• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.512-521
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• 2017

This paper reports development process of a university-based sounding rocket using simplified hybrid rocket propulsion system for low-altitude flight application. A hybrid propulsion system was tried to be designed with as few components as possible for more economical, simpler and safer propulsion system, which is essential for the small scale sounding rocket operation as a CanSat carrier. Using blow-down feeding system and catalytic ignition as combustion starter, 250 N class hybrid rocket system was composed of three components: a composite tank, valves, and a thruster. With a composite tank filled with both hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$) as an oxidizer and nitrogen gas($N_2$) as a pressurant, the feeding pressure was operated in blowdown mode during thruster operation. The $MnO_2/Al_2O_3$ catalyst was fabricated for propellant decomposition, and ground test of propulsion system showed the almost theoretical temperature of decomposed $H_2O_2$ at the catalyst reactor, indicating sufficient catalyst efficiency for propellant decomposition. Auto-ignition of the high density polyethylene(HDPE) fuel grain successfully occurred by the decomposed $H_2O_2$ product without additional installation of any ignition devices. Performance test result was well matched with numerical internal ballistics conducted prior to the experimental propulsion system ground test. A sounding rocket using the developed hybrid rocket was designed, fabricated, flight simulated and launch tested. Six degree-of-freedom trajectory estimation code was developed and the comparison result between expected and experimental trajectory validated the accuracy of the developed trajectory estimation code. The fabricated sounding rocket was successfully launched showing the effectiveness of the simplified hybrid rocket propulsion system.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.856-861
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• 2010

In this work, experiments on hybrid sounding rocket were conducted to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics and analyze longitudinal static stability. Tests were performed on 1/10 scale models of sounding rocket through Mach number ranging from 1.75 to 2.5 and for angle of attack from $0^{\circ}$ to $6^{\circ}$. Aerodynamic forces and moments were measured by means of a 4 component internal balance. With measured forces and moments, static stability characteristics of rocket were calculated. Tests were made for three models with different length to determine the effect of body length. The visualization of shock waves was carried out by Schlieren optical system to observe variations of shock waves with Mach number and angle of attack.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.97-100
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• 2008

A hybrid sounding rocket carrying about 10kg payload reaching up to 15km altitude has been designed. The commercial seamless aluminium tube and liquid ${N_2}O$ without pressurization devices were chosen as rocket motor case and oxidizer supply system respectively. A hybrid rocket engine performing required propulsion impulse is designed with time dependent internal ballistic scheme. Engine performance, aerodynamic characteristics, and trajectory were predicted by a integral technique of internal ballistics and external ballistics. The design results were evaluated by comparison with previous experimental data, technical reports, and literatures.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.23-31
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• 2016

The intermediate mixing chamber is one of various methods for improving the regression rate and combustion efficiency of the hybrid rocket. The mixing chamber with its non-combustible material makes the propulsion performance increase, but it leads to a low fuel-loading density in the combustion chamber; therefore, this performance-related trade-off between the mixing chamber and the low fuel-loading density was studied. In this study, the trade-off was conducted by comparing the intermediate-mixing-chamber case with a w/o-mixing-chamber case. The small hybrid-sounding rocket is designed with internal ballistics for comparing the rocket length to the weight. In addition, an external ballistic analysis was conducted for comparing the performances of the w/- and w/o-mixing-chamber cases. As a result, the intermediate-mixing-chamber case shows that the length and the weight were decreased to 12 % and 8 %, respectively; furthermore, when compared with the normal cases, the estimated altitude result of the w/-mixing-chamber case was increased to approximately 75 m.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.77-81
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• 2008

The local regression rate behavior of solid fuel in swirl injection hybrid rocket were studied. In generally, axial injection regression rate was tending to be decrease with axial distance, beyond which increased with increasing axial distance from the leading edge. On the other hand, swirl injection regression rate was high at the leading edge of the fuel and comparatively uniform regression rate at the downstream. Overall regression rate of swirl injection was increased about 54% for the overall regression rate of axial injection. Through this study, it was found that using swirl injector was useful in applying to the small sounding rocket.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.370-373
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• 2007

In this study, a hybrid rocket motor with separable and detachable oxidizer tank from combustion chamber is developed. Initially, the measured thrust of the motor showed about 30% of the design thrust since the oxidizer supply was not enough. In order to solve this problem, application is made to expand the orifice diameter of oxidizer injector empirically, so that the mass flow rate of oxidizer was improved. The improved performance was about 60% of design thrust, 18kgf, and thrust-to-weight ratio was reasonable, compared with other sounding rockets.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.503-506
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• 2009

In this study, we presented the results of static firing tests on the PE/LN2O hybrid rocket motor, which has a thrust of 650 kgf level. Through the early tests, we found that the combustion chamber pressure and the thrust were lower than design values because an actual oxidizer flow rate was less than that expected. In order to complement this result, the methods of decrease of nozzle throat and the increase of oxidizer mass flow rate were conducted in the next experiment, and we studied the combustion phenomena with the experimental results. Also we compared and analyzed a difference of combustion characteristics on scale effect. It show that a sub-scale motor regression rate was a little less than that of a lab-scale motor with the same oxidizer mass flux. Results of this study might be used as a basic data for development of hybrid sounding rocket.