Too often, extensive calculations and development tests are made in order to evaluate the performance of chemical propellants. However, reasonable analysis of the fundamental factors which govern the performance can reduce the effort necessary for this evaluation and give greater insight as to what one should expect from a proposed propellant system. This thesis has been the basis of material that the senior author has presented in parts of two graduate courses: Chemical Rocket Engines and Combustion Processes in Jet Propulsion, taught at Princeton University. In 1965 the Propulsion and Energetics Panel of AGARD agreed to sponsor the preparation of this material in the form of a monograph. In order to make coverage of the subject matter more complete, additional material particularly on non-equilibrium effects in the rocket combustion chamber was added, contributed for the most part by the junior author.
The first part of Chapter П is tutorial in nature and lays the background thought to be necessary for the discussion and analysis in the latter chapters. The material on non-equilibrium effects included in this chapter and Chapter Ш is perhaps one of the more complete coverages of this subject to be presented in a book. The performance of chemical propellants is then analyzed in the last two chapters. In particular, the authors hope that the readers will find the Postface a useful and stimulating summary of most of the major points made throughout the text.