Preliminary design and optimization of slotted tube grain for solid rocket motor

In this paper,design and optimization technique of slotted tube grain for solid rocket motors has been discussed.In doing so,the design objectives and constraints have been set,geometric parameters identified,performance prediction parameters calculated,thereafter preliminary designs completed and finally optimal design reached.Geometric model for slotted tube grain configuration has been developed.Average thrust has been taken as the objective function with constraints of burning time,mass of propellant,fixed length and diameter of chamber case.Lumped parameter method has been used for calculating the performance prediction parameters.A set of preliminary designs has been completed and an analysis of these results conducted.Although all the preliminary results fulfill the design requirements in terms of objective function and constraints,however in order to attain the optimal design,Sequential quadratic programming optimization technique has been adopted.As the slotted tube grain geometry is totally dependent upon various independent variables and each of these variables has a bearing on explicit characteristic of grain designing,hence affects of the independent variables on performance parameters have been examined,thus variation laws have been developed.Basing on the variation laws and the analysis of preliminary design results,upper and lower limits have been defined for the independent geometric variables and an initial guess provided for conducting optimization.Results attained exhibits that an optimal result has been attained and the value of objective function has been maximized.All the design constraint limits have also been met while ensuring sound values of volumetric loading fraction,web fraction and neutrality.This methodology of design and optimization of slotted tube grain for solid rocket motors can be used by engineers as a reference guide for actual design and engineering purposes.