SOLIDROCKETFUEL.PDF

OPTIMIZATION OF AMMONIUM NITRATE SOLID ROCKET FUEL A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Physics of Brigham Young University - Idaho in Partial Ful?llment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science by David Newey December 2013 c 2013 David S. Newey ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY - IDAHO DEPARTMENT APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by David Newey This thesis has been reviewed by the research committee, senior thesis coordi- nator, and department chair and has been found to be satisfactory. Date David Oliphant, Advisor Date Evan Hansen PhD., Senior Thesis Coordinator Date Russell Daines PhD., Committee Member Date Stephen McNiel PhD., Department Chair OPTIMIZATION OF AMMONIUM NITRATE SOLID ROCKET FUEL David Newey Brigham Young University - Idaho 2013 The purpose of this ongoing research is to optimize an ammonium nitrate based rocket fuel with a goal of future use as a sub-orbital rocket propellant. Am- monium nitrate based fuel was chosen based on certain qualities, not the least of which being that it is a lesser understood rocket fuel allowing for original research opportunities. Ammonium nitrate fuels are non-toxic because the ex- haust fumes are naturally occurring gases, mostly water vapor. An ideal rocket fuel burns all of the reactants very quickly and at high temperatures (1500 - 3500 Kelvin), releasing a lot of energy in a very short time. In theory, the great- est energy output during combustion would provide peak performance, for that reason theoretical produ