Flow Simulation and Thrust Analysis of Solid Rocket Motor Using CFD

This paper presents a CFD-based simulation of internal flow and thrust generation in a Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) with a tubular grain configuration. The simulation models the combustion chamber and nozzle while progressively reducing the grain length to replicate real-time burnback. Using ANSYS Fluent, pressure, velocity, and temperature distributions were analyzed, and thrust was calculated at each stage. The results show a gradual decrease in thrust as the grain burns, with good agreement to theoretical predictions. This study demonstrates how CFD can offer deeper insight into SRM performance across different burn stages, helping improve design and optimization for aerospace applications.