A Simplified Model of Unstable Burning in Solid Propellants

An analysis of the surface temperature, and hence mass flux, response of a solid propellant to a disturbance in gas pressure has been developed. Time lags in the gas phase are neglected while transient heat conduction in the solid is considered. The results are obtained by perturbing the conservation equations in both the gas phase and the solid phase. Stability conditions are obtained in terms of a few dimensionless parameters which depend upon the steady state conditions.