Masters Theses
Date of Award
8-1996
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Major
Aerospace Engineering
Major Professor
Gary A. Flandro
Committee Members
Robert Roach, Roy Schulz
Abstract
To date, a well developed nonlinear combustion instability theory remains elusive. Flandro developed a nonlinear theory using the concept of an acoustic energy balance. The theory expresses the pressure and velocity oscillations in a rocket motor chamber as a superposition of acoustic modes and models growth and decay responses using a differential equation to describe the composite wave amplitude. This work attempted to apply the theory developed by Flandro to some data from a recent test program done by the Naval Warfare Center (NWC). Two different data reduction methods were used. Both methods were only partially successful and a parameter study was carried out to investigate the equations and solution behavior which were being fit to the data. It was concluded that multiple pulse responses must be combined into a single data set to determine a set of triggering and limit-cycle oscillations, and this data set must include both growth and decay responses to reliably estimate triggering and limit-cycle amplitudes in a third-order or higher system. This work recommends that future test programs should be more focused on a particular motor geometry and propellant combination with greater repetition and less variation in the testing than the NWC test program.
Recommended Citation
Garza, David Marcelo, "Investigation of the composite amplitude in solid rocket motor combustion chamber pressure oscillations. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1996.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/10833