Design, Analysis, and Test of a High-Powered Model Rocket-1

Waters, Krystina M.; Robie, David T.; Balkind, Sophie R.; Marion, Brendan A.; Barrett, Matthew J.; Payne, Mark W.; Karns, Matthew D.; Sochacki, Adam

Student Work

Design, Analysis, and Test of a High-Powered Model Rocket-1

Público

This paper describes the design of a high-powered model rocket (HPMR) that incorporates innovative subsystems for stage separation, and recovery. The first stage of the HPMR is separated using a set of airbrakes deployed in flight. The second stage uses an autorotation system to control the descent velocity. An analysis of the composite motor was completed using Cantera and COMSOL to model the chemical equilibrium reaction and evaluate the temperature distribution in the motor during flight. These results were used to provide chamber conditions in a MATLAB model for ideal rocket performance. The electrical and thermal characteristics of the e-match ignitor were also modeled using COMSOL. Aerodynamic loads on the vehicle airframe, autorotation blades, air brakes, and fins used for spin stabilization were evaluated using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) tools in Ansys Fluent. Results from the CFD analysis were used as inputs to a dynamical simulation of the vehicle trajectory, implemented in MATLAB. Ansys Workbench was used for structural analysis. Results are presented from these analyses as well as a description of prototype construction and testing completed at the subsystem level.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

Subject

Publisher