Hybrid Rocket Project

1
Hybrid Rocket Project

• Joel Beilke
• University of
• Minnesota Duluth
• Industrial Engineering
• Fall Semester 2004
• LAST ONE!

2
Hybrid Rocket History

• Invented in the 1930s
• Europe
• United States
• Never caught on
• Early not enough research
• Established Traditional rockets
• Renewed interests today
• Safety
• Cost

3
Hybrid Rocket History

• Since 2001 NASA investing in Hybrids

4
Hybrid Rocket History

• SpaceShipOne Wins 10m X-Prize

5
Hybrid Rocket History
On October 4, 2004, SpaceShipOne rocketed into
history, became the first private manned
spacecraft to exceed an altitude of 328,000 feet
twice within the span of a 14 day period, thus
claiming the ten million dollar Ansari X-Prize.
www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/041004_spaceshipon
e_x-prize_flight_2.html
6
What is a Hybrid Rocket?

• Merging of two technologies
• Solid Fuel Grain
• Safe
• inexpensive
• Liquid Oxidizer
• N2O is Safe - not pure O2
• Less cost in handling

7
What is a Hybrid Rocket?

• Diagram of components

http//www.hawkfeather.com/rockets/hybrid_tutorial
.html
8
Hybrid Rocket Benefits

• Safe
• Non-explosive
• Unmixed oxidizer and fuel
• Lower Cost
• Solid fuel is cheaper (paraffin wax, rubber)
• N2O is easier to handle

9
Hybrid Rocket Benefits

• Can be throttled
• During flight
• Shut-down and restarted
• Faster turnaround
• Boosters are rechargeable
• Vehicle components are simplified

10
UMD Hybrid Rocket Project

• Build a capable test stand
• Computer controlled
• Capable of 3 dia x 3 long rocket
• Capable 300lb of thrust
• Able to conduct creditable research
• Allow further research
• Student projects
• ME lab usage

11
Hybrid Rocket Test Stand

• Frame and test bed design

12
Hybrid Rocket Test Instrumentation

• Analog and Digital I/O
• Thrust
• Pressure
• tank, combustion,exhaust
• Temperature
• Valve control
• Safety and E-stop
• Lift and light

13
Hybrid Rocket Software

• Think Do Live!
• PC-based control software
• Motion control
• Flowchart logic for control
• Human Machine Interface
• DDE Dynamic Data Exchange
• For Microsoft Windows Applications

14
Hybrid Rocket Software

• Benefits
• Remote access Ethernet connection
• Soft keys custom screen and graphing
• Dump to Excel
• Lower cost vs. LabView
• We now use it to run the router in 4235

15
Questions?

• LAST ONE!

16
More Pictures
In 1995, NASA and DARPA started the Hybrid
Propulsion Demonstration Program (HPDP). Under
this program, the world's largest hybrid engine
was tested at NASA's Stennis Space Center August
13, 1999. It was 70 inches by 45 feet, and
developed 250,000 pounds of thrust for 15 seconds
http//www.hawkfeather.com/rockets/hybrids1.html
17
More Pictures

• Fuel Grain

18
More Pictures

• Nozzle and Fill Tube