L-154 Sub-Scale vulnerability Testing for Granular Propellants

April 2009
Pierre Archambault (Propulsion Technology)

FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ONLY

Small-scale vulnerability tests on granular propellants have been carried out for more than 20 years. This document covers the last 10 years and the non-TTCP countries. It is seen as a complement to the activities reported by TTCP countries in the March 2009 TTCP workshop on Sub-scale IM Testing.

It is divided into three parts:

a) Summary of the efforts reported during different activities involving MSIAC (workshops, reports and databases);

b) Review of the experimental testing practices used for development; and

c) Review of testing practices used for modelling.

As vulnerability testing is often carried out by propellant manufacturers developing new formulations, information on these tests is often not readily available. Therefore, MSIAC acknowledges that this document is likely to be incomplete and that some tests might not be reported. Thermal analysis tests and safety tests are not considered as vulnerability tests.