36th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference

San Diego, CA, Oct. 28-31, 2006

THIS IS ROCKET SCIENCE: DEVELOPMENT AND

TESTING OF A HYBRID ROCKET MOTOR IN A ROCKET
PROPULSION COURSE

Anthony J. Marchese
Mechanical Engineering
Rowan University
201 Mullica Hill Rd.
Glassboro, NJ 08028

http://users.rowan.edu/~marchese
Overview
This is Rocket Science: The Hybrid Rocket Motor Project
Motivation for a project based learning
experience in rocket propulsion
Context: Description of the rocket
propulsion course
Description of the project: objectives,
requirements and constraints
Development of the analytical model
Design and fabrication of the hardware
Development of the hybrid rocket motor
test stand
The Engineering Clinic
Test results
On going tests
Course Objectives

Introduction to Rocket Propulsion (ME 412)

Rocket propulsion draws upon the fundamental concepts of
thermodynamics, chemistry, fluid mechanics and heat transfer to
design propulsion systems. At the conclusion of the course, each
student will be able to:
Analyze the performance of an ideal rocket engine.
Select propellants and choose a rocket propulsion system based on mission
requirements.
Perform thermochemical calculations to determine the rocket chamber
temperature and chemical composition for any propellant combination.
Design a liquid propellant rocket engine by considering the propellant
combination, combustion chamber, injector, igniter, nozzle, heat transfer and
cooling characteristics.
Design a solid propellant rocket motor based on the propellant combination,
burning rate laws and grain design.
Design a hybrid rocket motor based on the propellant combination, burning rate
laws and grain design.
Build and test a 10 lbf thrust hybrid rocket motor.   Measure specific impulse,
characteristic exhaust velocity, thrust coefficient and compare to theoretical
calculations.
Motivation for the Hybrid Rocket Motor Project
Private Sector Opportunities in Space Exploration

On October 4, 2004, SpaceShipOne

became the first private manned
spacecraft to exceed an altitude of
328,000 feet twice within a 2 week
period, thereby claiming the $10 million
Ansari X-Prize.

SpaceShipOne was powered by a hybrid

rocket motor (liquid N2O, solid polymer fuel)

N 2O

solid fuel
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Objectives, Design Parameters and Constraints

GOX

aluminum HTPB/Al graphite

Objectives of the semester design project:

Design, build and test a hybrid rocket motor.
Develop a theoretical model that predicts the performance of the hybrid
rocket motor as a function of time.
Compare measured performance with theoretical model.
Constraints:
Oxidizer must be gaseous oxygen (GOX)
Maximum Chamber Pressure: 115 psia, Ambient Pressure: 14.7 psia
Maximum GOX flow rate: 500 SLPM
Minimum initial thrust: 5 lbf
Fuel grain outer diameter = 1.175 in
Maximum Fuel Grain Length = 12 in
Fuel: HTPB, HTPB/AL, PMMA, PE, UHMW or paraffin
 Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Theoretical Model: This is Rocket Science
Ab
m
Liquid oxidizer m o m f
r f

Pc Ap
solid fuel At Ae
Tc, Xi, 

Fuel Regression Rate Thrust Coefficient

n
 m   1
  1

r f (t )  a o   2  2( -1) 2   Pe     Pe P  Ae
 A (t )  C F     1 -       
 p     1   - 1   Pc    Pc Pc  At
 
Fuel Mass Flow Rate
n
Characteristic Thrust
 m  Specific HeatExhaust
Ratio
m f (t )   f Ab (t )a o  Velocity
  F  m C *C F
 A (t )  m
 p  C*  C *  om o 
 m m  
  f f  Specific Impulse
Chamber Pressure

C *   m o  
n
I SP 
 Fdt  C C *
F
Pc (t )  m o   f Ab (t )a   g  m dt g
At   Ap (t )   o o
 
Hybrid Rocket Motors
Thermochemical Model: This is Rocket Science
A
b
m

L
i
qui
dox
i
di
zer m

o
m
f
r

f

c A
P p A
s
o
li
dfu
el A
t
e
T
,
cX,
i 
The NASA CEA Chemical Equilibrium computer code was used to
calculate Tc, , MW, C* and Xi as a function of oxidizer to fuel ratio.
fuel + oxidizer  products + energy
m ox M ox
C7.337 H10.982O.058  O2 
 m CO2 CO2  m H 2O H 2O  m CO CO  m H 2 H 2  m OH OH  m o2 O2  m o O  m H H
m f M f
1850 1.32

