METHOD FOR WASH-OUT OF COMPOSITE SOLID PROPELLANT FROM ROCKET ENGINE BODY Russian patent published in 2001 - IPC

FIELD: salvaging of military equipment and ammunition, applicable in the process of salvaging of composite solid propellant blocks (CSPB). SUBSTANCE: the free cavities of the rocket engine body or its sections are filled with water, the body is brought to rotation about the longitudinal axis, high- pressure water is fed to the cutting head with a multi-nozzle manifold fixed in the body. The high-speed water jets outflowing from the cavitating nozzles cut slots on the surface of the composite solid propellant block and originate forces for chip-off of the strips between the slots. After a revolution of the body it is subjected to a translational motion to the depth of the slot. Translational motion may be accomplished simultaneously with the rotary motion. The composite solid propellant block eroded in the slot duct and fragmentarily chipped-off is fed to the mass conduit in the block conduit and then to the separator. The constant level of liquid above the crushed surface required for accomplishment of cavitation operation of the nozzles is maintained with the aid of the overflow level tube. Due to the use of two crushing mechanisms (cavitation erosion of unbalanced pressure forces on the sections of the strips between the slots, the invention makes it possible to reduce the specific crushing energy down to 1.7GJ/cu.m as compared with 3.2 GJ/cu. m for the hydromonitoring method, and 2.1 GJ/cu.m for the purely hydrocavitation method. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency. 7 cl, 7 dwg