Computati onal Design and Assessment of Energe at the … at [email protected] 2010 Gordon Conference on ... Tilton, New Hampshire POC: Meeting

A DoD Information Analysis CenterSponsored by JANNAF and DTIC

Vol. 35, No. 6 November 2009 News and Information for the Greater Propulsion Community

Contents

JANNAF Headed to Colorado in May 2010......3

NASA and ATK Milestone Achieved with Successful Ares I-X Flight Test..........................7

Courses Offered at Dec. 09 JANNAF Meeting..8-9

LPS Advanced Materials Panel Update...............9

Accidents and Incidents Database ...................11

In MemoriamDr. Robert J. Eichelberger .......................................12Ret. Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer...............................12

CPIAC Technical Area Task Program..................13

PEDCS Best Papers...............................................13

AIAA Space 2009 Photo Display........................14

Maximizing Your CPIAC Subscription................15

SBIR Spotlight on EMPI........................................16

People in Propulsion.......................................18-19Recent CPIAC Products/Publications...........................2Technical/Bibliographic Inquiries....................................2Bulletin Board/Meeting Reminders...............................3JANNAF Meeting Calendar......................................back

Computati onal Design and Assessment of Energeti c Materials at the Army Research Laboratory

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has historically exploited high performance computing modeling and simula-tion (M&S) as a key enabler in technology development in weapons research. In addition to significant investments in modeling technologies that focus on the macroscale, ARL has a long history in developing computational capa-

bilities for exploration of energetic materials (EM) at the atomic level. Beginning in the 1970s at the Ballistic Research Laboratory, a predecessor component of today’s ARL, Dr. George Adams initiated the Army’s forays into computational chemistry through his quantum mechanical predictions of structures of small energetic molecules. His work was sub-stantially expanded upon in the 1990s, mainly due to the advent of density functional theory (DFT). DFT removed the prohibitive computational expense associated with higher-order quantum mechanical theories, and thus allowed for a prac-tical yet accurate first principles methodology to be used in EM research. After Dr. Adams’s retirement in 1997, Dr. Cary Chabalowski, in conjunction with his colleague Dr. Betsy Rice, launched an aggressive program to develop design tools for the prediction of properties of energetic materials. These tools are based on various atomistic modeling and simulation methodologies, including quantum mechanics and classical molecular dynamics, and where possible, have been designed for use by the non-expert. This effort has evolved from single molecule studies to quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulations (QMD) of condensed phase explosives. All efforts are designed to address one of three goals: (1) to accurately predict properties of EMs related to performance, sensitivity, and environmental hazard; (2) to understand fundamental mechanisms controlling conversion of the EM to products; and (3) to assess emerging methods and theories for use in EM research.

By Edward F.C. Byrd, William D. Mattson, and Betsy M. RiceArmy Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

continued on page 4

Successful Launch of Ares I-X Test Rocket!...article on page 7

Ares I-X takes off at 11:30 EDT October 28, from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Phot

o cr

edit:

Ed

Liu,

CPI

AC

Page 2 CPIAC Bulletin/Vol. 35, No. 6, November 2009

Recent CPIAC Products and Publications

Accidents and Incidents Database (AID), October 2009.

Spacecraft Chemical Propulsion Database (SCPD), August 2009.

Liquid Rocket Engine Database (LRED), coming soon.

See additional details on page 10.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INQUIRIES

TECHNICAL INQUIRIES

CPIAC’s Technical/Bibliographic

Inquiry Service

CPIAC offers a variety of services to its subscribers, including responses to technical/bibliographic inquiries. Answers are usually provided within three working days and take the form of telephoned, telefaxed, electronic or written technical summaries. Customers are provided with copies of JANNAF papers, excerpts from technical reports, bibliographies of pertinent literature, names of recognized experts, propellant/ingredient data sheets, computer programs and/or theoretical performance calculations. The CPIAC staff responds to nearly 800 inquiries per year from over 180 customer organizations. CPIAC invites inqui-ries via telephone, fax, e-mail, or letter. For further information, please contact Ron Fry by e-mail to [email protected]. Representative recent inquiries include:

The Chemical Propulsion Information Analysis Center (CPIAC), a DoD Information Analysis Center, is sponsored and administratively managed by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). CPIAC is responsible for the acquisition, compilation, analysis, and dissemination of information and data relevant to chemical, electric, and nuclear propulsion technology. In addition, CPIAC provides technical and administrative support to the Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force (JANNAF) Interagency Propulsion Committee. The purpose of JANNAF is to solve propulsion problems, affect coordination of technical programs, and promote an exchange of technical information in the areas of missile, space, and gun propulsion technology. A fee commensurate with CPIAC products and services is charged to subscribers, who must meet security and need-to-know requirements.

The Bulletin is published bimonthly and is available free of charge to the propulsion community. Reproduction of Bulletin articles is permissible, with attribution. Neither the U.S. Government, CPIAC, nor any person acting on their behalf, assumes any liability resulting from the use or publication of the information contained in this document, or warrants that such use or publication of the information contained in this document will be free from privately owned rights. Paid commercial advertisements published in the Bulletin do not represent any endorsement by CPIAC.

Editor: Rosemary Dodds410-992-7303, ext. 219; Fax 410-730-4969

E-mail: [email protected]

Copy editor: Kelly Freeburger

CPIAC Director: Dr. Edmund K. S. Liu The Johns Hopkins University/CPIAC

10630 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 202Columbia, Maryland 21044-3286

CPIAC is a JANNAF- and DTIC-sponsored DOD Information Analysis Center operated

by The Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering

under contract W91QUZ-05-D-0003http://www.cpiac.jhu.edu

Copyright © 2009The Johns Hopkins University

No copyright is claimed in works of theU.S. Government.

The content of the Bulletin is approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

• Maneuver Propulsion Assembly (MPA) Propellant used in the ASAT Missile (Req. 26490)

• Erosion Data in an SRM Environment (Req. 26492)

• Robust Jet Vane Erosion Work with Tungsten (Req. 26501)

• Surveillance Data for Nike Igniter Propellant TMS (M8) (Req. 26508)

• Mk 125 Rocket-Assisted Takeoff Motor (RATO) (Req. 26525)

• SPP Code Utilization Examples (Req. 26527)

• Disperse and Detonate High Explosive Dust (Req. 26421)

• Ablative Material Selection & Testing for Conventional Ramjet Applications (Req. 26461)

• Cold Gas Launch or Boost (Req. 26507)


Th e Bulletin Board Various propulsion-related meetings are listed below. If you know of an event that may be of interest to the propulsion community, please forward the details to [email protected]. Additional industry meetings are posted on the CPIAC Web site, Meetings & Symposia: http://www.cpia.jhu.edu/templates/cpiacTemplate/meetings/. Th e JANNAF Calendar appears on the back page.

