Numerical analysis of viscoelastic propellant grains subjected to pressure load

Idealized solid propellant is models is analysed for thick sphere subjected to internal pressure, whose casing is made of composite materials,. Results obtained from present elements are compared with analytical results and 8 noded counterpart of MARC. Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) is developed based on casting method where solid propellant grains are cast into a composite or metallic casing. Generally, SRMs are exposed to extreme loading scenarios during storage, transportation, and firing, leading to cracks in the solid propellants. In this paper, Computational Finite Element Analysis is performed with developed 8 node quadrilateral, 9 node quadrilateral and 6 node triangular elements using Herrmann formulation to analyze stress and strain variations in the mid segments of the typical SRM subjected to pressure loading. The obtained results are compared with commercially available Finite element software.