Turbo-Rocket R A brand new class of hybrid rocket Rene Nardi and Eduardo Mautone 53 rd AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference July 10 12, 2017 - Atlanta, Georgia
Rumo ao Espaço R - UFC Team 2
Background Using liquid propellants rockets for educational purpose has proven elusive for a very long time. Academic rocketry relies mostly on solid propellants, in part to avoid the complexity of liquid propellants rockets. As long as the operation is restricted to the lower limits of the atmosphere, airbreathing is an option worthing further investigation. 3
Atmosphere Layers Turbo Rocket 5 km National Center for Atmospheric Research 4
Why a liquid-gas hybrid? The rocket should fly high enough to justify the efforts, but it may not have to leave the atmosphere. High subsonic speed is desirable, however, this rocket may not necessarily go supersonic. Jet engines are far simpler, safer and less expensive to operate than rockets. No cryogenic system to deal with: no liquid oxygen, no helium, no high pressure vessels. 5
LRE System Why a liquid-gas hybrid? TurboRocket System
The TurboRocket is a brand new class of flying machine It does not operate as a jet aircraft, neither does it like a regular rocket. JET AIRCRAFT Horizontal take off Flies at the horizontal position At the same altitude At constant speed Engine power set to idle (cruise) TURBO-ROCKET Near vertical take off Flies on the vertical Always changing altitude Always changing velocity Engine at full power 7
The TurboRocket is a brand new class of flying machine It does not operate as a jet aircraft, neither does it like a regular rocket. ROCKET Carries its working fluid in the form of fuel and oxidizer. It is capable of operating within or outside the atmosphere. Thrust is not affected, much, by an increase in altitude. High propellant mass fraction ( 80 %) TURBO-ROCKET Carries its own fuel, but relies on the surrounding atmosphere as the source of oxygen. Operation limited to the confines of the lower atmosphere. Noticeable thrust reduction as function of altitude. Low propellant mass fraction 8 ( 5 % )
The TurboRocket is a brand new class of flying machine 9
High Level Requirements Design, build and launch a flying machine, To carry a 1 kg payload to 5 km ASL, Using a comerciall off-the-shelf turbojet engine, COTS electronics and sensors, With a composite structure (carbon fiber). 10
Turbo-Rocket overview 11
Turbo-Rocket in Details Nose Cone Parachute Fuselage Fins Payload Flight Computer Engine Cowling Fuel Tank Electronic Engine Control Unit Engine 12
A Turbojet Engine Total Weight of 2,6 kg for a Maximum Thrust of 300 N, Nice thrust to weight ratio of 11:1 Liquid Rocket Engine at 30:1 Burning kerosene at a mass rate of 13 g/sec, Specific Fuel Consumption of 1.6 lb/lbf.s Liquid Rocket Engine at 10 lb/lbf.s. 13
A Turbojet Engine Jet-Cat 300 14
Engine Installation in Details Engine Installation Fuel Tank Installation 15
Performance simulations: Methodology Flight path divided into 3 portions 1 - Powered flight; 2 Coasting; 3 - Descent 16
Performance simulations - Euler s Method 1 - Powered flight; Find the theoretical velocity and altitude increment, without drag, over a small interval of time. Add this theoretical increment to the velocity in the last interval and determine the drag. The drag is them substituted back into the original force equation and the actual velocity increment computed from the equation thus generated. 17
Performance simulations - restrictions 18
Performance simulations: Equations 19
Speed ( m/s ) Altitude ( m ) Performance with 1 kg payload 240 Altitude (m) Speed (m/s) 6000 200 5000 160 4000 120 3000 80 2000 40 1000 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Fligth time (sec) 0 20
Performance simulations - results 21
Specific Requirements I Altitude: 10,000 ft ( 3 km) Payload: 8.8 lb ( 4 kg ) Class: COTS Hybrid (liquid gas) 22
Altitude (m) Spaceport America and IREC Y(t) Altitude (m) V (t) Speed (m/s) 4000 3500 160 150 m/s 140 3000 120 2500 100 2000 80 1500 60 1000 500 Powered Flight Coasting 40 20 0 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Flight Time ( s ) 23
What s next? Incremental steps designed to improve the concept and to, eventually, enhance performance. 1. Aerospike for a supersonic nozzle 2. Air intake design optimization to reduce drag 3. Afterburning, for higher speed and altitude 4. Thrust vectoring 5. Vertical landing 24
QUESTIONS? Rene Nardi renenardi@hotmail.com +1 912 405 6453 +55 12 98251 8864 Thank you.