3D-Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Fused Layer ABS Rocketry Experiment (F.L.A.R.E)

Amy BesioJonathan Benson

Richard HortaJohn Seligson

Josh Rou

Faculty/Technical Advisor:

Justin Karl, Ph.D.

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design 1

• Mission Statement• To design, fabricate, and test 3D-printed fuel

grains to optimize hybrid rocket performance characteristics

• Hybrid Rockets• Safer• Non-toxic/non-explosive

propellants• Command shutdown and

throttling capabilities• Ease of transport, storage,

and handling

Design Objectives

Liquid Oxidizer

Igniter

Injector

Solid Fuel Grain

Nozzle

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design 2

Ground Test Article

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsJosh Rou – Oxidizer Feed System 3

Design Problem

• Hybrid Rocket Disadvantages• Lower performance• Low regression rate

• Mass Flow Rate • Oxidizer

• Valve Size Dependent• Fuel

• Surface Area Dependent• Complex Thrust Profile

• Needs Complex Grain Geometries

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsJosh Rou – Oxidizer Feed System 4

Our Solution

• Optimize exposure of fuel grain surface area through 3D printing

• Advantages of 3D printing• Precision• Relatively Inexpensive• Readily Available

• Comparable performance characteristics to HTPB

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsJosh Rou – Oxidizer Feed System 5

Three Parallel Development Projects

• Test Stand• Ground Test Article• Flight Vehicle - End Goal

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsRichard Horta – Test Stand Design 6

Testing System

• Preliminary Design Requirements

• Factor of Safety = 5

• Cost Effectiveness

• Ease of Maintenance

• Portability

• Compatibility

• Previous Designs

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsRichard Horta – Test Stand Design 7

Testing System

• Rails Angled 45 Degrees

• Superstrut Platform and Clamps

• Fabrication

• Cutting, Grinding, Deburring

• Milling

• Drilling

• Welding

• Coating

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsJonathan Benson – Data Acquisition 8

• Instrumentation Integration• Button Load Cell

• 12 Volt Excitation• Pressure Transducers

• 5 Volt Excitation

• External Instrument• IR Meter

Testing System

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsJonathan Benson – Data Acquisition 9

Testing System - Results & Performance

• Pressure Experienced in Testing• Oxidizer Pressure 4480 kPa• Combustion Chamber Pressure

4000 kPa• Temperature Experienced in Testing

• 578 Kelvin• Force Experienced in Testing

• 1500 Newtons• Test Stand Performance

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design 10

Ground Test Article

• Design Requirements• Oxidizer/Fuel

• N2O/ABS• ID: 54 mm• Force: 500-1000 N• Chamber Pressure: 3.45 MPa• Factor of Safety: 2x

• Design Outputs• Thrust• Mass Flow Rate• Chamber Pressure• Exit Temperature

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design

Ground Test Article

• Design Considerations• Thermochemical Evaluation

• N2O/ABS• 7.8:1

• Combustion Temperature: 3500 K• Combustion Chamber

• 6061-T6 Aluminum• 54 mm X 160 mm

• Nozzle• Ideally expanded

• Pe=Pa

𝐴𝑡=

𝑚𝑝

𝑃𝑡

𝑅 ∗ 𝑇𝑡𝑘

= 95 𝑚𝑚2 𝑀𝑒 =2

𝑘 − 1∗

𝑃𝑐𝑃𝑎

𝑘−12

− 1 = 2.96

𝐴𝑒 =𝐴𝑡𝑀𝑒

1 +𝑘 − 12 𝑀𝑒

2

𝑘 + 12

𝑘+12 𝑘−1

= 490 𝑚𝑚2𝑉𝑒 =

2𝑘

𝑘−1∗ 𝑅 ∗ 𝑇𝑐 ∗ 1 −

𝑃𝑒

𝑃𝑐

𝑘−1

𝑘

𝐹 = 𝑚𝑝𝑉𝑒 + 𝑃𝑒 − 𝑃𝑎 𝐴𝑒

11

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design

Ground Test Article

• Expected Performance• Mass Flow Rate

• 0.282 kg/s• Force

• 670 N• Specific Impulse

• 194 seconds• Regression Rate

12

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design

Ground Test Article - Testing

Test 1: Live Fire Sequencing (subsonic)

Test 2: Solid Fuel Pressure Test

13

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design

Ground Test Article - Testing

14

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design

Rocket

-100

0

100

200

300

400

500

0 1 2 3 4 5

Forc

e (

N)

Time (s)

Thrust- Comparison

90% Infill 25% Infill

90% 25%

Mass Flow

Rate

155 g/s 152 g/s

Thrust 405 N 422 N

Combustion

Pressure

3.9 MPa 3.9 MPa

15

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsJohn Seligson – Data Acquisition

Flight Ready Model

• Type of Motor - Contrial J-245• 2000m Expected Altitude• 644 Ns Total Impulse• 3 s Burn Time

• Flight Mechanics Design Considerations• Fins - CP Aft of CG• Nose Cone - Rounded Curve

• Testing of Remaining Fuel Grains• 90% Infill• 25% Infill• Variable Infill

[Peterson]

16

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsJohn Seligson – Data Acquisition

Flight Ready Vehicle

• Measurements/Control• Altimetry• Positioning• Orientation• Temperature• Visual Recording

Component Make Model

Microcontroller PJRC Teensy++ 2.0

SD Adapter PJRC SD Adapter

Altimeter adafruit BMP180

GPS adafruit GPS Breakout

Gyroscope adafruit LSM9DSO

Thermocouple adafruit Type-K Glass Braid

Camera GoPro Hero

17

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsJonathan Benson – Data Acquisition

Recommendations

• Development• Infill of 3D printers• Different 3D printed Materials

• Nylon• Polycarbonate

• Different Oxidizers• Liquid Oxygen

• Design• New Geometries

18

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design 19

Budget

System Previous Current

Test Stand Structure $450.00 $100.00

Data Acquisition Equipment $500.00 $200.00

Rocket Components $650.00 $425.00

Propellant $200.00 $605.00

Total $1800.00 $1330.00

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel GrainsAmy Besio – Project Manager/Propulsion System Design

Acknowledgements

20

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Questions?

21

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Test Stand Assembly

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Test Stand Assembly

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Oxidizer Feed System

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Oxidizer Feed System

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Oxidizer Feed System

Pressure Relief Valves Solenoid Valves

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Oxidizer Feed System

Trial

Number

Scale

Precision

(g)

Solenoid Valve

Orifice Diameter

(cm)

∆Mass

(g)

∆Time

(seconds)

Mass

Flow Rate

(g/s)

Component

Removed

Component

Added

Trial 1 50 0.196 100 2.27 44 - -

Trial 2 50 0.196 300 5.33 56 CV -

Trial 3 50 0.196 300 4.99 60 CV, Tubing, ⅛”

Right-Angle

Adapters

-

Trial 4 2 0.196 276 5.24 52.67 CV -

Trial 5 2 0.196 108 1.94 55.67 CV -

Trial 6 2 0.196 102 1.85 55.14 CV -

Trial 7 2 0.635 464 1.93 240.41 CV Large SV, (2)

¼”Tee Adapters

Trial 8 2 0.635 424 1.91 221.99 CV Large SV, (2)

¼”Tee Adapters

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Thermal Imaging

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Data Acquisition

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Data Acquisition

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Data Acquisition

University of Central Florida-Senior Design Fall 20153D Printed Hybrid Rocket Fuel Grains

Alternate Slide - Data Acquisition