8th International Symposium on Special Topics in Chemical Propulsion2-6 November 2009Cape Town, South AfricaPOC: Prof. Ken Kuo at [email protected], or call 1-814- 863-6270

PARARI 200910-12 November 2009Adelaide, South AustraliaPOC: www.defence.gov/au/jlc/parari.html

High Energy Materials Conference and Exhibit (HEMCE ‘09)8 December 2009Pune, IndiaPOC: www.hemsindia.org

48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit4-7 January 2010Orlando, FloridaPOC: www.aiaa.org

AIAA Strategic and Tactical Missile Systems Conference20-21 January 2010Monterey, CaliforniaPOC: www.aiaa.org

14th International Detonation Symposium 11-16 April 2010Coeur d’Alene, IdahoPOC: http://www.intdetsymp.org/detsymp2010/

AVT-176 Symposium on Advances in Service Life Determination and Health Monitoring of Munitions 12-15 April 2010TurkeyPOC: Dr. Gregory A. Ruderman at [email protected] or Sandra Cheyne at [email protected]

2010 Gordon Conference on Energetic Materials13-18 June 2010Tilton, New HampshirePOC: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2010&program=energetic

Meeting Reminder

57th JPM and Joint Meeting of the 7th MSS,

5th LPS, & 4th SPSMay 3-7, 2010

Colorado Springs, CO

The 57th Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force (JANNAF) Propulsion Meeting (JPM) and Joint Meeting of the 7th Modeling and Simulation Subcommittee (MSS)/5th Liquid Propulsion Subcommittee (LPS)/4th Spacecraft Propulsion Subcommittee (SPS) will be held Monday through Friday, May 3-7, 2010, at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Announcement and Call for Papers, which were distributed on October 8th, may be found on the Web at https://www2.cpiac.jhu.edu/meetings/May2010/pages/index.html/. The dead-line date for receipt of abstracts is November 30, 2009. Refer to the JANNAF Calendar on the back cov-er for other important deadlines.

The overall security classification of the conference is Unclassified. Attendance at this JANNAF meeting is restricted to U.S. citizens whose organizations are registered with an appropriately classified contract with the Defense Technical Information Center and certified for receipt of export-controlled technical data with the Defense Logistics Information Service.

Questions concerning abstract submission or participation in the meeting may be directed to CPIAC Meeting Planner Patricia Szybist at 410-992-7302, ext. 215, or by e-mail to [email protected].

https://www2.cpiac.jhu.edu/meetings/May2010/pages/index.html/


Computati onal Design and Assessment of Energeti c Material....continued from page 1

One of the drivers for development of the tools was the desire to rapidly screen candidate materials considered for synthesis. Before these tools were developed, the only way candidates could be screened was through synthesis and ex-perimentation to produce the data necessary to assess per-formance. Such a time- and resource-consuming procedure is inefficient, expensive, and wasteful when applied to poor candidate materials. The development of these tools has ob-viated the requirement for the synthesis and testing for prob-able poor performers, thus allowing time and resources to be expended on the most promising materials. Therefore, sig-nificant efforts have been invested in the accurate prediction of performance properties, such as thermodynamic proper-ties and crystal densities, both critical pieces of information for use in providing an initial assessment of the potential performance in warheads and gun propellants. These com-putational tools have been used to accurately and rapidly predict heats of formation of energetic materials in the gas, liquid, and solid state1 for a wide variety of conventional explosives. A simple atom-equivalent method converts quantum mechanical energies of molecules and their atomic constituents to gas-phase heats of formation of energetic materials. In conjunction with this, functional relationships between heats of vaporization and sublimation and proper-ties associated with quantum mechanically determined elec-trostatic potentials (ESP) of isolated molecules have been established. These functional relationships are used with the gas-phase heats of formation to predict condensed-phase heats of formation, a property necessary for thermochemi-cal calculations to evaluate both detonation performance and potential performance of the material under idealized gun firing conditions. In a similar manner, ARL scientists devel-oped a quantum mechanically based procedure to calculate molecular (formula unit) volumes for use in estimation of crystal densities of both neutral and ionic crystals.2 The re-sultant tool yields predicted crystal densities within 4 –5% of experimental values using only single molecule information. This methodology worked equally well for conventional and high-nitrogen energetic compounds.

Overriding concerns regarding soldier safety prompted the team to develop tools to predict EM sensitivity. If the sensitivity is such that the material cannot be handled or will initiate under conditions for which it was not intended, the material is limited in its applications. Therefore, the ability to predict the sensitivity of a material is of equal importance to prediction of performance properties and has been pur-sued through a variety of calculation and testing methods.3-4 While a quantitative predictive tool has yet to be established, a qualitative visual inspection of the ESPs in which the val-ues of charge are represented by color (see Fig. 1) suggest that the level of sensitivity to impact is related to the degree of electron deficiency over covalent bonds within the inner framework of these neutral explosives. The highly sensitive explosives show large electron deficiency localized over co-valent bonding regions of the molecular structures, whereas the insensitive explosives do not exhibit this feature. This effect is particularly apparent in the series of polynitroani-lines given in Fig. 1. These molecules are arranged, from left to right, in order of decreasing sensitivity to impact. Regardless of system type, the trend appears to hold that the more sensitive systems have a high degree of positive potential built up over critical bonding areas in the system. This method of assessing sensitivity is not transferable to ionic molecules and should be considered as extremely ap-proximate, due to its empiricism and because the sensitiv-ity of an EM is strongly dependent on material properties that cannot be captured from QM calculations of isolated molecules. Current research efforts are directed toward de-veloping quantitative predictive tools for neutral and ionic molecules using quantum mechanically based theories.

Finally, the negative effects of munitions on the environ-ment and the cost associated with both test facility clean-up as well as disposal of synthesis waste have recently been in-troduced into the factors that are considered before investing in synthesis and testing. Accordingly, ARL has expanded its program to develop models to address the environmental

Figure 1. Polynitroaniline series arranged in decreasing sensitivity with associated color-coded electrostatic potential surfaces.

continued on page 5



hazards of energetic materials through the development of a suite of predictive tools to determine environmental impact and risk.5 While similar tools are available and widely used within industry, they are not well-suited for either traditional or notional energetic materials. Additionally, the currently existing assessment tools developed by the Environmental Protection Agency are not suitable for prediction of toxici-ties of ionic compounds. Accordingly, ARL scientists have developed alternative methods to predict physical properties and toxicity of energetic materials for both conventional en-ergetic materials such as RDX, as well as for emerging novel high nitrogen compounds. Through the use of quantitative structural property relationships (QSPRs), they have been able to predict key physical properties, necessary for the understanding of environmental fate, transport, and effects of energetic compounds, and to estimate aquatic and other forms of ecotoxicity.

In addition to the determination of the static properties already mentioned, molecular dynamics simulations using quantum mechanical forces have been used to study dynamic behavior of shocked energetic materials. ARL has not only explored conventional EMs in this manner, but is also pur-suing nonconventional materials, such as polymeric nitro-gen and nanodiamonds, as potential advanced EMs. Using QMD methods, we have initiated shock waves through the polymeric form of nitrogen known as cubic-gauche (cg-N) and PETN. While both simulations showed reactions after passage of the shock wave, the mechanistic details differed.

