Structural Analysis of Rocket

Motor Headend

Department Of Mechanical Engineering

Project Members And Guide Team :

Project Team:

External Project Guide: Internal Project Guide:

K. Sunil Kumar (Scientist-E) M.Kameswara Reddy(Asst. Professor)
Amitabh Chakraborty (Scientist-F)
Team Members:
M.Tanuj(2451-18-736-065)
M.Greeshma Santhoshini(2451-18-736-106)
R.Sai Sandeep(2451-18-736-308)
Contents:
 Introduction
 Literature Review
 Problem Statement
 Project Background
 Recent Progress
 What Next?
 1

Introduction:
 Rockets are a type of aircraft used to
carry a payload at high speeds over a
wide range of distances depending on the
design

 Rockets are powered by a reaction type

engine which uses chemical energy to
accelerate and expel mass through a
nozzle and relies on the principals of Sir
Isaac Newton’s third law of motion to
propel the rocket forward.

 Rocket engines use either solid or liquid

fuel. They carry both the fuel and the
oxidizer required to convert the fuel into
thermal energy and gas byproducts.
 2
Rocket Motor
• The function of a rocket motor is to deliver a thrust
according to a predetermined program.

• With solid propellant rocket motors, theory allows us

to relate the thrust law required by the designer to
the evolution versus time of the burning propellant
surface

Structural Requirements
 The rocket engine casing must be able to withstand
the internal engine pressure loads and the force
applied to the payload through the attachment point.
 In some locations, the casing materials must be able
to withstand high pressures and elevated
temperatures due to the combustion of the fuel.
 The components will be sized based on the maximum
load and pressure the casing will be subjected to
during the mission. This maximum load will be
referred to as the limit load.
 3
Typical Rocket motor assembly:

Motor Headend

1)Motor casing
2)Solid propellent
8)Pyrogen Ignitor
 4

Typical Ballistic Missile parameters:

Value Units

Range 6000 Km

Launch Mass 50 Tonne

Velocity 29401 km/h

 5

Literature Review:
 ASME Pressure vessel code section VIII division 2 gives the equations for the
calculation of shell and dome thickness.
 Alexander flake developed equation for the calculation of minimum required
area of the bolt and the thickness of flange. This approach is called as
Schneider approach.
 NASA has given the details of the solid rocket motor preliminary design
review and structural analysis of the solid rocket motor factory joint including
metallic and non-metallic components. A structural analysis is performed to
verify the structural integrity of the solid rocket motor at certain working
temperature.
 NASA SP-8025 has given the details about the material properties for the
various solid rocket motors. Based upon these material properties the
material is selected for the solid rocket motor to withstand the pressures that
are going to act on the motor casing
 6

Literature Review:
 NASA has given the solid propellant performance prediction and analysis.
Based upon this the performance of the solid propellant rocket motor the
design is done by considering the loads that are going to act on the solid
rocket motor casing.
 Sidhant Singh ,University of Petroleum and Energy Studies produced design
and construction of a solid rocket motor that can be utilised as the main
propulsion unit in experimental sounding rockets by researchers.
 Dinesh Kumar B*, Shishira Nayana B and Shravya Shree D proposed Design and
Structural Analysis of Solid Rocket Motor Casing Hardware used in Aerospace
Applications
 David Heckman has explored that the finite element analysis is an extremely
powdery tool For pressure vessels finite element analysis provides an
additional tool for use in analysis
 7

Problem Statement

 The purpose of this project is to Perform Structural Analysis a Typical Motor

Head End and meet its specific mission specifications. The mission constraints
include Thrust, maximum Pressure as well as Higher Temperatures and weight
limits.
 To meet these mission Specifications, the weight of the Missile body should be
as light as possible while maintaining the required structural integrity and
reliability
 The Project aims to the design of rocket motor Head Part to withstand the
combustion chamber pressure & Thrust
MATERIAL PROPERTIES:
8
 High strength 15CDV6 steel material is chosen for motor casing and nozzle
due to its availability and well established fabrication procedure.

