Dynamic analysis of MAGE 1 nozzle.

 

This work was partially performed at ESA-ESTEC (European Space Research and Technology Centre - Noordwijk, the Netherlands). The scope was that to identify analytically the reasons which caused the neck of nozzle divergent of MAGE solid rocket apogee motor to break during lateral vibration tests at the specification levels.

For structural analyses, the ASKA program (from Stuttgart University) was employed.

The 3D model includes the entire solid propellant motor: the case made of multi layered filament winding, the skirt with layers of composite materials and aluminum, the solid propellant grain and the nozzle in Carbon-Carbon. The idealization for the complete structure was based on a five level recursive substructuring. A significant work effort was involved in introducing all the relevant material properties. According to the results of the dynamic analysis, failures in the material of the nozzle structure occurred by exceeding the allowable levels both for compression and interlaminar shear.