Design and Manufacturing of Experimental Solid Propellant Rocket Motor Cases Made of Carbon Composite Materials

Abstract

This paper investigates a polymer composite and carbon fiber impregnated with epoxy resin for the fabrication of a lightweight and high-strength composite casing for rocket propulsion systems. It describes the winding technology which uses a removable mandrel and angular winding at ±55° and ±20° to expand the stress distribution, as well as alternating angles of ±45° and 80° to improve resistance to tensile and torsional loads. A fixture has been developed that ensures ease of disassembly and good strength of the final products. Hydrostatic tests showed the operational stability of the casings under internal pressure up to 10 MPa for a 1.5 mm-thick casing and 18 MPa for a 3 mm-thick casing, which confirms the effectiveness of the proposed technology. The research results demonstrate the high reliability and potential exploitation of composite materials.