Property Tangential Transverse Direction

Ultimate Tensile 1080 1020

Strength (MPa)
Yield Strength (MPa) 930 850

Elongation% 10 10

Hardness 290-360 290-360

Impact toughness 60 60

Project Background:
Fig : Pyrogen Igniter
9
 There are two basic types in igniters
i) pyrotechnic igniters
ii) pyrogen igniters.
 In industrial practice, pyrotechnic igniters
are defined as igniters using solid
explosives or energetic propellant like
chemical formulations as heat producing
materials
 A pyrogen igniter is basically a small rocket
motor that is used to ignite a larger rocket
motor. The pyrogen is not designed to
produce thrust for gas production.

Explosive Chain for pyrogen igniter

Pyro cartridge Pyrotechnic igniter propellant grain

1 6
 Fig 1 : Static Testing
Fig 2 : Pyrogenic Ignitor
 Static Test is to verify in
safe conditions the correct
functioning of ignitor and
verify functional
parameters like pressure
curve inside ignitor case,
gas flow ejected from the
exit nozzles
5 7
4 10
2 3
1.Pyro cartridge
2.Head end flange with O-Rings and fasteners
3.Pyrotechnic Ignitor
4.Rocasine casing
5.HTPB Propellant Grain
6.Nossel Inserts
7.Carbon Phenolic composites
 11

This Graph illustrates Performance of Pyrogen ignitor

Study on Boundary Conditions: 12
Case 1 :Flange is to be subjected to 88 Bar pressure by fastening 48 Nos. of M12
fasteners (to simulate rocket motor pressure) The igniter flange shall be
assembled with the required O-rings and fasteners. After PPT, the flange is to be
subjected to visual inspection and DP test.

This graph illustrates the Rocket motor curve with

Fig : PPT set-up for 88ksc pressure MEOP 80 Bar

Fig: Pyrogen ignitor interface with

rocket motor
 Case 2 : Head end flange is subjected to 130 Bar pressure inside the threading region 13
(to simulate MEOP of Pyrogen igniter) The igniter flange shall be assembled with the
required gaskets. After PPT, the flange is to be subjected to visual inspection and DP
test.
MEOP-105Ksc

Fig : PPT set-up for 130ksc pressure This Graph illustrates Performance of
pyrogen
Ignitor

Fig: Pyrogen ignitor interface with

rocket motor
 14
Recent Progress:
2D Layout Drawing

Used Commands:
 Line & circle
 Fillet & Chamfer
 Hatch Ansi31 &35°
 Offset
 Move and copy
 Mirror
 Ellipse & Arc
 Polar Array
 Trim …….Etc
Recent Progress: 15
3D Model Creation:

Used Commands:
 Line & circle
 Trim And Mirror Entities
 Fillet
 Chamfer
Used Features:
 Thread
 Sectional View
 Reference Plane
 Extrude Cut
 Revolve Base
 Circular Pattern
 Extrude Base
Theoretical Calculations: 16

1) Head End Dome Thickness:

R=210mm (crown radius of dome)
r = 15% of R = 31.5mm
σallowable = min { σyt /FOS, σUTS /FOS} = {930/1.25 , 1080/1.33} = 744MPa
P = 130bar = 13MPa
M= Empirical Equation
M = 1.395
Thickness = t =
Thickness = t = 2.56mm
Minimum thickness = 0.632mm
Then considering previously designed and analyzed data and other manufacturing
requirement, we are considering thickness, t = 6mm.
 17
2) Cylindrical shell thickness:
= t = = 2.096mm(minimum) ( for thin cylinders)
for many external factor and manufacturing requirements, shell thickness =
10mm(considered)
Dilation of cylindrical casing:
Rc = 102.5mm
t = 6mm
E = 210 * 106N/mm2
µ= 0.31
δ = = 0.0915mm (Radial)
 18
3) Thread joint between metallic head end and composite casing:
Thread shear load = MEOP * projected area = 13 * = 588106.144 N
Thread shear area =
=
Thread root dia = Nominal dia - P/2
= 260 – 3/2 = 258.5
Assume area factor = 0.8
As= = 53335.7 mm2
 19