1.30
1800  m 
1.28   o 
1750  m 
1.26
 f 
1700
1.24
C*(m/s)

1650 1.22


 m  1.20
C*  C *  o 
1600
 m  1.18
1550  f 
1.16
1500
1.14

1450 1.12
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5
O/F Ratio O/F Ratio
Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Theoretical Model Results
A
b
m

L
i
qui
dox
i
di
zer m

o
m
f
r

f

c A
P p A
s
o
li
dfu
el A
t
e
T
,
cX,
i 

The detailed analytical model was used to predict the variation in fuel
flow rate, O/F ratio, chamber pressure, thrust and specific impulse (I sp)
with time.
110 8 200

105 195
Chamber Pressure [psia]

Specific Impulse [s]

100 190
Thrust [lbf]

95 185

5
90 180

85 4 175
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

time (s) time (s) time (s)

 The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Concept Design and Parametric Design

The theoretical hybrid rocket motor model was also used iteratively optimize their final design to choose the following
parameters:
fuel grain length
port diameter L
throat diameter
nozzle area ratio
nozzle exit diameter
GOX dp dt de

aluminum HTPB/Al graphite

Final design drawings were generated for the combustion chamber and
the supersonic nozzle using Solid Works.
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project

Fabrication

Combustion chambers were

fabricated from aluminum round
stock using manual lathes

Supersonic nozzles were

fabricated from graphite using a
CNC turning center
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Fuel Formulation

Hydroxyl Terminated
Polybutadiene (HTPB) was
formulated, mixed with
aluminum particles and cured.

Other fuels such as PMMA,

HDPE and UHMW were
machined from solid round
stock
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Development of the Hybrid Rocket Motor Test Stand
Solenoid Valve GOX Mass Flow
Controller

Pressure
Transducer

Thrust Chamber
Igniters

Load Cell
Linear Bearing Nozzle

Mass flow rate Deliver

The Objective: was measured and controlled
a hybrid rocket motor test using a Teledyne
stand capable Hastings thrust
of measuring
HFC203 lb),Mass
(0-10ignition Flow Controller.
chamber
The systempressure
consists(0-250 psig),
of dual oxygen mass
automotive sparkflow ratewhich
plugs (0-500 SLPM)
are energized
Thrust
using was
an
The Team: measured
ETP 300ST
Two using
solid
senior an Omega
state LC101-25
induction
mechanical coil
engineeringload cell. one junior mechanical
students,
engineering
Chamber student
pressure andmeasured
was one senior electrical
using engineering
an Omega student.
Pressure Transducer.
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Development of the Hybrid Rocket Motor Test Stand

Flow Controller Solenoid Valve

Igniters
Pressure Transducer

Check Valve
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Development of the Hybrid Rocket Motor Test Stand

Load Cell
Linear Bearing
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Data Acquisition
Data acquired included:
instantaneous chamber pressure,
thrust,
oxygen mass flow rate and
high speed dynamic chamber
pressure
The data were acquired using an
Agilent 34970A Data Acquisition
Unit with GPIB interface and an
HP 54645D digital storage
oscilloscope

With these data, each team was able to measure specific impulse (Isp),
characteristic exhaust velocity (C*) and thrust coefficient (CF) and
compare these measurements to their analytical models.
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Test Firing (HTPB/20% AL/GOX)
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Test Firing (Big Red)
 The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Experimental Results

10 100

8 80 The analytical models

reproduced the

Chamber Pressure [psig)

6 60 experimental data
Thrust [lb]

reasonably well.
Pc (Calculated)
4
Pc (Measured)
40
When the variation in actual
oxygen mass flow rate was
2 F (Calculated) 20 taken into account,
F (Measured)
analytical results matched
0 0
the experiments very well!
0 5 10 15 20 25
Time [s]
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Ongoing Work

The system is now being used for

a research project on the effect of
fuel type on combustion instability
of hybrid rocket motors.
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Conclusions
At the beginning of the semester, students
showed very little awareness of the space
program and its significance (both historic and
contemporary).
This condition is surprising to the generation
who grew up wanting to be astronauts.
The hybrid rocket design project was successful
in introducing a new generation of students to
rocket science.
The hybrid rocket motors were inexpensive,
relatively easy to build and safe.
The hybrid rocket motor test stand was an
effective junior/senior level design project. Total
project cost was approximately $2000.
The test stand is now being used for scholarly
pursuits.
The Hybrid Rocket Motor Design Project
Is this valve open?