Influence of aluminum on infrared signature of exhaust plume from solid propellant

To study the influence of aluminum on the infrared signature of exhaust plume from solid propellant, the calculation model for infrared radiation transfer of plume was established. The radiation source item was induced to energy equation, thus the plume flow field and radiation transfer was calculated together. Based on Euler-Lagrange method, the gas-particle plume field with afterburning reaction was calculated; discrete ordinates method was used to solve the radiation transfer equation. The spectral radiation intensity from 1000~4500 cm^-1 and radiation intensity contours were obtained. The calculation results accord well with the experimental data. The results show that the IR characteristics in the near plume field can be captured varying with the physical characteristics of flow field, which shows that the coupled solution can increase the calculation resolution. Al₂O₃ particles can significantly increase the radiation intensity of plume from solid propellant. The radiation intensity of plume increases with the increase of aluminum content in solid propellant.