_facet | Mathesius, Kelly J. Hansman, R. John |
| author_sort | Mathesius, Kelly J. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | A gap exists in the design space for aircraft mass and speed: no flight vehicles with a mass of less than 10 kg and speed greater than 100 m/s are available. The small, fast "Firefly" flight vehicle is being developed to explore the capabilities and challenges for aircraft in this gap. The compact Firefly aircraft is configured around a long-endurance, end-burning solid rocket motor that provides 2-3 minutes of powered flight.
Challenges exist for manufacturing solid rocket motors for small, fast aircraft such as Firefly. Achieving desired motor performance requires a void-free propellant grain and thermal liner and a strong propellant-to-liner bond. However, observations and tests following several motor manufacturing attempts have revealed voids in the propellant and liner and delamination at the propellant-to-liner interface. Manufacturing defects such as these have led to large increases in chamber pressure and thrust during a static fire test of a motor.
This thesis describes the development and implementation of manufacturing methods for slow-burning, long endurance motors used in small, fast aircraft. Innovative tooling and rigorous procedures have been developed to help ensure the consistent production of a long-endurance solid rocket motor. Successful static firings of a test motor validate the effectiveness of many of the developed manufacturing methods. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:13:49Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/121214 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:13:49Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1212142019-06-06T03:01:02Z Manufacturing Methods for a Solid Rocket Motor Propelling a Small, Fast Flight Vehicle Mathesius, Kelly J. Hansman, R. John A gap exists in the design space for aircraft mass and speed: no flight vehicles with a mass of less than 10 kg and speed greater than 100 m/s are available. The small, fast "Firefly" flight vehicle is being developed to explore the capabilities and challenges for aircraft in this gap. The compact Firefly aircraft is configured around a long-endurance, end-burning solid rocket motor that provides 2-3 minutes of powered flight. Challenges exist for manufacturing solid rocket motors for small, fast aircraft such as Firefly. Achieving desired motor performance requires a void-free propellant grain and thermal liner and a strong propellant-to-liner bond. However, observations and tests following several motor manufacturing attempts have revealed voids in the propellant and liner and delamination at the propellant-to-liner interface. Manufacturing defects such as these have led to large increases in chamber pressure and thrust during a static fire test of a motor. This thesis describes the development and implementation of manufacturing methods for slow-burning, long endurance motors used in small, fast aircraft. Innovative tooling and rigorous procedures have been developed to help ensure the consistent production of a long-endurance solid rocket motor. Successful static firings of a test motor validate the effectiveness of many of the developed manufacturing methods. 2019-06-05T18:22:46Z 2019-06-05T18:22:46Z 2019-06-05 Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121214 ;ICAT-2019-10 application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Mathesius, Kelly J. Hansman, R. John Manufacturing Methods for a Solid Rocket Motor Propelling a Small, Fast Flight Vehicle |
| title | Manufacturing Methods for a Solid Rocket Motor Propelling a Small, Fast Flight Vehicle |
| title_full | Manufacturing Methods for a Solid Rocket Motor Propelling a Small, Fast Flight Vehicle |
| title_fullStr | Manufacturing Methods for a Solid Rocket Motor Propelling a Small, Fast Flight Vehicle |
| title_full_unstemmed | Manufacturing Methods for a Solid Rocket Motor Propelling a Small, Fast Flight Vehicle |
| title_short | Manufacturing Methods for a Solid Rocket Motor Propelling a Small, Fast Flight Vehicle |
| title_sort | manufacturing methods for a solid rocket motor propelling a small fast flight vehicle |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121214 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mathesiuskellyj manufacturingmethodsforasolidrocketmotorpropellingasmallfastflightvehicle AT hansmanrjohn manufacturingmethodsforasolidrocketmotorpropellingasmallfastflightvehicle |