Nitric Oxide Production in the Stratosphere Within the Space Shuttle's Solid Rocket Motor Plumes

摘要

Calculations are made concerning the quantity of nitric oxide (NO) produced through afterburning in the plume of the solid propellant motors of the Space Shuttle. This study focuses on establishing the sensitivity of predictions of NO production to uncertainties in altitude, reaction rate coefficients, turbulent mixing rates, and Mach disc size and location. The results show that relatively large variations in parameters related to these phenomena had surprisingly little effect on pre¬dicted NO production.