PETN reaction occurs through dissociation of NO2, OH, and

transient reactive molecular radicals (Fig. 2), whereas the cg-N material showed an extremely complex shock wave structure involving several phase changes and a reaction at the free edge that subsequently decomposed into di- and tri-nitrogen molecules (Fig 3). These calculations represent the largest QMD simulations on explosives to date. It is hoped that by examining mechanistic details of chemical reactions occurring in a condensed phase EM, the chemistry and phys-ics of energy release in existing and emerging EMs can be understood. Subsequently, this understanding can be ex-ploited to design EMs with controllable explosive energy release.

ARL is broadening its current program to develop compu-tational tools to address the mesoscale, through the recently awarded Software Application Institute for Multi-Scale Reactive Modeling (MSRM), administered jointly by ARL and the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC). MSRM’s mission is to develop a science-based capability to simulate munition response to insults through adequately capturing the effects that microstructural heterogeneities, inherent in composite energetic materials, impose on macroscopic events. It is envisioned that this ef-fort will transform the modeling and simulation process that the DoD presently utilizes in the design of insensitive muni-tion compliant weapons by incorporating essential but cur-rently lacking micro- and meso-level modeling capabilities

Figure 2. Shocked cubic-gauche polymeric nitrogen.

Figure 3. Shocked PETN.

continued on page 6


needed to capture key physiochemical properties in continu-um codes. This new effort, as well as our earlier endeavors, all lead to our overall goal to provide EM researchers with high-fidelity modeling and simulation tools that will allow revolutionary advances in the development of EM.

Endnotes1. E.F.C. Byrd and B.M. Rice. “Improved Prediction of Heats of Formation of Energetic Materials Using Quantum Mechanical Calculations,” J. Phys. Chem. A, 110, 1005 (2006).2. B.M. Rice, J.J. Hare, and E.F.C. Byrd. “Accurate predic-tions of crystal densities using quantum mechanical molecu-lar volumes,” J. Phys. Chem. A, 111, 10874 (2007).3. J.S. Murray, P. Lane, and P. Politzer. “Effects of strongly electron-attracting components on molecular surface elec-trostatic potentials: application to predicting impact sensi-tivities of energetic molecules,” Molecular Physics, 93, 187 (1998).4. B.M. Rice. “Applications of Theoretical Chemistry in Assessing Energetic Materials for Performance or Sensitivity,” in Overviews of Recent Research in Energetic Materials, ed. D. L. Thompson, T. B. Brill, and R. W. Shaw (Location: World Scientific Publishing, 2003).5. B.M. Rice, E.F.C. Byrd, and W.D. Mattson. “Computational Aspects of Nitrogen-Rich HEDMs,” Structure and Bonding (2007) 125:153-194.


MACH I produces and markets a new version of the old 516M type ferric oxide to meet all existing specifications for micron and sub-micron sized iron oxide. In the face of global product disruptions of source and purity, MACH I

offers a US-made version of iron oxide for use as burning rate catalysts.

NANOCAT® Microfine Iron OxideNEW From MACH I, Inc.

340 East Church Road • King of Prussia, PA 19406Phone: 610-279-2340Fax: 610-279-6605; E-mail: [email protected]

You don’t have tobe a rocket scientist

to appreciate the valueof our products.

But it helps.

• US manufacturer• High purity… meets FDA limits• High quality• Competitive price• Aerospace grade• Narrow specification limits• Low moisture content

FEATURES:• US source of supply

• High catalytic activity

• Controlled burning rate

• Consistent surface area and particle size

• Repeatable mission range and performance

BENEFITS:

About the AuthorsDr. Edward F.C. Byrd is a research chemist at the Army Research Laboratory at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. He is a co-developer of the tools for prediction of properties of EM using quantum chemistry methods. Dr. Byrd may be reached at [email protected].

Dr. Willam D. Mattson is a research physical scientist at the Army Research Laboratory at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and performs quantum molecular dynamics simulations of shocked materials. Dr Mattson’s e-mail address is [email protected].

Dr. Betsy M. Rice is a research chemist at the Army Research Laboratory at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and is a co-developer of the tools for prediction of properties of EM using quantum chemistry. Dr. Rice may be contacted by e-mail to [email protected].


NASA and ATK Achieve Success with Launch of Ares I-X Test Rocket

space program,” said Mike Kahn, ATK Space Systems executive vice presi-dent. “The Ares I architecture provides unmatched crew safety and perfor-mance for payload capacity, all while utilizing existing infrastructure.”

The Ares I-X First Stage, built by ATK Space Systems in Promontory, Utah, consists of a four-segment Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) originally produced for the Space Shuttle Program, new forward struc-tures, and a fifth segment simulator to match the length of the Ares I first stage. It is the stage’s fifth segment simulator that houses the first stage avionics module, which includes most of the rocket’s controls and a flight recorder for collecting data during the flight. The parts used to make the Ares I-X booster have flown on 30 different shuttle missions ranging from STS-29 in 1989 to STS-106 in 2000 and will continue to be used for the Ares pro-gram. The new hardware was built by Major Tool and Machine Inc. in Indianapolis, Ind., under a contract to ATK. The data collected and returned from more than 700 sensors throughout the motor will be used to confirm the Ares I design, advancing NASA one step closer to achieving its goals in a new age of space exploration.

NASA confirmed late Thursday, October 29, that the drogue parachute, which is used to slow and stabilize the vehicle before the main parachutes are released, deployed normally and that all three main chutes then released and began inflating as planned. However, while two of the mains appeared to in-flate fully, the third collapsed. At the time this publication went to press, there was unconfirmed indication that the deflated parachute had come in contact with one of the others, causing it to partially deflate.

For additional information on the Ares I-X vehicle and flight test, visit http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX. News and infor-mation on the Ares I crew launch vehicle and the Ares I-X First Stage may be found on the ATK Web site at www.atk.com.

It was four years of undeniable progress realized for NASA and ATK when the Ares I-X test rocket

zoomed skyward at 11:30 EDT October 28 from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Designed to be the safest rocket ever devel-oped for human spaceflight, the Ares I was developed as part of NASA’s Constellation Program, established to send human and robotic explorers to the Moon and beyond, as well as to support missions to the International Space Station. ATK is the prime con-tractor for the first stage five-segment rocket motor and provides the main abort motor and attitude control motor for Orion’s Launch Abort system.

Dr. Ed Liu, director of the Chemical Propulsion Information Analysis Center (CPIAC) and several mem-bers of the CPIAC staff were amid the crowd that witnessed the launch from the Banana River Viewing Site, located approximately 3 miles from the launch complex, on Day 2 in the 3-day launch window. After a morn-ing of weather-related delays and sys-tems checks, launch director for the Ares I-X flight test Edward Mango received the green signal to proceed. The count was resumed at T-4:00 hold, and the 177-foot-tall, 12-foot-diameter first stage ignited, producing 3.3 million pounds of thrust to propel the vehicle from liftoff to stage sepa-ration 124 seconds into the flight. At 130,000 feet, the first stage parachutes deployed, slowing the descent of the spent booster prior to its splashdown in the Atlantic, where it was later re-covered for reuse. The Ares I-X was the first flight test for the Ares I crew launch vehicle and the first launch from Kennedy’s pads of a vehicle other than the space shuttle since the Apollo Program’s Saturn rockets were retired in 1972.

