Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Rayleigh Test Apparatus Design Report, Josef Duller, Owen Raybould, James Nicovich

Mechanical Engineering

The Rayleigh Test Apparatus is a device that will be used to test the thermodynamic properties of Nitrous Oxide to assess the feasibility of using this fluid as a coolant for a hybrid rocket aero spike. The aero spike is intended to redirect the propulsion flow as it leaves the engine to create a more efficient flow pattern at low and high altitudes. However, there are issues of overheating which leads to melting of the aero spike. For this reason, the use of nitrous oxide (N2O) as a coolant is being explored. N20 is being considered because it is already …

Effect Of Unsteady Combustion On The Stability Of Rocket Engines, Tina Morina Rice

Doctoral Dissertations

Combustion instability is a problem that has plagued the development of rocket-propelled devices since their conception. It is characterized by the occurrence of high-frequency nonlinear gas oscillations inside the combustion chamber. This phenomenon degrades system performance and can result in damage to both structure and instrumentation.

The goal of this dissertation is to clarify the role of unsteady combustion in the combustor instability problem by providing the first quantified estimates of its effect upon the stability of liquid rocket engines. The combination of this research with a new system energy balance method, accounting for all dynamic interactions within a system, …