Numerical simulation of the 3-dimensional combustion of aluminized heterogeneous propellants

We report the first 3-dimensional simulations of aluminized propellant combustion, accounting for heat conduction in the solid, combustion in the gas-phase, and coupling of these via the irregularly moving propellant surface, one that can not be defined by a single-valued height function. The simulations are used to examine the dynamics of aluminum particles in the near-neighborhood of the surface after detachment, and to provide an estimate of the time to ignition of the particles, and their speed and height above the surface at ignition. In addition, we examine the temperature history of the particles during their rise to the surface, determine whether they melt or not, and in this way test Cohen’s well-known melting criterion. And, we discuss a simple model which provides insights into how aluminum particles floating on a binder melt layer would migrate because of surface tension effects, and calculate an average migration distance that is consistent with previous agglomeration studies.