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In recent years we have completed a number of studies for the modelling and numerical simulation of heterogeneous propellant combustion. A variety of tools have emerged from these studies. The most important are the modelling of propellant morphology, homogenization, and a phase-coupled unsteady threedimensional combustion model. These tools have been applied to relevant configurations for the study of heterogeneous propellants, including the periodic sandwich, a periodic array of alternating ammonium perchlorate and binder slices, and discs or spheres that are randomly packed. All our previous studies employed a body-fitted grid along the moving interface by means of a mapping technique, since the surface is assumed to be single valued. The computational difficulties are significantly increased when the burning surface undergoes a complex or multi-valued shape. Such complex surfaces can …