Numerical Solution and Experimental Validation on the Flow Property of Gel Propellants in Round Pipes

Abstract:

To describe detailedly the flowing process and field of gel propellants in the round pipe, the experiments of the gel flowing in the tubes were conducted and the governing equations of the steady, incompressible, isothermal, laminar flow of a power-law, shear-thinning gel propellants in 3D pipe were formulated, discretized and solved. The results indicate that pressure drop per unit length increases with decreasing the tube diameter as well as increasing the mass flow rate, and the liquidity of gel is more difficultly than water, and the wall-slip effect of the tube flowing for gel propellants must be considered. The results indicate also that the velocity increases as the flow moves downstream as well as with decreasing the tube diameter, and the apparent viscosity decreases as the flow moves downstream, and the apparent viscosity on the radial center is the maximum. For the same tube geometry, the apparent viscosity at the exit plane decreases with increasing the mass flow rate. For the same tube length and the same mass flow rate, increasing the tube diameter results in an increase of the apparent viscosity at the exit plane.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 452-453)
• Pages: 1339-1345
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.452-453.1339
• Online since: January 2012
• Authors: Xue Li Xia, Hong Fu Qiang, De Song Liu
• Keywords: Experimental Validation, Fluid Dynamics, Gel Propellants, Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, Numerical Solution

References

[1] Munjal N. L., Gupta B. L. and Varma M. Preparative and mechanistic studies on unsymmetrical dim ethyl hydrazine – red fuming nitric acid liquid propellant gels [J]. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, 1985, 10(4): 111－117.

DOI: 10.1002/prep.19850100406

[2] Wang Ningfei, Mo Hongjun, Fan Xuezhong. A review on development and application of gelled propellants[J]. Chinese journal of energetic materials, 1998, 6(3): 139－144.

[3] Liu Kaiqiang, Qu Yulong, Wang Mingzhen, et al. Overview of low molecular mass organic gelators gel propellants[J]. Chinese journal of explosives & propellants, 2003, 26(4): 23－26, 77.

[4] Benveniste Natan and Shai Rahimi. The status of gel propellants in year 2000[C]. Kenneth K. Kuo and Luigi deLuca, Editors. Combustion of energetic materials. Begel House, Boca Raton, 2001. PP: 172－194.

[5] Yu Tianfu. Researches on rheology of UDMH[J]. Journal of rocket propulsion, 2004, 30(3): 36－41.

[6] Fu Quanjun, Du Zonggnag, Lan Haiping, et al. Preparation and properties research of UDMH/NTO gel propellant[J]. Journal of rocket propulsion, 2006, 32(1): 48－53.

[7] B. L. Gupta, M. Varma, and N. L. Munjal. Rheological studies on virgin and metallized unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine[J]. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, 1986, 11（2）: 45－52.

DOI: 10.1002/prep.19860110204

[8] D. C. Rapp and R. L. Zurawski, Characterization of aluminum/RP-1 gel propellant properties[R]. AIAA Paper, 88-2821 and NASA TM-10095, （1988）.

DOI: 10.2514/6.1988-2821

[9] Wu Zhijian and Hu Lirong, Performance research of metallized gelled propellant[J]. Missile and space vehcile, 2006, 283（3）: 52－55.

[10] Palaszewski B., Metallized gelled propellants: oxygen/RP-1/alununum rocket engine calorimeter heat transfer measurements analysis[R]. AIAA 97-2974, （1997）.

DOI: 10.2514/6.1997-2974

[11] Palaszewski B. and Zakany J. Metallized gelled propellants: oxygen/RP-1/aluminum rocket heat transfer and combustion experiments[R]. AIAA 96-2622, （1996）.

DOI: 10.2514/6.1996-2622

[12] Mordosky J. W., Zhang B. Q., Kuo K. K. Spray combustion of gelled RP-1 propellants containing nano-sized aluminum particles in rocket engine conditions[R]. AIAA 2001-3274, （2001）.

DOI: 10.2514/6.2001-3274

[13] Shai Rahimi and Benveniste Natan, Numerical solution of the flow of power-law gel propellants in converging injectors[J]. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, 2000, 25（4）: 203－212.

DOI: 10.1002/1521-4087(200009)25:4<203::aid-prep203>3.0.co;2-e

[14] Qiang Hongfu and Xia Xueli, Numerical argumentation of any factors for effecting flow property of gel propellants in round pipes[J]. Chinese Journal of energetic materials, 2008, （in press）.

[15] SHEN Chong-tang, LIU He-nian. Non-newtonian fluid mechanics and its application（First Edition）[M]. Beijing: High Education Publication, 1989, 84－86. 8.