Impact of Red Iron-Oxide and Grain Geometry on Solid Rocket Motors for Amateur Rockets Reaching Mach 3

Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs) are used across a variety of platforms from aircraft missiles to space shuttle boosters. Utilizing a solid propellant composed of both fuel and oxidizer, SRMs are capable of high thrust to weight ratios. The performance of a SRM is a function of its chamber pressure, which is determined by both the propellant and nozzle characteristics. Typically, higher chamber pressures are desirable as they lead to higher operational efficiencies. The primary design parameters that influence the chamber pressure are the propellant’s exposed surface area, the propellant’s chemistry, and nozzle throat area. This project seeks to use these parameters to develop an SRM capable of sending an amateur rocket to three times the speed of sound. The performance of the motor will be amplified through a pseudo-finocyl grain geometry and iron oxide. Motors with a diameter of 54mm will undergo static testing under different pressures to characterize the propellant. The data collected during testing will be used to scale the propellant to a 98mm diameter, allowing for the creation of a flight ready motor. Final static testing will be conducted to verify the scaling process before attempting to fly the motor on a rocket to Mach 3. Future research into these methods could yield a motor capable of much higher velocities. Ignite Grant Awar