Class
Article
College
College of Engineering
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department
Faculty Mentor
Stephen Whitmore
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Hybrid motors have existed as a hypothetical propulsion system for decades in a wide range of upper stage rocket motors due to their simple, robust, non-toxic, and versatile nature. However, inherent to hybrids is oxidizer:Fuel ratio (O:F Ratio) shift over time, the elimination of which would remove many potential barriers to hybrid rocket motor usage in most spaceflight applications. The most important and difficult part of analytical models of hybrid rockets is the regression/combustion rate of hybrid fuel. O:F Ratio control is fully dependent on the ability to manipulate this regression independently of Oxidizer mass input. One potential method of regression rate manipulation is achieved by varying the vorticity of combustion gasses, induced by oxidizer injection. Modeling the relationship between combustion chamber conditions and fuel regression is complex and many approaches rely heavily on experimentally-derived approximations. This study reviews past analytical models that have attempted to quantify the rate of fuel combustion as a function of chamber conditions to learn how to best influence it. This study then applies the literature review to refine a numerical simulation in MATLAB code to predict the effects of vortex strength variation in a motor. This study details the assessed applicability of past analytical models on a vortex hybrid motor. These models to will be used to either select an ideal model or produce my own variant which will be built into the coded numerical simulation.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-12-2023 2:30 PM
End Date
4-12-2023 3:30 PM
Included in
Controlling Oxidizer-Fuel Ratio With Vortex Injection in Hybrid Rockets
Logan, UT
Hybrid motors have existed as a hypothetical propulsion system for decades in a wide range of upper stage rocket motors due to their simple, robust, non-toxic, and versatile nature. However, inherent to hybrids is oxidizer:Fuel ratio (O:F Ratio) shift over time, the elimination of which would remove many potential barriers to hybrid rocket motor usage in most spaceflight applications. The most important and difficult part of analytical models of hybrid rockets is the regression/combustion rate of hybrid fuel. O:F Ratio control is fully dependent on the ability to manipulate this regression independently of Oxidizer mass input. One potential method of regression rate manipulation is achieved by varying the vorticity of combustion gasses, induced by oxidizer injection. Modeling the relationship between combustion chamber conditions and fuel regression is complex and many approaches rely heavily on experimentally-derived approximations. This study reviews past analytical models that have attempted to quantify the rate of fuel combustion as a function of chamber conditions to learn how to best influence it. This study then applies the literature review to refine a numerical simulation in MATLAB code to predict the effects of vortex strength variation in a motor. This study details the assessed applicability of past analytical models on a vortex hybrid motor. These models to will be used to either select an ideal model or produce my own variant which will be built into the coded numerical simulation.