:: International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies
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ISSN 2228-9860
eISSN 1906-9642
CODEN: ITJEA8
FEATURE PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE
Vol.12(9) (2021) |
Chemical Composition of Igniter for Ignition System in Solid Rocket Motor
Z. Salleh, A. H. A. Hamid (School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, MALAYSIA),
W. M. W. Mohamed (Malaysia Institute of Transport (MITRANS), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Selangor, MALAYSIA),
A. Tamimi, M. J. Sujana (MTC Engineering Sdn. Bhd., No. 2, Jalan Astaka U8/88B, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor, MALAYSIA),
K. A. Ahmad (Faculty of Engineering, National Defense University of Malaysia, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA).
Disciplinary: Mechanical Engineering (Thermal & Combustion Engineering), Materials Engineering.
doi: 10.14456/ITJEMAST.2021.184
Keywords: Black powder; Burning temperature; Solid propellant; Igniter pressure; Spitfire igniter; Thermite; Solid rocket motor; Rocket propulsion; Molar mass; Spitfire composition; Igniter weight; Critical pressure; Propellant grain; Sulphur content.
AbstractThe ability of the black powder to ignite the propellant grain of the rocket motor is not powerful enough to provide the combustion stability of the propellant grain that delays the ignition lag interval during the transient phase. This project studies the heat combustion of spitfire powder, develops and improves this chemical composition for solid rocket motor, and analyses the spitfire powder performance to pressurize the rocket chamber. The selection of the percentage composition is identified through Graphical User Interface Propellant Evaluation Program (GUIPEP) Program. Results showed the chemical composition of spitfire powder with the higher percentage of thermite (30%) obtained the highest burning temperature (2255.2°C). A bomb calorimeter was used to obtain the value of enthalpy gain which recorded the highest value (7.92 kJ/g) at the highest percentage of thermite. The mixture of KNO3/Charcoal with 15% of thermite gave a higher value of burning temperature (1551.9°C) than the mixture of KNO3/Charcoal with 15% of Sulphur (1486.4°C). The highest burning temperature of chemical composition spitfire igniter (55% KNO3, 15% C, 20% Al, 10% Fe2O3) was used to calculate the critical pressure (591.6 atm). The appropriate igniter weight (20.6 grams) obtained from the selected volume of the igniter, Vi (9.0 cm3) was able to achieve the optimum igniter pressure (607.31 atm) higher than the critical pressure. Thus, the use of thermite in the spitfire igniter will give a higher burning temperature compared to black powder that uses Sulphur. The appropriate igniter weight will be able to achieve optimum igniter pressure higher than critical pressure.
Paper ID: 12A9P
Cite this article:
Salleh, Z., Hamid, A. H. A., Mohammad, W. M. W., Tamimi, A., Sujana, M. J., and Ahmad, K. A. (2021). Chemical Composition of Igniter for Ignition System in Solid Rocket Motor. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies, 12(9), 12A9P, 1-11. http://doi.org/10.14456/ITJEMAST.2021.184
References
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- M. F. Gomes, "Internal Ballistics Simulation of a Solid Propellant Rocket Motor," M.S. thesis, Department of Aerospace Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 2013.
- R. Nakka, "Richard Nakka's Experimental Rocketry." [Online]. Available: https://www.nakka-rocketry.net/igniter.html. [Accessed: 21-Jan-2021].
- M. E. Brown and R. A. Rugunanan, "A temperature-profile Study of the Combustion of Black Powder and its constituent binary mixtures," Propellants, Explos. Pyrotech., vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 69-75, Apr. 1989.
- Z.-Y. Zhu, B. Ma, C.-M. Tang, and X.-L. Cheng, "Molecular dynamic simulation of thermite reaction of Al nanosphere/Fe2O3 nanotube," Phys. Lett. A, vol. 380, no. 1-2, pp. 194-199, Jan. 2016.
- P. Apinhapat and N. Pittayaprasertkul, "Experimental Investigation on Pyrotechnic Igniter for Solid Rocket Motor," in 5th International Conference on Chemical Engineering and Applications, 2014, pp. 69-73.
Other issues:
Vol.12(9)(2021)
Vol.12(8)(2021)
Vol.12(7)(2021)
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Vol.12(5)(2021)
Vol.12(4)(2021)
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