Hybrid Rocket Engine

Meet the Team!

Our Test Engineers

Our Design Engineers

From Left to Right
Nevin Mathew - Lead Engineer, M.E.
Josiah Klossner - Design Engineer, M.E.
Stelios Moisidis - Electrical/Controls Engineer, E.E.
Julian Caputo - Structrual Integrity Engineer, M.E.
Avinash Ananth - Project Manager, I.E.

From Left to Right
Project Manager - Alec Greenspan, I.E
Controls Engineer - John Judge, C.E.
Ignition System Engineer - Felix Blanco E.E.
Technical Lead - Bailey Reed, M.E.
Structural Engineer - Justin Napieralski, M.E.
Team Mentor - Martin Pepe
Propulsion Engineer - Ashley Kosak, M.E.

Who are we?

The teams are comprised of senior engineering students at the Rochester Institute of Technology. With a diverse range of majors, each student supplies a unique area of expertise to the project. All members have a burning passion for rocketry, most of which intend on pursuing careers in the field.

Our Goal

The ultimate goal of the Hybrid Rocket Engine team is to create a fully functioning engine that can integrate with a rocket. Launch Initiative intends on using this rocket to enter into the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition under the 30,000 feet advanced category. The goal of this competition is to be as close to 30,000 feet as possible without being under or over.

Placing highly in this competition will garnish national attention on RIT in the field of rocketry.

Propulsion Parameters

Total Impulse [lb-sec]: 9,210
Design Thrust [lb]: 1,300
Propellant (Fuel): Paraffin Wax (C74H123)
Propellant (Oxidizer): Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Propellant Weight [lb]: 43
Specific Impulse (ideal) [sec]: 242

Thrust Chamber Design

The thrust chamber houses the fuel grain in hybrid rocket engines. The chamber is where the chemical energy of the propellant gets converted to thermal energy, which then gets converted to useful kinetic energy for thrust through expansion in the nozzle. The thrust chamber design contains the injection system, ignition system, thermal management system, combustion chamber, fuel grain, and nozzle. A schematic of current design is shown below:

Injector

The injector of the rocket is the component that introduces the fluid propellant(s) into the thrust chamber at specific design mass flow rate(s). It atomizes the propellant, distributes, and mixes the propellant in such a manner to produce a uniform fuel to oxidizer to fuel ratio, mass flow rate, and combustion. A good injector design seeks to optimized atomization, combustion, and mixing of the propellant while meeting design requirements and minimizing combustion instabilities.

Design A: Pintle Injector

Pintle Injector Design Model (SIEMENS NX)

Injector CFD Velocity Profile (Star CCM+)

Pintle Injector FEA (ANSYS Static Structural)

Nozzle

15 Degree Conical Graphite Nozzle

Nozzle Model (SIEMENS NX)

CFD Velocity Profile (Star CCM+)

CFD Pressure Profile (Star CCM+)

Nozzle Side Model