T-870-INTE MjölnirFuel and nozzle team
Milestone presentationInstructor: Joe Foley
Students: Ingi Mar Jónsson, Jóhannes E. ValbergSverrir Haraldsson
Department of Science and Engineering(TVD)
Reykjavík UniversityFebruary 7, 2014
● Introduction
● Rocket design fundamentals
● Requirements
● Rocket Motor selection
● Software and simulations
● The Development Process
● Experiments and future tests
Overview of the Talk
● Status
● Next steps
Introduction
● Determine design parameters○ Chamber pressure○ Nozzle throat outlet ratio○ Diameter and rocket length
● Determine fuel type○ Background research○ Comparison
● Simulations○ Mathematical○ Software
http://thinkpurpose.com/2013/01/07/its-not-rocket-science-2/
Requirements
● Safety at all times (fuel handling, launch tactics and more)
● Able to carry ~4 kg payload
● Ultimate goal of reaching altitude of 20+ km○ Supersonic/Hypersonic speeds
● Stable flight pattern (pitch, yaw) (stability)○ Center of gravity placed within 3 - 5 x diameter of rocket total center of
area.
● ...and all the other things that we cannot think of!
Hybrid rocket motors
● Liquid or Gaseous oxidizer in separated chamber○ LOX, N2O4, N2O, ClO2 …..
● Solid fuel grain in separated chamber○ HTPB, HTPB/Al, PMMA, PE, UHMW, Other Polymers
● Burns when oxidizer is injected into fuel grain chamber and ignited, applying thrust optimized by nozzle
● MR ratio ~0,35Picture:http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Rockets/Looking-Closer/Types-of-chemical-rocket-engines
Solid rocket motors
● Oxidizer and fuel mixed together in single chamber forming solid fuel grain
● Oxidizers○ NH4ClO4 (Ammonium perchlorate), KClO4 (Potassium perchlorate),
NH4NO3 (Ammonium nitrate), KNO3 (Potassium nitrate), NaClO4 (Sodium perchlorate)
● Fuel, often consisting of plasticizer, binder & catalysts○ HTPB, HTPB/Al, PMMA, PEG, PCP, HTPE, PBAN, PBAA, CTPB
…..
● The solid fuel grain burns when ignition charge is activated, applying thrust optimized by nozzle
● MR ratio 0,20 Picture:http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Rockets/Looking-Closer/Types-of-chemical-rocket-engines
Comparison
● The Hybrid Motor
● The Solid Fuel Motor
➔ Downs◆ Bad fuel/weight ratio◆ Complex design◆ Medium performance◆ Expensive motor design
➔ Ups◆ Oxidizer available locally◆ Non hazardous materials◆ Easy fuel grain production◆ Many fuel sources available◆ High efficiency
➔ Ups◆ High performance capabilities◆ Simple design◆ Good fuel/weight ratio◆ Few parts◆ Cheap motor design
➔ Downs◆ Medium efficiency ◆ Explosive materials◆ Bad availability of fuel and
oxidizer materials
● Ideal for stability, performance and overall design and flight simulations
● Easy to use and quick parameter alterations ● Saves calculation efforts, time and money● Accurate tool for motor performance analysis
and flight simulations prior to tests● Cheap software license availability for academic
use● Returns organized data for design comparison
analysis
Design software and simulators
Design software and simulators
EES; Fuel performance calculations for key design parameters
Design software and simulators
BurnSim 3; Motor & Nozzle simulation software
Design software and simulators
SpaceCAD 5 / RockSim9; Flight & stability simulation software
Development Process
Suggested experiments and future tests
● Conduct scaled motor test for ideal fuel types and compositions
● Gather real performance data for theoretical comparison and get hands on experience
Status
● Problem with fuel vendors○ Hesitant to sell foreign clients ○ Restricting exportation laws○ No domestic vendors
● Mathematical and software simulations○ Estimating design parameters○ Optimizing geometry○ Learning to use simulation software
● Chemical transportation solved○ Agreement with Eimskip
Next steps
● Finalize all aspects of the engine performance and rocket design geometry (2014.28.02)○ Use of simulation software
● Import rocket fuel to be used (2014.xx.xx)
● Cost estimation for fuel ingredients, software licence and motor materials ( 2014.28.02)
● Engine experiment and test (2014.xx.xx)○ reavaluate design parameters and fuel/engine choices
References
[1]
End of presentation
Thank you
QUESTIONS?