The influence of the Mache effect on combustion stability in a solid rocket motor

A model of intrachamber combustion that takes into account the change in th e temperature distribution in the fuel-combustion products when the pressur e in the combustion chamber changes (Mache effect) is proposed. The influen ce of the Mache effect on the combustion stability in a solid rocket motor is investigated. It is shown that the Mache effect facilitates the appearan ce of low-frequency combustion instability and substantially reduces the ra nge of parameters for stable operation of the rocket motor. A numerical stu dy of the Mache effect is performed for typical values of the solid-propell ant parameters.