Perpustakaan Digital ITB

Since its first use, rockets have been continuously employed by people of many cultures, especially in current times with both use for civilian and military purposes. However, as it is a sensitive topic due to its extensive use as missile, publicly available research data on the matter is severely limited. As such, as a higher learning institution, ITB ought to start its independent research on the matter. The most common system in use is solid-propellant rocket motor, due to its relatively simple design and inexpensive. This system employs a combustion reaction of the solid propellant to produce hot gas, which will be ejected as a high-velocity flow, producing thrust. Observation of this working principle, while also identifying crucial properties such as chamber pressure and temperature, mass flowrate, and thrust is beneficial for gaining insight into the matter The research will be conducted solely by numerical means, as it is the most appropriate method to conduct the simulation. Two initial simulations were done to validate the general simulation. The first main simulation was aimed at producing a transient process of a solid rocket motor. A second main simulation, a steady-state type, was done to produce known phenomena called overexpansion and underexpansion flow, as a means of validation and gaining additional insight. The result for the first simulation consisted of primary properties and performance parameters. The value of properties at steady state from simulation will then be compared with the value from theory, with error respectively which yields less than 10% for most properties. The second simulation conducted produced the desirable phenomena, observed using its Mach number contour, and properties of Mach number, pressure, and temperature along the centerline.