Numerical study on the plumes of solid rocket motor under various flight conditions

To analyze the behaviors of solid rocket motor plumes under different flight conditions, the finite volume method based on the MUSCL (monotonic upstream-centered scheme for conversation laws) Roe format was employed after establishment of governing equations including Navier-Stokes (N-S) equation and chemical reaction terms. Combined with the results from thermal calculations, chemical reaction flow and single species flow were numerically simulated for a solid rocket motor under various flight conditions. Results show that both the initial angle of the jet and the length of the first Mach shock cell rise with the increase of altitudes and the decrease of the incoming Mach numbers. The effect of the length of the first Mach shock cell is more significant than initial angle of the jet in chemical reaction flow than that of single species flow. Centerline temperature with various flight conditions is much different. The initial angle of the jet and the length of the first Mach shock cell are determined by incoming total pressure and the centerline temperature determined by the structure of shock, afterburning effect, and incoming conditions.