Mechanism of the negative erosion effect

A mechanism of the negative erosive burning (effect) in the channel of a rocket motor propellant charge is proposed. Reduction in the burning rate results from a decrease in the flame temperature due to conversion of the chemical reaction heat to the kinetic energy of the gas. There is a critical value of the Vilyunov number above which steady-state propellant combustion is impossible. Steady-state combustion is possible up to a factor of $1/e^{1/2}$ decrease in the burning rate compared to the original value. An explanation is given for the weak manifestation of the negative erosion effect with a decrease in the initial propellant temperature: reducing the threshold rate of positive erosive burning narrows the region of negative erosive burning.