Effect of acceleration on agglomeration of aluminum particles during combustion of composite solid propellants

The effect of the normal acceleration (g-load) on formation of agglomerates and their distribution function is examined within the framework of the statistical model of aluminum agglomeration. A parametric study of aluminum agglomeration with different values of normal g-loads is performed. The theory developed predicts a new effect, namely, a nonmonotonic dependence of the mean-mass size of agglomerates leaving the burning surface on the magnitude of normal g-loads: with increasing g-load, the mean-mass size of agglomerates can increase if the g-loads are low or moderate and decrease if the g-loads are high; in the latter case, the size distribution of agglomerates becomes less spread and more stable.