A limited signature reduction study for the 2.75-inch rocket was conducted. The objective of the study was to reduce the visible signature of the rocket motor. The rocket motor used for demonstration tests was the MK 66, which burns for approximately one second. It contains a double-base, non-aluminized propellant. The visible signature is primarily smokeless, consisting mainly of a bright orange flame resulting from afterburning of the fuel-rich exhaust. The technical approach consisted of incorporating additional potassium sulfate (K2SO4) with an ablative binder into internal rocket motor components. During motor firing, erosion of the binder released K2SO4 into the combustion gases. The resulting potassium ions served to inhibit secondary combustion in the exhaust plume. Modified motors were static fired and afterburning results compared to those for an unmodified MK 66 motor firing. For the modified motors, there was no visible signature over the first half (0-0.5 seconds) of the motor burn time. This is a significant improvement over the nominally 0.1 second flashless interval for the unmodified motor.
MK 66 Rocket Signature Reduction
1982
21 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Rocket Propellants , Optical Detection , Rockets , Optical signatures , Flame inhibitors , Double base rocket propellants , Additives , Potassium compounds , Sulfates , Ablative materials , Rocket exhaust , Exhaust plumes , Afterburning , Suppression , Propellant flashes , Visibility , Reduction , Mark-66 rockets , Rocket signatures , 2.75-in. rockets , Signature reduction , Potassium sulfate