“This flight test is the culmination of four years of progress and is the crit-ical first step to launching America be-yond low earth orbit, signifying the be-ginning of a new era for the American

By Rosemary R. Dodds, CPIAC

Phot

o cr

edit:

NAS

A

Ares I-X during the October 28 test fl ight.

CPIAC contingent at the Banana River Viewing Site (left to right): Ed Liu, Stephanie Gardiner, Kelly Freeburger, Rosemary Dodds, and David Owen.

Phot

o cr

edit:

CPI

AC

Ed Liu, CPIAC Director and Steve Richards, former NASA Huntsville Manager of Engineering Implementation for Exploration, await the launch.

Phot

o cr

edit:

CPI

AC


NSTC Courses Planned for December JANNAF MeetingThe Chemical Propulsion Information Analysis Center (CPIAC) is pleased to announce two courses being offered by

the NASA Safety Training Center (NSTC) at the JANNAF 43rd Combustion/31st Airbreathing Propulsion/25th Propulsion Systems Hazards Joint Subcommittee Meeting in La Jolla, California, to be held December 7-11, 2009. Registration will be $1,050 and include both courses as well as meeting registration (a $750 value). Early registration is suggested since these courses require a minimum number of students to make possible. To register, visit the registration page of our Web site at https://www2.cpiac.jhu.edu/meetings/pages/. Both courses will be held in Portofino Room A/B at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla. Light refreshments will be available in the morning and during the class breaks.

SMA-SAFE-NSTC-0052, Fire Hazards in Oxygen Systems Thursday, December 10, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with 1 hour break for lunch and Friday, December 11, 8:00 a.m. to Noon

Through this course, the student will learn to identify and evaluate hazards in oxygen systems. The instructors will discuss safe practices in design, materials selection, and operation of oxygen systems, as well as reviewing/providing related ASTM standards to the student. After attending this course, students will: understand physical principles and empirical observations related to operations involving oxygen systems and the safe practices resulting from them; be familiar with the information needed to cope with fire hazards in oxygen systems; and be familiar with these design principles through in-class exercises. Course topics include: the need for oxygen compatibility, concepts of safety risk and safety risk management in oxygen systems/operations, ASTM Standard Guides for use with oxygen systems/operations, related ASTM test methods for combustion hazards in oxygen systems, how NASA handles oxygen compatibility, and future trends.

SMA-SAFE-NSTC-0043, System Safety SeminarFriday, December 11, 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

This seminar serves to provide an overview of system safety origins, definitions, principles, and practices. It includes a discussion of NASA requirements for both the engineering and management aspects of system safety and addresses the issues of why we should care about system safety, what it means to the individual, why we conduct system safety, what system safety is, and how system safety should be conducted. Engineering aspects will include a discussion of three typically used analytical techniques: Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA). Several NASA mishaps will be discussed to emphasize and illuminate the system safety principles involved.

SELECTED REPORTS AVAILABLE FROM THE SPACE STUDIES BOARD

Priorities in Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion (2006) Review of NASA Plans for the International Space Station (2006) Building a Better NASA Workforce: Meeting the Workforce Needs for the National Vision for Space

Exploration (2007) Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA’s Constellation System (2008) Satellite Observations to Benefi t Science and Society: Recommended Missions for the Next Decade

(2008) Booklet The Scientifi c Context for Exploration of the Moon (2007)

For a complete list of titles visit www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/SSB_reports_by-year.html

Free PDF versions of all SSB reports are available online at<www.nap.edu>(Search for available titles then click the blue “Sign in” button to download a free PDF version of the report.)

Hardcopy versions of all reports are available free of charge from the SSB while supplies last. To request a hardcopy of a report, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. Include your name, mailing

address, and affi liation. Remember to include the name and quantity of each report that you are requesting.

www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/SSB_reports_by-year.html


December Tutorial by Ron DieckMeasurement Uncertainty, Concepts, and Applications

Sunday, December 6, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a 1 hour break for lunch and Monday, December 7, 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.For the third time, CPIAC is sponsoring a tutorial entitled, “Measurement Uncertainty, Concepts, and Applications.”

The course will be conducted on Sunday and Monday, December 6 and 7, 2009. The course is intended for scientists and engineers interested in evaluating experimental accuracy. It is in complete harmony with the principles of the ISO and other international standards on measurement uncertainty. Special emphasis on understanding is achieved through lecture, discussion, two class experiments, and working of several problems in the classroom. After this two-day tutorial, students will be able to apply uncertainty analysis techniques to many basic experimental test problems in order to help achieve the test objectives more productively and at lower cost. Students must bring calculators or laptops to work the experiments and problems. This course is an excellent prelude to the APS/MSS workshop entitled, “Experimental Uncertainty in Scramjet Ground and Flight Testing and Simulation.” Mr. Dieck will co-chair the APS/MSS workshop to be held on Tuesday, December 8, from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. in Aventine D. The cost of the Measurement Uncertainty, Concepts, and Applications course is $1,050, which includes meeting registration (a $750 value).The deadline to register for this course is November 9, 2009. To register, please visit the “Registration” page of our Web site at https://www2. cpiac.jhu.edu/meetings/pages/.

By Darrell Marchant

The Liquid Propulsion Subcommittee Advanced Materials panel held a meeting on August 2, 2009, in conjunction with the AIAA Joint Propulsion

Conference in Denver, Colorado. The panel exists to provide a forum for the exchange of rocket component-specific material data, to aid in both the application of the materials to rocket engine components and to explore and develop new materials and their required processes. The panel also addresses rocket engine requirements for materials, process, and structures research in such areas as low cycle fatigue, probabilistic design requirements, and thermal and chemical environmental effects. The panel motivates and supports cooperation among the rocket industry to address materials and structural problems of mutual concern, and to develop and apply advanced materials in liquid propulsion systems.

The Advanced Materials panel is co-chaired by Dr. Darrell Marchant (AFRL/RZSE) and Mr. John Vickers (NASA/MSFC). The August meeting was called to introduce Vickers as the new co-chair to the panel membership, review tasks previously identified by the panel, and re-energize the panel activities. The meeting attendance included representation from academia (Prof. Joseph Koo, University of Texas-Austin and Johns Hopkins University), industry (Aerojet and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne), and various members of government, including materials experts and liquid rocket engine developers (AFRL/RZS). The meeting included productive discussions regarding current and planned

tasks. The meeting resulted in two primary conclusions. The first was an agreement that the panel should continue to work on two of the tasks previously identified, developing a guiding document for systems designers on the application of materials in propulsion systems and developing documentation on propulsion-specific materials testing capabilities. The panel identified task leads and notional schedules for these tasks. The second conclusion was that there is a need for a liaison between the Integrated High-Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology Program (IHPRPT) Materials Working Group (IMWG) and the LPS Advanced Materials panel. A panel liaison will ensure that LPS Advanced Materials is represented at, and cognizant of, the IMWG activities, including roadmapping of advanced materials development, identification of propulsion components that could be improved with advanced materials, and the recognition of existing materials technology gaps. These activities should be completed in the forthcoming IMWG program/process.

