https:\/\/doi.org\/10.59332\/jbis-078-09-0298<\/a><\/b><\/p>\nSolid rocket motors (SRMs) are a mainstay of academic propulsion research, yet most studies focus narrowly on either\u00a0internal ballistics or structural integrity in isolation. This work addresses the critical gap in integrated multiphysics modelling\u00a0of potassium nitrate\u2013sucrose (KNSU) propellant SRMs at a cost-effective scale, where safe, repeatable design practices are urgently needed to support hands-on aerospace education. We present a unified simulation framework that couples Saint-Robert\u2019s burn-rate law and one-dimensional thermochemical modelling with transient, viscoelastic finite-element analysis\u00a0of both grain and steel casing (AISI 1020 for the shell, AISI 4140 for the nozzle). Key novelties include (1) a Prony-seriesbased\u00a0constitutive model calibrated against dynamic-mechanical-analysis data to capture rapid ignition transients in sugarbased\u00a0propellants, and (2) a comparative benchmark against industrial design criteria to pinpoint pathways for performance enhancement. Transient simulations reveal a 0.1 s ignition spike to 8.6 MPa, stabilizing at 4.8 MPa, while peak von Mises\u00a0stresses of 172 MPa (casing) and 210 MPa (nozzle throat) remain below allowable limits. The computed 1.3 kN thrust aligns\u00a0with academic benchmarks, validating the model\u2019s fidelity. We further identify that modifying grain geometry and substituting\u00a0higher-strength alloys could raise safety factors from 1.9 toward industry-standard \u22652.5, and boost thrust toward >5 kN. By\u00a0explicitly bridging internal ballistics, thermal\u2013structural coupling, and viscoelastic grain behaviour, this study offers the first comprehensive computational toolkit for safe, scalable KNSU SRM design in academic settings\u2014and lays the groundwork for\u00a0future experimental validation and optimization.<\/p>\n
Keywords: <\/b>Solid Rocket Motor, KNSU Propellant, Combustion Chamber Pressure, Structural Analysis, Aerospace Propulsion<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":54687,"template":"","meta":[],"pwb-brand":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[56,59,3901],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-55127","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-journal-of-the-bis","product_cat-papers","product_cat-2025-papers","first","instock","downloadable","virtual","purchasable","product-type-simple","czr-hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"brands":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bis-space.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/55127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bis-space.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bis-space.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bis-space.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bis-space.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"pwb-brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bis-space.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pwb-brand?post=55127"},{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bis-space.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=55127"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bis-space.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=55127"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bis-space.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=55127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}