2020 March 22
This year, the LRE team will be competing in the College of Engineering (COE) Innovation Day competition. Due to the spread of COVID-19, the COE has moved the competition to an online format, where we are required to create and publish a video going into depth about our project.
Video: https://youtu.be/lzMn_9DHfws
This year, the LRE team will be competing in the College of Engineering (COE) Innovation Day competition. Due to the spread of COVID-19, the COE has moved the competition to an online format, where we are required to create and publish a video going into depth about our project.
Video: https://youtu.be/lzMn_9DHfws
2020 February 07
The team has successfully conducted our first cold flow test! Over the next several weeks, we will be working on analyzing the data and make any changes necessary to the injector. From these tests, we gathered pressure data, and the flow rates for both the fuel and oxidizer side. The cold-flow test will also help determine whether uniform flow rates are achieved in each of the orifices, and if the fuel and oxidizer orifices are impinging upon one another at the correct point. With this data, we can calculate the discharge coefficient and pressure drop within the injector and verify the performance of the injector. These tests also provided us with high quality video footage of the impingement pattern from the injector.
Video: https://youtu.be/0SIrto-kGvE
The team has successfully conducted our first cold flow test! Over the next several weeks, we will be working on analyzing the data and make any changes necessary to the injector. From these tests, we gathered pressure data, and the flow rates for both the fuel and oxidizer side. The cold-flow test will also help determine whether uniform flow rates are achieved in each of the orifices, and if the fuel and oxidizer orifices are impinging upon one another at the correct point. With this data, we can calculate the discharge coefficient and pressure drop within the injector and verify the performance of the injector. These tests also provided us with high quality video footage of the impingement pattern from the injector.
Video: https://youtu.be/0SIrto-kGvE
2019 November 20
The team has completed the design for our injector and was additively manufactured out of Nylon-12. Over the next couple weeks, the injector will be cleaned thoroughly, and we will continue to finish the construction of our test stand. The engineering department has also donated a large water tank that we can use for our test. We will be spending time to clean out the tank and run several tests to ensure that it will withstand the pressure for the cold flow test.
The team has completed the design for our injector and was additively manufactured out of Nylon-12. Over the next couple weeks, the injector will be cleaned thoroughly, and we will continue to finish the construction of our test stand. The engineering department has also donated a large water tank that we can use for our test. We will be spending time to clean out the tank and run several tests to ensure that it will withstand the pressure for the cold flow test.
2019 September 12
Phase 1 of the Triton 1 rocket engine is to characterize and finalize the injector design. This will involve conducting cold flow tests of injectors to determine the discharge coefficient of the orifices and pressure drop across the injector for both the fuel and oxidizer side. The pressure and velocity distribution in the propellant manifolds will be evaluated as well to ensure that flow rates through the orifices are uniform.
Over the next couple weeks, we will be working on completing the design for our cold flow test stand and the plumbing for the cold flow test. Once this is completed, we will purchase the parts and calibrate the sensors once we receive them.
Phase 1 of the Triton 1 rocket engine is to characterize and finalize the injector design. This will involve conducting cold flow tests of injectors to determine the discharge coefficient of the orifices and pressure drop across the injector for both the fuel and oxidizer side. The pressure and velocity distribution in the propellant manifolds will be evaluated as well to ensure that flow rates through the orifices are uniform.
Over the next couple weeks, we will be working on completing the design for our cold flow test stand and the plumbing for the cold flow test. Once this is completed, we will purchase the parts and calibrate the sensors once we receive them.
2019 March 08
Over the last couple months, the team has begun into a new direction and has started developing a new engine; with our new design we will now be using Liquid Nitrous Oxide as our oxidizer and Kerosene as our fuel. So far, the team has used RPA (Rocket Propulsion Analysis) to determine some major design characteristics for the engine (Triton 1). With the design characteristics given to us from RPA we have made some preliminary designs on our injector and our combustion chamber.
Over the last couple months, the team has begun into a new direction and has started developing a new engine; with our new design we will now be using Liquid Nitrous Oxide as our oxidizer and Kerosene as our fuel. So far, the team has used RPA (Rocket Propulsion Analysis) to determine some major design characteristics for the engine (Triton 1). With the design characteristics given to us from RPA we have made some preliminary designs on our injector and our combustion chamber.
2018 November 10
Over the summer the team has begun into a new direction and has started developing a new engine; with our new design we will now be using Liquid Oxygen as our oxidizer and Liquid Methane as our fuel. So far, the team has used RPA (Rocket Propulsion Analysis) to determine some major design characteristics (shown below). With the design characteristics given to us from RPA we have made some preliminary designs on our Injector and our Combustion Chamber. After we complete all the CAD models of our engine, we will then run them through several simulations using ANSYS.