The panel will meet again at the next JANNAF LPS meeting, which will be held in May 2010 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Future meetings will include a review of the current tasks and a discussion of new tasks that should be addressed. If anyone is interested in participating in the Advanced Materials panel please contact either Dr. Darrell Marchant at [email protected] or Mr. John Vickers at [email protected].

https://www2.cpiac.jhu.edu/meetings/pages


The Chemical Propulsion Information Analysis Center is pleased to announce the launch of three new products to its secure Chemical Propulsion Information Network (CPIN), the U.S. propulsion industry’s internet portal to propulsion data resources.

New to CPIN

AID contains detailed technical information on industrial accidents and incidents involving propellants and explosives. AID is searchable by any of the 14 most common characteristics of an accident or incident, including date, organization, location, nature of the mishap, the operation involved, or type of energetic material.

Accidents and Incidents Database (AID)

SCPD combines the assets of The Johns Hopkins University, CPIAC; The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Lab; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; the University of Alabama at Huntsville; and other data sources to provide a versatile source of satellite chemical propulsion information.

Spacecraft Chemical Propulsion Database (SCPD)

LRED is set to launch in January 2010. It contains data for liquid propellant engines that have been entered into service or have been tested in a flight weight configuration. LRED is a Web-based relational database tool used for retrieving data on liquid rocket engines for access to space, strategic, tactical and in-space applications.

Liquid Rocket Engine Database (LRED)


Accidents and Incidents Database Now AvailableBy Dr. Richard V. Cartwright, CPIAC Senior Research Scientist

Do you have any need for historical information on accidents and incidents that have occurred during the produc-tion, use, or disposal of munitions or energetic materials? If so, come to the AID of CPIAC! That is, to CPIAC’s Accidents and Incidents Database, which is now online and operational.

AID contains detailed technical in-formation on industrial accidents and incidents involving propellants and explosives. The term “accident” com-monly refers to an unintended event that results in death, injury, and/or property damage. The term “incident” commonly refers to an event that did not have serious consequences when it occurred but could have had serious consequences under different circum-stances. In order to be as informative as possible, the AID includes both kinds of events. It is intended to assist the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD),

either directly or through contractors, with assessment of industrial base is-sues, promotion of safety, and analysis of trends in the aerospace and defense manufacturing sectors.

Information in AID was compiled from a variety of sources, including DoD databases and reports, contractor reports, and the open literature. The database is searchable by any of 14 characteristics, including the date, re-sponsible organization, location, nature of the mishap (fire, explosion, detona-tion), kind of operation involved, and type of energetic material.

Additional technical information will be included as needed. The suc-cess of AID is dependent upon the co-operation of Government agencies and contractors in providing data for inclu-sion in the database. The assistance of users in identifying inaccurate data and providing missing data is always wel-

come. CPIAC wishes to thank those who have provided information for publication.

It is necessary to have a Chemi-cal Propulsion Information Network (CPIN) account to access AID. CPIN is the secure Internet portal to CPIAC’s suite of propulsion-related technical and bibliographic databases and online publications. The price for access to AID is $475 for subscribers, $750 for non-subscribers. For more informa-tion, contact a CPIAC customer ser-vice representative at 410-992-7300 or by e-mail to [email protected].

CPIAC gained another staff member when Gina Hsu, Research Services Analyst, was hired by Johns Hopkins University effective October 12, 2009. Gina holds a BA degree from Baker University in Kansas and an MA degree from Bowie State University in Maryland, both with accounting majors. After finish-ing her undergraduate education, Gina began her career in Maryland working for an 8(a) government contractor of a small biotechnology research and production company. Subsequently, Gina and her family moved to New Mexico where she held several positions in the Business and Finance Office and in Sponsored Project Accounting for a number of research entities at New Mexico State University along with a brief stint in the business office of the City of Las Cruces.

In her new position at CPIAC, Gina will be responsible for sponsored projects management including budgets, revenues and expenditures reconciliations. Gina may be reached at 410-992-7304, ext. 232, or by e-mail to [email protected] aboard, Gina!

Welcome, Gina Hsu

Gina Hsu

Have you moved? Changed jobs?Send your new

contact information [email protected]


In Memoriam

Dr. Robert J. Eichelberger, former Director of the U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL), passed away on October 9, 2009. Dr. Eichelberger was born on April 10, 1921, in Washing ton, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Washington and Jefferson College with a Bachelor of Science in Physics in 1942. He then spent the next twelve years as a Research Physicist and Research Supervisor at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. He was awarded a Master of Science in Physics in 1947 and a Doctorate in Physics in 1954, both from Carnegie. From 1955 until his retirement in 1986, Eichelberger served on the staff of the BRL at Aberdeen Proving Ground in a variety of increasingly responsible research and supervisory

positions. He spent his last nineteen years, 1967 to 1986, as director.

During Eichelberger’s tenure as Director of the Ballistic Research Laboratory, he was noted for his exceptional ability to plan research programs and to identify and implement specific fundamental studies needed to provide a sound basis for subsequent research and development. The Laboratory’s programs have included applied research in exterior and interior ballis tics, terminal effects of nuclear and non-nuclear devices, target signatures, and electromagnetic wave propagation, materiel vulnerability, and support of fundamental research in physics, mathematics, chemistry, engineering, and biophysics. The results of his work and that of his colleagues form the basis of modern weapons technology.

Throughout the course of his career, Eichelberger pub-lished more than 200 technical papers and reports. He is known worldwide as the father of the modern-day shaped charge and is recog-nized as the princi-pal authority on shaped-charge theory, warhead design, and the design of pro-tection against shaped charges. He has also made significant contributions to our understanding of detonation phys-ics, the electrical and magnetic phe-nomena induced by strong shocks in solids, and the military significance of hypervelocity impact.

Dr. Robert J. EichelbergerFormer Director of the U.S. Army Ballisti c Research Laboratory

Retired Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer, widely known as the “father of Aegis” died of congestive heart failure on September 1, 2009, at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. A resident of Falls Church, Virginia, he was 83.

Adm. Meyer was the founding project manager of the Aegis Weapon System Project that began in 1970 and the force behind the Navy’s develop-ment of the Aegis air defense system, which transformed the nature of naval warfare through its reliance on com-puterized and radar-controlled mis-sile defense. He took over the Aegis combat system in 1976 and the Aegis shipbuilding project a year later. His involvement with the program con-tinued until his retirement from active duty in 1985. The project was ultimate-ly responsible for the construction of

all of the Navy’s current cruisers and destroyers. The first Aegis-equipped cruiser, the Ticonderoga, was launched in 1983. Within months of commis-sioning, the Ticonderoga played a lead role in the nation’s response to the bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Lebanon. The first Aegis destroyer, Arleigh Burke, was launched in 1991.

