Patent ID: 8842281
Filing Date: 2014-09-23
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of determining an amount of degradation of stabilizer in a solid state rocket fuel by measuring intensity of either back scattered, reflected or transmitted light in the solid state rocket fuel, the method comprising the steps of: providing the solid state rocket fuel, the solid state rocket fuel being either 1) a double-base NC/NG solid state propellant fuel (M9) with a 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline stabilizer (MNA), or 2 Nosih-AA2 minimum smoke double base solid state propellant fuel (MK90) with a 1,2,4-butanetriol trinitrate stabilizer (BTTN); passing light having a spectral range from 100 nm to 200,000 nm from an illuminating source, the light including 1) a first wavelength or range of wavelengths producing a distinguishably greater or lesser light absorbance for the stabilizer than for components of the solid state rocket fuel, and 2) a second wavelength or range of wavelengths producing a light absorbance for the stabilizer not distinguishably different than for the components of the solid state rocket fuel, 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 state 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 state 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 state 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 state 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 state rocket fuel.