Over the summer the team has begun into a new direction and has started developing a new engine; with our new design we will now be using Liquid Oxygen as our oxidizer and Liquid Methane as our fuel. So far, the team has used RPA (Rocket Propulsion Analysis) to determine some major design characteristics (shown below). With the design characteristics given to us from RPA we have made some preliminary designs on our Injector and our Combustion Chamber. After we complete all the CAD models of our engine, we will then run them through several simulations using ANSYS.
2018 April 2
The team has been continuing work on the College of Education Research Experience for Undergraduates. This semester we will finish the design and simulations, so we will be able purchase parts to start experiments to work towards a finished model.
It is expected that we will have the exact parameters for the heat exchanger by the end of the semester along with simulations on the injector in Ansys, and a simulation on the whole integrated system in a program in MatLab called Simulink. The simulations we hope to run in Ansys will include a mixing/combustion analysis where the methanol and the nitrous oxide are run through a 2D model of the combustion chamber and injector and ignited so we can visualize the effectiveness of the injector. Other Ansys simulations will be a pressure test (to ensure the injector will not fail during testing) and a heating test (to ensure the injector will not melt). The Simulink simulations will give us insight into how the control system will properly work with the feed system. It will also let us recreate a real experiment without buying any actual parts.
After these experiments the team will be able to verify our design with experts and move on to working with a real model. The team has made some models that were 3Dd printed with PLA for demonstration purposes and for ease of visualization. Another model that is being designed is a breadboard that will simulate plugs into valves and sensors. This will allow the team to test our control code without having completed the feed system. After making sure our code is correct the processor will be able to have the code downloaded on to it and directly plugged in to the electronics of the rocket.
The team has been continuing work on the College of Education Research Experience for Undergraduates. This semester we will finish the design and simulations, so we will be able purchase parts to start experiments to work towards a finished model.
It is expected that we will have the exact parameters for the heat exchanger by the end of the semester along with simulations on the injector in Ansys, and a simulation on the whole integrated system in a program in MatLab called Simulink. The simulations we hope to run in Ansys will include a mixing/combustion analysis where the methanol and the nitrous oxide are run through a 2D model of the combustion chamber and injector and ignited so we can visualize the effectiveness of the injector. Other Ansys simulations will be a pressure test (to ensure the injector will not fail during testing) and a heating test (to ensure the injector will not melt). The Simulink simulations will give us insight into how the control system will properly work with the feed system. It will also let us recreate a real experiment without buying any actual parts.
After these experiments the team will be able to verify our design with experts and move on to working with a real model. The team has made some models that were 3Dd printed with PLA for demonstration purposes and for ease of visualization. Another model that is being designed is a breadboard that will simulate plugs into valves and sensors. This will allow the team to test our control code without having completed the feed system. After making sure our code is correct the processor will be able to have the code downloaded on to it and directly plugged in to the electronics of the rocket.
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The project that the team had received funding for early last semester is coming to a close and documentation of the findings are being finished. The team is creating a paper that should be around 40 pages and 10,000 words, a poster summarizing findings, and a PowerPoint presentation that will be similar to the poster. The findings will be presented at Innovation Day for the College of Engineering on April 16th, 2018.
2017 October 6
With the start of a new semester, the team has almost doubled the amount of active members and productivity has improved. We look forward to a productive semester. We are happy to announce that the team participated in the College of Engineering REU, and was awarded $2,000 to help research costs.
Due to the high atmospheric temperatures of the possible testing sites, the current pressure of the nitrous oxide could allow for evaporation in the feed lines. In order to counteract the problem the team has increased the pressure of the combustion chamber, which has caused the other systems to change. The combustion chamber has been changed to a smaller diameter in order to withstand the extra pressure load, this makes it so cooling system's efficiency had to be improved to counteract the increased heat flux. Finally the Inconel has been changed to an Inconel 625 because it has a higher melting point.
The team has finished the schematic for the feed system and now is in talks with a local company to streamline the design and contract valves. The injector has been updated and will soon be ready for simulations. Once simulations and redesigning is complete the manufacturing can be contracted. A code is being developed for the cooling system in order to calculate the size needed for the channels.
With the start of a new semester, the team has almost doubled the amount of active members and productivity has improved. We look forward to a productive semester. We are happy to announce that the team participated in the College of Engineering REU, and was awarded $2,000 to help research costs.
Due to the high atmospheric temperatures of the possible testing sites, the current pressure of the nitrous oxide could allow for evaporation in the feed lines. In order to counteract the problem the team has increased the pressure of the combustion chamber, which has caused the other systems to change. The combustion chamber has been changed to a smaller diameter in order to withstand the extra pressure load, this makes it so cooling system's efficiency had to be improved to counteract the increased heat flux. Finally the Inconel has been changed to an Inconel 625 because it has a higher melting point.