Wayne Eugene Meyer was born April 21, 1926, in Brunswick, Mo. He received a bachelor’s degree in electri-cal engineering from the University of Kansas in 1946 and a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961. He received another bach-elor’s degree, in electrical engineering, from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

Adm. Meyer retired from active duty in 1985. In his retirement, he ran

a management and consulting busi-ness for the Navy and chaired numer-ous Navy advisory boards. His military decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit. The Naval Postgraduate School’s Institute of Systems Engineering in Monterey bears his name, and, in 2008, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was christened in his honor at the Bath Iron Works in Maine. This ship is scheduled for commissioning in Philadelphia on October 10, 2009.

His first wife, Margaret Garvey Meyer, died in 1992.

Adm. Meyer’s survivors include his wife of six years, Anna Mae Seixas Meyer, three children from his first marriage, two stepchildren, and four grandchildren.

Reti red Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer“Father of Aegis”

Robert J. Eichelberger


The Technical Steering Groups of the various JANNAF subcommittees select the best papers presented at their meetings, in order to increase public recognition of the exceptional work accomplished by JANNAF participants. Specifi c titles of papers are not published due to possible sensitivity. The above subcommittee is featured in this issue of the Bulletin.

35th Propellant and Explosive Development and Characterization Subcommittee, April 2009 Meeting

Topics Authors of Best-in-Session Papers

Green Energetic Materials

D. L. Dean, F. J. Dodson, and S. Nguyen, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, CA


M. S. Johnson, Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD


R. A. Pesce-Rodriguez and S. M. Piraino, Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

Solid Propellant Ingredients

G. W. Drake, Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL; S. Bolden and J. Hanks, ERC Inc., Huntsville, AL; C. E. Merrill, Jacobs Sverdrup Inc., Edwards AFB, CA


D. A. Ciaramitaro, D. L. Dean, P. Zarras, and H. Hoang, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, CA


A. Racoveanu, Physical Sciences Inc., Andover, MA; S. K. Dawley, Aerojet, Culpeper, VA


A. R. Merritt, D. A. Ciaramitaro, and N. J. Trivedi, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, CA

Liquid Propellants A. J. Brand and T. W. Hawkins, Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards AFB, CA; A. I. Atwood and F. S. Blomshield, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, CA

Liquid Propellants C. Berger, J. Kler, and M. Kosiba, Wiltech Corporation, Cape Canaveral, FL; C. L. Davis, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL

Process Engineering J. S. Salan, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head, MD

Process Engineering Z. Goedert, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, CA; G. F. Sieg, Jacobs Technology Inc., Ridgecrest, CA

Explosive Formulation and Development E. Francois, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

Best Overall Paper: Mark H. Mason, Kristin J. Hall, and Susan L. Mason, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, CA (Explosive Formulation and Development)

CPIAC Technical Area Task (TAT) ProgramCustomized technical and engineering support for U.S. Government Entities

resulting in such deliverables astechnical problem solving, analyses, and assessments

state-of-the-art studies and assessmentssubject matter expertise in rockets, missiles, space propulsion and energetic materials

performance and characterization studiesspecialized database development

Your organization already has access to our pre-competed and ID/IQ contracts!Contact CPIAC Customer Service at 410-992-7300 for details on how to get started with a TAT.


The AIAA Space Conference and Exposition was held September 14-17, 2009, at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, Calif. Co-chaired by NASA and the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Space 2009 marked the first time the annual conference was held in Pasadena. This year’s theme, “Space: New Opportunities

for a New Era,” examined the need for increasing America’s commitment to education in the “STEM” subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; how best to approach the problems posed by global climate change; how to reduce global fossil fuel consumption; and the role that space exploration and space technologies will play in achieving these goals. The conference was sponsored by Orbital Sciences Corporation and Lockheed Martin Corporation. Additional sponsors included The Boeing Company, SpaceX, United Space Alliance, Stellar Solutions, Ball Aerospace Technologies, Harris Corporation, and The Aerospace Corporation. Opening remarks were made by Robert S. Dickman, AIAA Executive Director, and Jean-Lou A. Chameau, President of the California Institute of Technology, and followed by a panel session on exploring the opportunities for space exploration and technology development for the next fifty years. In addition to the conference sessions and activities, attendees had the opportunity to visit the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and the Mohave Air and Space Port where numerous examples of space technology were on display.

AIAA Space 2009 Conference and Exposition

NASA X-15

Cou

rtesy

of K

en D

avid

ian

NASA HL-10 Lifting BodyC

ourt

esy o

f Ken

Dav

idia

nNASA X-IE

Cou

rtesy

of K

en D

avid

ian

XCOR Aerospace’s EZ-Rocket demonstrator rocket-powered vehicle Th e Rotary Rocket Roton ATV

SR-71 BlackbirdC

ourt

esy o

f Ken

Dav

idia

n

Masten Space Systems XA-0.1B vertical take-off , vertical landing rocket (2009 entry in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, Level 1 Competition)

Cou

rtesy

of E

d Li

u

Space Shuttle Discovery post STS-128

Cou

rtesy

of E

d Li

u

Cou

rtesy

of E

d Li

u

Cou

rtesy

of E

d Li

u


TDK’08™ The JANNAF Standard for Liquid Engine Performance Prediction Just Got Better The TDK’08TM code uses the JANNAF methodology plus enhancements to compute thrust chamber performance. FEATURES: • Planar or Axially Symmetric Flow • Linkage to TECPLOT™ • Transpiration or Tangential Mass Injection • Equilibrium Radiation Heat Transfer • Pitot Tube Option • Linkage to SPF 2 or SPF 3 • Dual Bell Option • Summary Output Files for Each Module • Scarfed, Plug, and Scramjet Nozzle Configurations • Upper and Lower Wall Simulation • Accepts High Temperature NASA Thermodynamic Data • New Algorithms for improved accuracy and robustness • Increased Number of Kinetic Species and Reactions • Electron Charge Balance Calculation for Improved Ions Analysis • Nozzle Contour Optimization Routine with Kinetics, • Treats Internal/External Flow Interaction (Plug Nozzle) Boundary Layer, and Regen Effects along with a Base Pressure Correlation

Improved Usability Graphics Post Processor Runs on Linux and on PC's under Win 95/98/NT/2000/XP

Available only from SEA, Inc. at just $15,995 for a single user license Special Upgrade Offers Available to Current Owners of TDK Purchased from SEA, Inc.

For more information: Software & Engineering Associates, Inc., 1802 N. Carson Street, Suite 200,Carson City, NV 89701-1238 contact: email: [email protected] Telephone: (775) 882-1966 FAX: (775) 882-1827

Visit our website at: http://www.seainc.com Copyrighted by SEA, Inc. 2009 All Rights Reserved.

Has your organizati on renewed its CPIAC Subscripti on Account? Are you making maximum use of the products and services

included in your subscripti on?

A CPIAC subscripti on is an effi cient and cost-eff ecti ve way for engineers, scienti sts, researchers, and librarians to obtain technical informati on and data to support their propulsion-related research and development. Structured so that subscribing organizati ons can choose what they need from a wide range of opti ons, basic features of a subscripti on include unlimited access to PIRS for all employees and two complimentary databases. Each subscripti on also includes four hours of technical or bibliographic inquiry service plus an additi onal four free hours of technical/bibliographic service provided courtesy of DTIC. This year’s subscripti on off ers electronic access to ten Web-based databases through CPIAC’s Chemical Propulsion Informati on Network, classifi ed propulsion manuals (paper editi on), JANNAF meeti ng proceedings, the ITAR-restricted JANNAF Journal of Propulsion and Energeti cs, Vol. 3, and several soon-to-be-released CPIAC state of the art reports.

