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• April 25, 2016 Create Date
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Structural Assessment of Solid Propellant Grains

The recorded use of solid propellant rockets in battle spans many centuries. Today the solid propellant
rocket maintains a prominent position supplying propulsion for a wide range of missiles. Numerous
systems are in service or development and the future of solid propellant rockets seems assured well into
the next century. The capability to design, develop and manufacture solid propellant rockets is spread
widely across the NATO countries and the trend is for these technologies to become yet more
widespread.
Solid propellant rocket motors are the primary propulsion choice for short and medium range missiles.
Even the growing interest in ramjet and ramrocket propulsion technology required for the longer range
applications carries with it the need for a solid propellant boost motor to accelerate the missile to a
velocity sufficient to sustain the airbreathing mode.
Within the overall matrix of solid propellant rocket motor technologies, grain structural integrity
remains a challenging area for design engineers. It is a key discipline that governs performance,
reliability and service life. The environments in which rocket motors are asked to operate are becoming
more and more severe, particularly for air-carried missiles where low and high temperature extremes
are experienced. The ability to predict and verify adequate structural margins for such systems is vital.
The technical problems are common for all workers in the field. However, the analysis methods
employed, and the design standards required, differ from one country to another and even from
company to company within the same country. This lack of standardisation presents problems when
assessing foreign design proposals, when participating in multinational projects, and in the ownership
of foreign missile systems where safety and serviceability need to be monitored. The growing pressure
for longer service life compounds the problem. There is a clear need for knowledge and understanding
of the methods, standards and criteria used in each NATO country.