The team has finished the schematic for the feed system and now is in talks with a local company to streamline the design and contract valves. The injector has been updated and will soon be ready for simulations. Once simulations and redesigning is complete the manufacturing can be contracted. A code is being developed for the cooling system in order to calculate the size needed for the channels.
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2017 January 14
The team has been working hard this past semester and significant progress has been made. However, the team did not complete all of the goals we had set for this semester and are therefore slightly behind schedule. Some of the progress that was completed includes determining several major design parameters for the injector, the fuel and oxidizer tanks, and the feed system. It was decided that the feed system would be a pressure-regulated system, rather than a blow down system, utilizing helium gas as the pressurant. The type of discharge system for the tanks has been narrowed down to either a direct gas interface, or a piston displacement mechanism. Both systems will be studied further in order to determine which will be used on the final vehicle. For the time being, a direct gas displacement system will be designed for the fuel tank, while a piston displacement system will be used for the oxidizer tank. Image Reference: Sutton, G.P. and Biblarz, O.B. “Rocket propulsion elements,” John Wiley & Sons, 7th Ed., New York, 2001, p.6 |
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For the pintle injector, both a fuel centered and oxidizer centered flow were examined, and it was decided that the central fluid would be the fuel, while the annulus fluid will be the oxidizer. The basic geometry (of the 1st iteration) was determined, and chosen to be similar to the figure shown. CAD models have been started and several variations of the manifold design are in progress. It is expected that after the 1st iteration of the injector is manufactured, it will be tested in order to experimentally determine several major parameters such as the discharge coefficients and pressure drops.
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After testing has been completed, the injector will be redesigned in order to meet all of the design requirements.
Image Reference: Yang, V., Habiballah, M., Hulka, J., Popp, M., “Liquid Rocket Thrust Chambers: Aspects of Modeling Analysis and Design”, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Volume 200, AIAA, Reston, VA., 2004. pp. 160
Image Reference: Yang, V., Habiballah, M., Hulka, J., Popp, M., “Liquid Rocket Thrust Chambers: Aspects of Modeling Analysis and Design”, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Volume 200, AIAA, Reston, VA., 2004. pp. 160
This past semester, RPA (Rocket Propulsion Analysis) software was used in order to get first order approximations of the heat exchanger design characteristics. After several iterations of simulations however, it was decided that a different approach would be taken for the spring semester. Next semester the team intends to perform analytical calculations by hand (in MATLAB) in order to approximate the characteristics of the system and to determine the major geometrical parameters. After an initial geometry is determined, simulations will be performed in RPA to verify the design, and CAD models will be created. After the CAD models are complete, further analysis will be performed using ANSYS.
Shown in the figure below is a bare-bones skeleton of the thrust chamber the team is working on (please note: this model is incomplete). As seen in the figure, we are using a conical nozzle for the first iteration. This is to simplify the process so that we can focus on other features of the system. In future design iterations, the team intends to perform the axisymmetric method of characteristics in order to design a contoured bell nozzle.
Shown in the figure below is a bare-bones skeleton of the thrust chamber the team is working on (please note: this model is incomplete). As seen in the figure, we are using a conical nozzle for the first iteration. This is to simplify the process so that we can focus on other features of the system. In future design iterations, the team intends to perform the axisymmetric method of characteristics in order to design a contoured bell nozzle.
Next semester the team is planning to continue design on the feed system, injector, and heat exchanger, while also starting to begin analysis on the control system and structural design.
2016 September 09
The research team has made significant progress over the summer; the preliminary design for the thrust chamber has been completed using quasi-1D analysis. The team utilized MATLAB, RPA, and CEA software packages for the preliminary design. Several other major design parameters have been determined for the pressure fed rocket engine, and the approximate values are summarized in the table below. Work has also been started on the design of the regenerative cooling system and the pintle style injector. The goals for the fall semester are to complete the injector and heat exchanger design, as well as complete the plumbing and feed system design, and also start the preliminary design of the control system. The team also plans to create CAD models of all the components and run high-fidelity simulations using ANSYS.
The research team has made significant progress over the summer; the preliminary design for the thrust chamber has been completed using quasi-1D analysis. The team utilized MATLAB, RPA, and CEA software packages for the preliminary design. Several other major design parameters have been determined for the pressure fed rocket engine, and the approximate values are summarized in the table below. Work has also been started on the design of the regenerative cooling system and the pintle style injector. The goals for the fall semester are to complete the injector and heat exchanger design, as well as complete the plumbing and feed system design, and also start the preliminary design of the control system. The team also plans to create CAD models of all the components and run high-fidelity simulations using ANSYS.
