Specific Design Features of Solid Propellant Rocket Motors for Shoulder-Launched Weapon Systems

Solid propellant rocket motors for Shoulder Launched Infantry Weapon Systems (SLWS) are characterized with a very short burning time, high-pressure combustion and a wide spectrum of design solutions for rocket motor structure. Interior ballistic behaviour of such rocket motors depends on many factors such as design structure, propellant grain shape, propellant grain joint to the rocket motor case, type and location of the igniter, spinning mode and nozzle design. Erosive burning also plays important role due to high combustion gases mass flow rate. Numerical simulation of the igniter combustion gases flow through the hollow of the propellant grain tubes with gas temperature distribution was carried out in this paper. Results confirmed assumptions that igniter interior gas flow affected duration of the pressure rise. A mathematical model approach for prediction of the curve p = f(t) which was included in a model of the corrected propellant grain burning surface for two types of short-time rocket motors has been presented. A good agreement with measured curves was achieved.