Analysis of the Burning Surface Regression of a Square-Shaped Solid Propellant Sample

Solid propellants are used extensively by aerospace industry designers as fuel for rockets and missiles to provide the thrust needed for flight. To meet the thrust requirements, it is imperative to know the thrust profile provided by the propellant. The thrust-producing capabilities of the propellant are closely related to its burn rate, or quantity. The more propellant burned in a given amount of time, the more energy will be available to produce thrust. Knowing the exact value of this parameter is then fundamental to validate the propulsion system as capable of supporting the mission requests. This important quantity depends on many parameters such as the chemical composition of the propellant, the pressure inside the combustion chamber, the temperature of the flame front and the geometry of the jet. This work focuses on regression analysis of the burn surface area of ​​a square sample to highlight the impact of angles on burn rate and thrust, and explore the feasibility of using MATLAB's PDEToolbox to calculate the amount of propellant burned.