Subscripti on renewals for the conti nuati on of CPIAC products and services for the period 1 October 2009 through 30 September 2010 have been distributed to current CPIAC customers. If you are a current user of CPIAC products and services, be sure to coordinate with the respecti ve custodian within your organizati on to ensure that your subscripti on will be maintained. Questi ons regarding current service or inquiries to initi ate a new subscripti on may be directed to the CPIAC Customer Service team at (410) 992-7300. Furthermore, if you are uncertain as to whether or not your organizati on has a CPIAC subscripti on, do not hesitate to call CPIAC to inquire. With the beginning of this new subscripti on year, CPIAC wishes to thank all of our valued subscribers and to reaffi rm our commitment to assisti ng you with your propulsion needs through a CPIAC subscripti on account.


Spotlight on Small Business Innovati on Research (SBIR)Energetic Materials & Products, Inc. (EMPI) Works to Develop and

Commercialize Advanced Energetic Formulations and ProductsBy Dr. Dennis Wilson

Round Rock, Texas

Energetic Materials & Products, Inc. (EMPI) was founded by Dr. Dennis Wilson in 2006 for the purpose of developing and commercializing

advanced energetic formulations and products. Wilson was formerly the founder and CEO of Nanotechnologies, Inc., where he led the successful commercialization of precisely controlled metal nanoparticles. Enabled by recent advances in metal-based energetic materials, EMPI is engaged in the advancement of this technology through several SBIRs, and has developed a platform of metal-based energetic formulations that are being used in a number of new critical applications. Commercialization efforts have also begun through EMPI’s development of an SBIR Technology Transition Plan (STTP).

EMPI received its first SBIR Phase I award in August 2006 from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The Program, “Neutralization without Detonation of IEDs in the Field,” was a response to the growing urgency of de-feating the IED threat to military and civilian personnel. The goal was to develop a reactive material that could be fired into an IED, penetrate the case and cause the explosives within to burn up rapidly without exploding. If this could be done, the IEDs could be “rendered safe” from a specified distance. Based on its successful feasibility demonstration, EMPI was awarded a Phase II SBIR in November 2007 to more fully develop the C-IED reactive material bullet tech-nology.

EMPI has formulated and tested a number of different reactive materials, as well as a number of different bullet designs to optimize IED render-safe solutions, and it has conducted full-scale demonstration at Yuma Proving Grounds against 155-mm artillery shells and 120-mm mortar rounds. After encouraging results, DTRA awarded EMPI a Phase III to mature this reactive bullet C-IED technology with the goal of eventual commercialization. In addition, a parallel focus on neutralizing chemical agents with the same reactive material technology will be developed.

In September 2006, the company received another Phase I SBIR; this one was awarded by the U.S. Air Force for “Dial-a-Yield Munitions” (DaY). As urban warfare has placed increased importance on the ability to deliver munitions to a very specific target while minimizing collateral damage, a strong need has emerged for munitions that can be “dialed in” to an exact performance envelope at the time of use in the field. EMPI conducted early modeling, demonstrated DaY feasibility, and was awarded a Phase II SBIR in

September 2007. As this program has progressed, EMPI has demonstrated successful yield in varying prototypes by using improved and focused energetic material compositions as well as multiple device configurations and initiation schemes.

As the DaY program continued to generate new enthusiasm, EMPI was awarded a Phase II Enhancement, “Develop and Test Structural Reactive Materials,” in September 2008. A second Phase II Enhancement, “Selectable Effects Munitions” was awarded in September 2009. EMPI was then invited by the Air Force to develop an SBIR Technology Transition Plan (STTP) to commercialize this technology. The STTP requires partnering with a large defense contractor. Through collaboration with an Air Force program office; the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Eglin AFB, Florida; the SBIR office; and a major defense company, EMPI developed a plan, which received final approval in May of this year. A five-year, multi-million- dollar contract was signed in September.

EMPI received a third SBIR Phase I, “Focused Miniature Ordnance Technology” in April 2009; this SBIR is closely aligned with the current AFRL Phase II DaY award. Lastly, the company was notified of a fourth SBIR Phase I. This program, which is from the Army Research Laboratory, is on selectable effects munitions.

Although EMPI has been fortunate to receive several other government and commercial development projects, these two SBIR “chains” have been critical to the growth of both a small company and an exciting energetic materials platform. The goal of the company is to use Contract R&D funding only where significant product commercialization is possible. The SBIR programs are critical enablers in that commercialization process.

EMPI’s 6000-sq.-ft. main facility located in Round Rock, Texas, includes engineering offices, a machine shop, and a ballistic range. In addition, EMPI has a 78-acre explosive test facility, which includes a 1840-sq.-ft. building with two cells used for bench-scale testing and energetic processing (Figure 1). The explosive test facility also includes a 600-cu.-ft explosive test chamber (Figure 2) and a 500-lb-capacity bunkered HE magazine (Figure 3). Figures 1 through 3 are shown on page 17. For additional information on EMPI, contact Dennis Wilson at 512-380-1992, ext. 600, or [email protected].

mailto: [email protected]


Figure 2. Explosive test chamber (600 cu.ft.) measures 9 ft. in height with a diameter of 10 ft. Th e walls, seen in photograph on right, are 0.785 in. thick, and the fl ooring is crushed stone. Th ree vertical guide rails accommodate impulse lift. Th e chamber, as shown below, includes vented, 4-in. access ports and a single oval door.

Figure 3. Bunkered HE magazine, shown above, has 500-lb. capacity. Th e following HE has been ordered and received: PBXN-5 bulk, Tritonal bulk, H-6 bulk, Comp C-4 bulk, TNT bulk, HMX EH-1001 bulk, H-6 90g booster, H-6 150g booster, and Custom Comp B booster.

Figure 1. Test cells in the explosive test facility. Bench-scale testing room (320 sq. ft.), on left, includes two steel blast chambers, data lines, fi ring lines, piped ventilation and room exhaust. Mixing and fabrication lab (320 sq. ft.), on right, with multiple arbor presses, remote air press, fume hood, and shield tables.

Energetic Materials & Products, Inc. (EMPI)....continued from page 16

Send news of your SBIR to [email protected]

mailto: [email protected]


CPIAC and the Editorial Staff of the JANNAF Journal of Propulsion and Energetics announced the JANNAF Executive Committee’s selection of Professor Vigor Yang as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal. Professor Yang accepted the appointment and assumed his new role effective October 21, 2009. He succeeds the inaugural editor-in-chief, Dr. William L. Hufferd, who stepped down from the position in April after three years of service.

Yang is the William R.T. Oakes Professor and Chair of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering of Georgia Institute of Technology, a position he assumed in January 2009. Previously, he was the John L. and Genevieve H.

