Design of a Solid Rocket Propulsion System

Rocket Propulsion is a class of jet propulsion that produces thrust by ejecting stored matter called propellant. A solid-propellant rocket is a rocket with a rocket engine that uses solid propellants (fuel/oxidizer). A simple solid rocket motor consists of a chamber/casing, nozzle, grain (propellant charge), and igniter. The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used in warfare by the Chinese, Indians, Mongols and Persians, as early as the 13th century. The latest rockets use Aluminum perchlorate, as oxidizer, Aluminum as a fuel and HTPB as a fuel binder and Isoforondisocyanat as a curative catalyst. Design of solid rocket propulsion system begins with the total impulse required, which determines the fuel/oxidizer mass. Grain geometry and chemistry are then chosen to satisfy the required motor characteristics. This paper presents design of solid rocket propulsion system for a sounding rocket. Different materials were selected for different parts of the propulsion system based on the factors like density, cost and availability. The design result shows that the mass of propellant is 960 kg with volume of 0.546176383 m3 in the length of 1.944787875 m.