News:The Aerospace Systems Engineering team
attempted to test fire their 2000 pound thrust rocket motor once again on
May 18, 2008.
Although the event itself was
a success, the motor did not perform as expected.Based on the sensor and video data, the
liquid oxygen system delivered only ~20% of the expected flowrate, although
the liquid oxygen valve was open.The fuel system worked correctly, but the liquid oxygen flow was not
high enough and the motor did not ignite – although the propellants
did burn external to the motor (see below).
Our working theory is an ice
ball formed downstream of the liquid oxygen valve an was dislodged when the
motor attempted to light.This was
very frustrating for the team, but we’ll regroup in the fall and try
again.
Attempted test firing on May 18th:
Details
on a previous test firing:
On
November 11, 2007 ASA test fired our 2000 lb thrust rocket motor at the
BCMA airfield south of Houston.The motor ran a full duration (20
seconds), the computer system worked well, and the test stand held the
motor solidly.
Refer to the Propulsion team website for more details.
This video shows the test firing
from several viewpoints.
Rocket
Motor Test – FAQ
Q:How did the rocket motor perform?
A:The motor produced about 1500 pounds of
thrust initially, but this tapered off to around 800 pounds as the test
progressed.
Q:What is “exploding” out of
the motor?
A:Caused by a “hard start”
ignition, a pressure wave blew off our graphite nozzle.The chunks you see flying past the camera
were the outer pieces of the nozzle.
Q:What happened to the video camera?
A:Our nozzle-cam was intentionally placed
in the line of fire downstream of the rocket motor.Video from the camera was recorded on a
VCR nearby.Here is a unique picture
of ignition looking up the rocket nozzle:
Q:Does the camera still work?
A:Yes, it still works and we’ll use
it again next time.
Q:Did the computer system work?
A:Yes, the computer system and remote video
monitoring system worked great.Data, video, and commands were sent wirelessly to/from the test
stand,
Q:What next?
A:Next year, we will fix the remaining
issues with the rocket motor and re-test fire it.Then, we will build a rocket body around
this motor and launch it!
Q:Could you tell me more about the program?
A:ASE Program:For the last year and half, high school
students have worked with volunteer engineers to build a liquid-fueled
rocket motor and computer control system.
This engineering outreach program,
called Aerospace Systems Engineering, is designed to teach students practical
engineering and inspire them to pursue college careers in science and
engineering.
Here are two pictures from a recent work day
Student and engineer working on a
rocket motor part
Two students working on a pressure
sensor
You can follow the
progress of each team on their blog pages:
Lastly, you can
download a brochure about the ASE program here.
This
is a CAD drawing of the rocket motor the students are building
DONATE
The
ASE program is funded through generous contributions from the public and
local companies.Please help supportthis
endeavor!
This is a CAD
drawing of the rocket motor on the test stand.
The test stand
was built in May, 2006 by the
Civil Engineering Team.The upcoming
test firing will use the steel structure shown above but it will be mounted
on a mobile platform.
Who is currently
looking at the ASA website?Find out
here.
