System and Method for Detecting the Amount of Stabilizer Degradation in Solid Rocket Propellant
First Claim
1. A method of determining an amount of degradation of stabilizer in solid rocket fuel by either back scattered, reflected or transmitted light, the solid rocket fuel including nitrate-ester-based propellant and stabilizer, the stabilizer being selected from the group consisting of 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline (MNA) and 1,2,4-butanetriol trinitrate (BUN), the method comprising the steps of:
- passing light from an illuminating source, the light including at least two wavelengths of light within a spectral range from 100 nm to 200,000 nm, a first wavelength or range of wavelengths producing a distinguishably greater or lesser light absorbance for the stabilizer than for components of the propellant, and a second wavelength or range of wavelengths producing a light absorbance for the stabilizer not distinguishably different than for the components of the propellant, the light having passed through a light-directing device including a lens and into an illuminating fiber light-entering end and through the illuminating fiber;
illuminating a light-contacting portion of a surface of the solid rocket fuel with light coming out of the illuminating fiber light-exiting end, and the illuminating fiber light-exiting end either contacting or coming into close proximity to the light-contacting portion, the illuminating fiber light-exiting end illuminating the light-contacting portion of the surface with the light from the illuminating source;
collecting backscattered, reflected or transmitted light being given off from the surface of the solid rocket fuel in response to the illuminating fiber light-exiting end illuminating the light-contacting portion of the surface, wherein the collecting of light is by a collecting fiber light-entering end either contacting or coming into close proximity to the surface of the solid rocket fuel where back scattered or transmitted light is being given off;
or the collecting fiber light-entering end gathering light from a light-collecting device near the surface of the solid rocket fuel, the light-collecting device receiving reflected light being given off from the light-contacting portion of the surface, wherein the light-collecting device includes a device selected from the group consisting of a lens, a mirror and an integration sphere;
passing light through the collecting fiber and out a collecting fiber light-exiting end through the light-directing device and into a spectrometer; and
determining with the spectrometer the light intensities of the back scattered, reflected or transmitted light being given off from the surface of the solid rocket fuel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A spectrometric system, including: a solid rocket fuel; an illuminating source including at least two wavelengths within a spectral range from 100 nm to 200,000 nm, a first wavelength or range of wavelengths having a distinguishably greater or lesser absorbance for the stabilizer than for components of the propellant, and a second wavelength or range of wavelengths having an absorbance for the stabilizer not distinguishably different than the absorbance for the components of the propellant, an illuminating fiber to illuminate a surface of a solid rocket fuel; a collecting fiber to collect back scattered, reflected or transmitted light being given off from the surface of the solid rocket fuel; and a spectrometer to determine the light intensities of the two wavelengths of the back scattered, reflected or transmitted light collected.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of determining an amount of degradation of stabilizer in solid rocket fuel by either back scattered, reflected or transmitted light, the solid rocket fuel including nitrate-ester-based propellant and stabilizer, the stabilizer being selected from the group consisting of 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline (MNA) and 1,2,4-butanetriol trinitrate (BUN), the method comprising the steps of:
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passing light from an illuminating source, the light including at least two wavelengths of light within a spectral range from 100 nm to 200,000 nm, a first wavelength or range of wavelengths producing a distinguishably greater or lesser light absorbance for the stabilizer than for components of the propellant, and a second wavelength or range of wavelengths producing a light absorbance for the stabilizer not distinguishably different than for the components of the propellant, the light having passed through a light-directing device including a lens and into an illuminating fiber light-entering end and through the illuminating fiber; illuminating a light-contacting portion of a surface of the solid rocket fuel with light coming out of the illuminating fiber light-exiting end, and the illuminating fiber light-exiting end either contacting or coming into close proximity to the light-contacting portion, the illuminating fiber light-exiting end illuminating the light-contacting portion of the surface with the light from the illuminating source; collecting backscattered, reflected or transmitted light being given off from the surface of the solid rocket fuel in response to the illuminating fiber light-exiting end illuminating the light-contacting portion of the surface, wherein the collecting of light is by a collecting fiber light-entering end either contacting or coming into close proximity to the surface of the solid rocket fuel where back scattered or transmitted light is being given off;
or the collecting fiber light-entering end gathering light from a light-collecting device near the surface of the solid rocket fuel, the light-collecting device receiving reflected light being given off from the light-contacting portion of the surface, wherein the light-collecting device includes a device selected from the group consisting of a lens, a mirror and an integration sphere;passing light through the collecting fiber and out a collecting fiber light-exiting end through the light-directing device and into a spectrometer; and determining with the spectrometer the light intensities of the back scattered, reflected or transmitted light being given off from the surface of the solid rocket fuel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A spectrometric system that measures back scattered, reflected or transmitted light, comprising:
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a solid rocket fuel surrounded by a metal shell, the solid rocket fuel including a nitrate-ester-based propellant and a stabilizer selected from the group consisting of 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline (MNA) and 1,2,4-butanetriol trinitrate (BUN); a spectrometer to determine the light intensities of the green wavelength light and of the blue wavelength light of back scattered, reflected or transmitted light; an illuminating source giving off light including at least two light wavelengths within a spectral range from 100 nm to 200,000 nm wavelengths, a first wavelength or range of wavelengths producing a distinguishably greater or lesser light absorbance for the stabilizer than for components of the propellant, and a second wavelength or range of wavelengths producing a light absorbance for the stabilizer not distinguishably different than for the components of the propellant; a light-directing device including a lens through which light passes in a first direction toward the solid rocket fuel and in an opposite direction toward the spectrometer; an illuminating fiber including a) an illuminating fiber light-entering end to collect light coming from the illuminating source through the light-directing device;
b) the illuminating fiber itself through which the light travels; and
c) an illuminating fiber light-exiting end to illuminate a light-contacting portion of a surface of a solid rocket fuel by either contacting or being in close proximity to the light-contacting portion; anda collecting fiber including a) a collecting fiber light-entering end to collect back scattered, reflected or transmitted light being given off from the surface of the solid rocket fuel or from a light-collecting device near the surface of the solid rocket fuel;
b) the collecting fiber itself through which the light travels; and
c) a collecting fiber light-exiting end to deliver light to and through the light-directing device and toward the spectrometer;
wherein the light-collecting device receives reflected light being given off from the contacting portion of the surface, the light-collecting device including a device selected from the group consisting of a lens, a mirror and an integration sphere. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification