NEPE Propellant Mesoscopic Modeling and Damage Mechanism Study Based on Inversion Algorithm.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics
• Solid Propellant Characterization

Background:

• Accurate characterization of mesoscopic properties is crucial for NEPE (Nitrate Ester Plasticized Polyether) propellant.
• Existing models may not fully capture the complex mechanical behavior and damage evolution of NEPE propellants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a computational model for simulating the mesoscopic damage and macroscopic mechanical properties of NEPE propellants.
• To investigate the influence of different strain rates on the mechanical response of NEPE composite solid propellants.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a representative volume element (RVE) model using the mechanical contraction method.
• Simulation of macroscopic mechanical response and inverse optimization of cohesive zone model (CZM) parameters via Hooke-Jeeves algorithm.
• Validation against uniaxial tensile test results and prediction of behavior at varying strain rates.

Main Results:

• The developed model effectively simulated the mesoscopic damage evolution and macroscopic mechanical properties of NEPE propellants.
• Predicted stress-strain curves showed good agreement with experimental data, capturing key features and trends.
• The model accurately predicted the mechanical behavior across a range of strain rates.

Conclusions:

• The established RVE-based CZM model provides an effective tool for simulating NEPE composite solid propellants.
• This approach enhances the understanding of mesoscopic damage mechanisms and macroscopic mechanical performance.
• The validated model can be used for further analysis and design optimization of NEPE propellants.