Question

The propellants, which exhibit negative values of burn rate over a certain range of pressure are known as

• A. normal burning
• B. plateau burning
• C. mesa burning
• D. quenching

Hint:

Mesa burning is unstable and can lead to unexpected pressure drops.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

In aerospace engineering, different types of burn rate characteristics are observed in propellants based on how their burn rate changes with pressure. The term "burn rate" refers to the speed at which the propellant is consumed during combustion.

The concepts involved in characterizing burn rates are as follows:

• Normal burning: Characterized by a direct correlation where the burn rate increases with increasing pressure.
• Plateau burning: The burn rate remains mostly constant over a certain pressure range. This stability is beneficial for steady propulsion performance.
• Mesa burning: This type of burning is identified by a decrease in burn rate within a certain pressure range, resulting in negative values. This characteristic is less common and can pose challenges in propulsion stability.
• Quenching: Typically refers to the extinguishing of combustion under specific conditions, often unrelated to continuous burn rate characteristics.

Conclusion: The correct answer is "mesa burning," where the propellants exhibit negative values of burn rate over a specific range of pressure.