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Acoustic Strand Burner (AE Strand Burner)
An Acoustic Strand Burner is a laboratory apparatus used to measure the linear burn rate of solid rocket propellants under high-pressure, inert-gas conditions. It is a non-destructive variation of the Crawford burner that uses acoustic sensors to monitor combustion in real time.
Chemical Formula: N/A (machine/device; used with solid propellants such as Ammonium Perchlorate (AP)/HTPB)
Description / Mechanism:
- High-pressure firing vessel simulating rocket motor conditions (pressurized with nitrogen gas up to ~360 atm).
- Acoustic emission transducer (piezoelectric) detects sound waves from the burning surface for precise burn rate measurements.
- Water or another medium may be used to transmit acoustic signals and suppress lateral flame spread.
- Non-destructive methodology provides continuous, high-precision data on propellant combustion.
Uses / Applications:
- Characterizing solid propellant burning rates vs. pressure for aerospace applications.
- Optimizing propellant formulations and motor design.
- Studying acoustic instability (combustion oscillations) in solid rocket motors.
- Quality control testing of new propellant batches.
Key Features:
- Precision: ~0.5% accuracy compared to traditional wire-melting methods.
- Real-time data acquisition: captures full combustion behavior, not just start/stop timing.
- Non-destructive: preserves sample integrity for repeat measurements.
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