Development of Lattice-Augmented Fuels for Hybrid Rocket Applications

Hill, Colin

Development of Lattice-Augmented Fuels for Hybrid Rocket Applications

dc.contributor.advisor	Johansen, Craig
dc.contributor.author	Hill, Colin
dc.contributor.committeemember	Cantwell, Brian
dc.contributor.committeemember	Du, Ke
dc.contributor.committeemember	Mahnipey, Nader
dc.contributor.committeemember	Martinuzzi, Robert
dc.contributor.committeemember	Wood, David
dc.date	2022-06
dc.date.accessioned	2022-04-26T20:26:37Z
dc.date.available	2022-04-26T20:26:37Z
dc.date.issued	2022-04-19
dc.description.abstract	Hybrid rocket propulsion systems, which utilize a solid fuel and liquid oxidizer, are among the safest and simplest rocket propulsion systems that can be developed. Despite these attractive qualities, the commercialization of the technology has been slow due to difficulties associated with scaling designs from lab-scale demonstration motors to functional propulsion systems for launch vehicles. The introduction of liquefying solid fuels, such as paraffin wax, have helped overcome some of the scaling issues traditionally associated with hybrid rockets, but a number of key challenges relating to combustion efficiency and the structural properties of wax-based fuels remain. The current work explores these challenges through the use of an additively-manufactured lattice embedded within the fuel grain. A novel process of generating three-dimensional gyroid surfaces with the desired properties has been developed that allows for lattices to be manufactured using fused deposition modeling (FDM) from a variety of thermoplastics. The application of lattice-augmented fuels to hybrid rocket systems at a number of scales is considered. An extensive series of tests were conducted on an optically accessible slab burner to characterize the regression characteristics of lattice augmented fuels. Lattice-augmented fuels were also demonstrated at a larger scale using a 4-kN nitrous oxide/paraffin hybrid rocket motor. Studies at this scale analyzed the regression rate of the fuel as well as methods of improving the combustion efficiency. A passive mixing device located in the combustion chamber was used to improve the combustion efficiency of the wax-based fuel by over 40%. Finally, lattice-augmented fuels were demonstrated in-flight during a series of sounding rocket flights which compared the performance of non-augmented to augmented fuels. The thesis has shown that the proposed strategy for improving wax-based fuels using lattice-augmentation performs well across a number of motor scales and can be successfully applied to an operational hybrid rocket system.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Hill, C. (2022). Development of Lattice-Augmented Fuels for Hybrid Rocket Applications (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/39701
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/114580
dc.language.iso	eng	en_US
dc.publisher.faculty	Schulich School of Engineering	en_US
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.	en_US
dc.subject	hybrid rocket	en_US
dc.subject	propulsion	en_US
dc.subject	combustion	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Engineering--Aerospace	en_US
dc.title	Development of Lattice-Augmented Fuels for Hybrid Rocket Applications	en_US
dc.type	doctoral thesis	en_US
thesis.degree.discipline	Engineering – Mechanical & Manufacturing	en_US
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary	en_US
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)	en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true	en_US