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Energetic Materials and Solid Rocket Propellants


The study of deflagration and detonation processes in energetic materials is key for improving their safety and effectiveness.  New diagnostic techniques are needed to study a variety of materials, from solid rocket propellants and explosive bridgewire detonators.  In our work, a combination of digital in-line holography and imaging pyrometry is used to study the joint size, velocity, and temperature statistics of aluminum agglomerate combustion in solid rocket propellant fires.  Time-resolved measurements at up to 20 kHz are then used to characterize the evolution of particle size, velocity, and temperature over time.

For explosive detonations, the shock-waves caused by fragments traveling at approximately 2.5 km/s distort coherent images and make it more difficult to identify fragment morphologies.  In order to overcome this challenge, an optical distortion cancelling technique using phase-conjugate digital in-line holography was developed and tested for time-resolved imaging of laser-plasma-generated blast waves, supersonic air jets, and explosively generated hypersonic fragments.

Current work focuses on the development of phase-sensitive diagnostics for determining the density distributions in shock-waves and fireballs created by energetic materials and on the development of diagnostics for understanding reactions occurring at the burning surface of solid propellants and fuels.

Selected Publications

  1. (*) Y. C. Mazumdar, M. E. Smyser, J. D. Heyborne, M. N. Slipchenko, and D. R. Guildenbecher, “Megahertz-rate Shock-wave Distortion Cancellation via Phase Conjugate Digital In-line Holography,” Nature Communications, vol. 11, 1129, 2020. [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14868-y]
  2. M. S. Powell, I. W. Gunduz, W. Shang, J. Chen, S. F. Son, Y. Chen, and D. R. Guildenbecher, “Agglomerate Sizing in Aluminized Propellants Using Digital Inline Holography and Traditional Diagnostics,” Journal of Propulsion and Power,  vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 1002-1014, 2018. [https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B36859]
  3. Y. Chen, D. R Guildenbecher, K. N. G. Hoffmeister, M. A. Cooper, H. L. Stauffacher, M. S. Oliver, and E. B. Washburn, “Study of Aluminum Particle Combustion in Solid Propellant Plumes using Digital In-line Holography and Imaging Pyrometry,” Combustion and Flame, vol. 182C, pp. 225-237, 2017. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2017.04.016]
  4. (*) Y. C. Mazumdar, J. L. Wagner, D. J. Frederick, D. R. Guildenbecher, and T. L. Hendricks, “Spatially-Resolved Surface Temperature Measurements of a Rocket Motor Nozzle using an Acousto-optic Modulator,” 58th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA Scitech, paper AIAA 2020-1283, 2020. [https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2020-1283]
  5. (*) Y. C. Mazumdar, J. D. Heyborne, and D. R. Guildenbecher, “Laser Diagnostics for Solid Rocket Propellants and Explosives,” IEEE Research and Applications of Photonics in Defense (RAPID),  2019. [Invited Talk]
  6. Y. Chen, J. D. Heyborne, D. R. Guildenbecher, M. E. Smyser, and M. N. Slipchenko, “Ultra-high-speed Pulse-burst Phase Conjugate Digital In-line Holography for Imaging Through Shock-wave Distortions,” 57th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA SciTech​, 2019. [https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2019-1602]
  7. Y. Chen, J. D. Heyborne, and D. R. Guildenbecher, “Time-resolved Digital In-line Holography and Pyrometry for Aluminized Solid Rocket Propellants,” OSA Imaging and Applied Optics Conference: Laser Applications to Chemical, Security and Environmental Analysis, paper LTu3C.5, 2018. [Invited Talk]  [https://doi.org/10.1364/LACSEA.2018.LTu3C.5]
  8. Y. Chen, D. R. Guildenbecher, K. N. Hoffmeister, P. E. Sojka, “Digital Imaging Holography and Pyrometry of Aluminum Drop Combustion in Solid Propellant Plumes,” OSA Imaging and Applied Optics Conference: Laser Applications to Chemical, Security and Environmental Analysis, paper LT4F.2, 2016.  [http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/LACSEA.2016.LT4F.2]

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