People in Propulsion

Vigor Yang Selected Editor-in-Chief of JANNAF Journal of Propulsion and Energetics

SPP’08™ The Standard in Solid Motor Performance Prediction

New Features: • New Grain Design Macros • Linkage to SPF 3 • 3D Graphics for 3D Grain Design • Ions Calculations • 3D Grain Design Linked to SSP 1D • GDBM now supports dual propellants Improved Usability Graphics Post Processor Runs on Linux and on PC's under Win 95/98/NT/2000/XP The price is just $17,995. Special upgrade offers available to current owners of SPP purchased from SEA, Inc.

For more information Software & Engineering Associates, Inc. contact: 1802 N. Carson Street, Suite 200 Carson City, NV 89701-1238 email: [email protected] Telephone: (775) 882-1966 FAX: (775) 882-1827 Visit our website at: http://www.seainc.com Copyrighted by SEA, Inc. 2009 All Rights Reserved

McCain Chair in Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University.

He received his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology. Professor Yang’s research interests include combustion instabilities in propulsion systems, chemically reacting flows in airbreathing and rocket engines, combustion of energetic materials, and high-pressure thermodynamics and transport.

Editor-in-Chief of the AIAA Journal of Propulsion and Power from 2001 through 2009, Yang also serves on the editorial advisory boards of Combustion and Flame; Progress in Energy and Combustion Science; Combustion Science and Technology; Combustion, Explosion and Shockwaves; and the

Journal of Aeronautics, Astronautics, and Aviation.

The JANNAF Journal of Propulsion and Energetics was established in 2006 as a forum for members of the propulsion community to submit scholarly limited-distribution manuscripts for peer review and publication. Published annually, the JANNAF Journal is released each spring at the JANNAF Propulsion Meeting. Volume 1 was published in 2008; Volume 2 was released in 2009. Publication of Volume 3 is set for May 2010.

Congratulations and best wishes, Vigor! Thank you, Bill Hufferd, for your years of dedicated service to the JANNAF Journal!


People in Propulsion

Mark J. Lewis Selected as Chair of the University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering’s Department of Aerospace Engineering

On September 14, 2009, Dr. Mark J. Lewis assumed his new role as chair of the A. James Clark School of Engineering’s Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland. Dr. Lewis has been a faculty member of the high-ranking Clark School since

August 1988. Other notable accomplishments include his recent election as President-Elect of The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in April and the completion of a four-year term as Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force from 2004-2008.

Dr. Lewis is an AIAA Fellow, an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) fellow, and a President’s Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He is a Willis Young, Jr. Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Clark School. Dr. Lewis is also the founder of the Center for Hyper-sonics Education and Research and the NASA-Air Force Constellation University Institute at the University of Maryland.

On his latest appointment, the Clark School’s Dean Darryll Pines said, “With Mark’s long experi-ence in the department as researcher and teacher; his knowledge of faculty, staff and programs; his excellent working relationship with colleagues at major universities, government units and corporations; and his dedica-tion to the highest achievement in aerospace engineering, he is well positioned to accelerate the department’s progress still further.”

Dr. Lewis earned two B.S. degrees, his M.S., and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has authored more than 280 technical publications and has advised more than 70 graduate students. Lewis has also served on various advisory boards for the Air Force and DoD and is an adjunct professor with the Institute for Defense Analysis. This article includes an excerpt from University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering press release dated 8/25/09.

Dr. Mark J. Lewis

CPIAC would like to congratulate Dr. Stan Powell and Professor Vigor Yang for being honored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) with this year’s Ground Testing Award and Propellant and Combustion Award, respectively.

Dr. Powell of Aerospace Testing Alliance, Arnold AFB, received the Ground Testing Award for his ability to bring together both the computational and the experimental to serve the ground

testing community. He is honored for more than twenty-five years of work and research. This is the third time Dr. Powell has received an award from AIAA; in 2006 he received the Harry Staubs Precollege Outreach Award, and in 2004 he was presented with the Sustained Service Award.

Dr. Yang, the William R.T. Oakes Professor and Chair, Daniel Guggen-heim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, is honored with the Propellant and Combustion Award for his work in the study of unsteady combustion in chemical propulsion systems. His research includes solid- and liquid-propellant rockets, hybrid rockets, ramjet/scram-jet engines, gas-turbine engines, pulse detonation engines, and solid- and liquid-propellant guns. This is the third time, and second year in a row, Yang has been honored by AIAA.

AIAA Awards for Dr. Stan Powell and ProfessorVigor Yang

Professor Vigor Yang

Dr. Stan Powell

Calendar of JANNAF MeetingsJANNAF 43rd Combustion Subcommittee (CS)/

31st Airbreathing Propulsion Subcommittee (APS)/25th Propulsion Systems Hazards Subcommittee (PSHS) Joint Meeting

December 7-11, 2009Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine; La Jolla, CA

www.lajolla.hyatt.comDeadlines:

Manuscripts and paper clearance forms to CPIAC: 11/23/09 (Extended)Hotel Reservations: 11/12/09

Security clearance certifi cation and Registration Fees to CPIAC: 11/23/09Presentations to CPIAC: 11/23/09

57th JANNAF Propulsion Meeting (JPM)/ 7th Modeling and Simulation Subcommittee(MSS)/

5th Liquid Propulsion Subcommittee (LPS) / 4th Spacecraft Propulsion Subcommittee (SPS) Joint Meeting

May 3-7, 2010Cheyenne Mountain Resort; Colorado Springs, CO

www.cheyennemountain.comDeadlines:

Abstracts to CPIAC: 11/30/09Manuscripts and paper clearance forms to CPIAC: 4/5/10

Hotel Reservations: 4/1/10Security clearance certifi cation and Registration Fees to CPIAC: 4/19/10

Presentations to CPIAC: 4/19/10For additional information on the above JANNAF meetings, contact CPIAC

Meeting Planner Pat Szybist at 410-992-7302, ext. 215, or or by e-mail to [email protected]

Visit the JANNAF Web site for meeting updates: www.jannaf.orgPolicy on Non-Government Attendees at JANNAF Meetings. Attendance at JANNAF meetings for non-government employees is restricted to U.S. citizens only and whose organizations are 1) registered with the Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS) AND 2) have a government contract registered with the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). If the government contract is not registered with DTIC, the attendee’s registration form can be certified by a sponsoring government official from one of the participating JANNAF agencies. Additional information concerning registrations with DLIS and DTIC can be obtained by contacting DLIS at 1-800-352-3572 (www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/) or DTIC at 1-800-225-3842 (www.dtic.mil/dtic/registration/index.html).

JANNAF Journal of Propulsion and Energeticsan unclassifi ed, limited-distribution technical journal, dedicated to the publication of scholarly work in the

fi elds of aerospace propulsion and energetic materials research and development

Th e call for papers is ongoing. Submit your manuscript now for considered publication in the

next available issue.

Visit www.jannaf.org and click on JANNAF Journal for additional information and manuscript guidelines.

Volume 3 due out in May 2010!

Documents

Computati onal Design and Assessment of Energe at the … at [email protected] 2010 Gordon Conference on ... Tilton, New Hampshire POC: Meeting