Thread shear stress = = 11.02 N/mm2

Since shear strength of epoxy composite = 44MPa
FOS ,Factor of safety against thread shear= 44/11.02 = 4
4) Flange Joint Design:
n=48 (no.of bolts of M12.8 at PCD 306)
flange outer dia = 420mm
PCD = 306mm
center to edge distance = = = 57mm
center to center distance between screws = = 20.2mm
 20
5) Flange thickness:
R.W Schneider Approach for Calculating Flange Thickness
Rm = 205/2 = 102.5mm
l = distance between shell mid thickness to screw pitch circle = – 102.5 =
50.5mm
N = = 0.0499
σallowable = 744MPa
d = dia of screw hole = 12.8mm
P = 88bar= 8.8MPa
Thickness of flange , t =
t=
t = 13.618mm
Considering t = 16mm
 21

6) Number of fasteners:
Schneider’s Approach :

n = 4.71 PRm2
bmax = distance between screw circle to outer edge of flange = = 57mm
Ab= C/s area of Bolt = = 128.67 mm2
σb = {σut/FOS, σyt/FOS} = { 1220/1.33 , 1100/1.25} = 880MPa
n = = 7.2
No.of fasteners provided are 48.
 22

7) Thickness of flat plate between head end dome and flange:

q = MEOP of metal = 8.8MPa
c = 205mm
a = radius of plate = 420/2 = 210mm
h = thickness of plate
σmax= 744MPa
σmax =
744 =
h = 16.007mm
Considering h=28mm
 
 23

What Next ?

 Analysis Of Rocket Motor Head End in Ansys (To Withstand

Given Pressure Load)

 Theoretical Calculation Validation with Experimental Data

 24

References:
 1) W. H. Jolley, J. F. Hooper, P. R. Holton, and W. A. Bradfield, "Studies on Coning in End-Burning Rocket Motors," Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol.
2, No. 2, May-June 1986, pp. 223-227.

 2) S. Nishi, K. Fukuda, and N. Kubota, "Combustion Tests of Two-Stage Pulse Rocket Motors," AIAA Paper 89-2426, July 1989.

 3) L. C. Carrier, T. Constantinou, P. G. Harris, and D. L. Smith, "Dual Interrupted Thrust Pulse Motor,” Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 3, No. 4,July
August 1987, pp. 308-312.

 4) C. Bruno et al., "Experimental and Theoretical Burning of Rocket Propellant near the Pressure Deflagration Limit," Acta Astronautica, Vol. 12, No. 5,
1985, pp. 351-360.

 5) F. N. Kelley, "Solid Propellant Mechanical Property Testing, Failure Criteria and Aging," Chapter 8 in C. Boyars and K. Klager (Eds.), Propellant
Manufacture Hazards and Testing, Advances in Chemistry Series 88, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1969.

 6) T. L. Kuhlmann, R. L. Peeters, K. W. Bills, and D. D. Scheer, "Modified Maximum Principal Stress Criterion for Propellant Liner Bond Failures," Journal
of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 3, No. 3, May-June 1987.

 7) R. W. Magness and J. W. Gassaway, "Development of a High Performance Rocket Motor for the Tactical VT-1 Missile," AIAA Paper 88-3325, July 1988.

 8) I-Shih Chang and M. J. Adams, "Three-Dimensional, Adaptive, Unstructured, Mesh Generation for Solid-Propellant Stress Analysis," AIAA Paper 96-
3256, July 1996.

 9) W. A. Cook, "Three-Dimensional Grain Stress Analysis Using the Finite Element Method," AFRPL Report TT-71-51, Thiokol Corp., April 1971
(AD725043).

 10) G. Meili, G. Dubroca, M. Pasquier, and J. Thenpenier, "Nonlinear Viscoelastic Design of Case-Bonded Composite Modified Double Base Grains,"
AIAA Paper 80-1177R, July 1980; and S. Y. Ho and G. Care, "Modified Fracture Mechanics Approach in Structural Analysis of Solid-Rocket Motors,”
Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 14, No. 4, July-August 1998.
Thank You