Reference no: EM131356597

Prepare a detailed outline of a procedure to be followed by a crew operating a propellant mixer. This 1-m3 vertical solid propellant mixer has two rotating blades, a mixing bowl, a vacuum pump system to allow mix operations under vacuum, feed chutes or pipes with valves to supply the ingredients, and variable-speed electric motor drive, a provision for removing some propellant for laboratory samples, and a double-wall jacket around the mixing bowl to allow heating or cooling. It is known that the composite propellant properties are affected by mix time, small deviations from the exact composition, the temperature of the mix, the mechanical energy added by the blades, the blade speed, and the sequence in which the ingredients are added. It is also known that bad propellant would be produced if there are leaks that destroy the vacuum, if the bowl, mixing blades, feed chutes, and so on, are not clean but contain deposits of old propellant on their walls, if they are not mixed at 80? C, or if the viscosity of the mix becomes excessive. The sequence of loading ingredients shall be: (1) prepolymer binder, (2) plasticizer, (3) minor liquid additives, (4) solid consisting of first powdered aluminum and thereafter mixed bimodal AP crystals, and (5) finally the polymerizing agent or crosslinker. Refer to Fig. 13-11. Samples of the final liquid mix are taken to check viscosity and density. Please list all the sequential steps that the crew should undertake before, during, and after the mixing operation. If it is desired to control to a specific parameter (weight, duration, etc.), that fact should be stated; however, the specific data of ingredient mass, time, power, temperature, and so on, can be left blank. Mention all instruments (e.g., thermometers, wattmeter, etc.) that the crew should have and identify those that they must monitor closely. Assume that all ingredients were found to be of the desired composition, purity, and quality.