Combustion Response of Ammonium Perchlorate

Abstract

A modified Price–Boggs–Derr model is applied to compute the linear and nonlinear combustion response properties of monopropellant ammonium perchlorate (AP). The kinetics constants were changed to achieve good agreement with response function data as well as with steady-state data.The numerical method was first validated with the classical theory. Computations using the Levine and Culick boundary condition in the limit of small perturbations were compared with the exact mathematical solution for linear response, and the effect of perturbation amplitude was explored. Then, using the AP model for the boundary condition, various linear and nonlinear computations were performed. Supplemental mathematical analyses relate the AP model to the basic two parameters of the classical theory and show the key factors determining the nature of the combustion response.