Development of the Multiple Use Plug Hybrid for Nanosats (Muphyn) Miniature Thruster
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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-2013 Development of the Multiple Use Plug Hybrid for Nanosats (Muphyn) Miniature Thruster Shannon Dean Eilers Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Aerospace Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Eilers, Shannon Dean, "Development of the Multiple Use Plug Hybrid for Nanosats (Muphyn) Miniature Thruster" (2013). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1726. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1726 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DEVELOPMENT OF THE MULTIPLE USE PLUG HYBRID FOR NANOSATS (MUPHYN) MINIATURE THRUSTER by Shannon Eilers A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Mechanical Engineering Approved: Dr. Stephen A. Whitmore Dr. David K. Geller Major Professor Committee Member Dr. Barton Smith Dr. Warren Phillips Committee Member Committee Member Dr. Doran Baker Dr. Mark R. McLellan Committee Member Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2013 ii Copyright © Shannon Eilers 2013 All Rights Reserved iii Abstract Development of the Multiple Use Plug Hybrid for Nanosats (MUPHyN) Miniature Thruster by Shannon Eilers, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 2013 Major Professor: Dr. Stephen A. Whitmore Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering The Multiple Use Plug Hybrid for Nanosats (MUPHyN) prototype thruster incorpo- rates solutions to several major challenges that have traditionally limited the deployment of chemical propulsion systems on small spacecraft. The MUPHyN thruster offers several features that are uniquely suited for NanoSat, and especially CubeSat, applications. These features include 1) a non-pyrotechnic ignition system, 2) non-mechanical thrust vectoring using secondary fluid injection on a regeneratively cooled aerospike nozzle, 3) non-toxic, chemically stable hybrid propellants, 4) a compact form factor enabled by the direct digital manufacture of the hybrid fuel grain. Hybrid rocket motors provide significant safety and reliability advantages over both solid composite and liquid propulsion systems; however, hybrid motors have found only limited use on operational vehicles due to 1) difficulty in modeling fuel regression rate mechanics 2) poor volumetric efficiency and/or form factor 3) significantly lower fuel flow rates than solid rocket motors 4) difficulty in obtaining high combustion efficiencies and therefore high specific impulses. The design features of the MUPHyN thruster are used to offset and/or overcome these shortcomings. The MUPHyN thruster adapts a hybrid rocket motor to the scale and form factor re- quired for CubeSat propulsion by employing a regeneratively cooled aerospike nozzle with iv secondary gas injection thrust-vectoring and a direct-digitally manufactured acrylonitrile- butadiene-styrene fuel grain with helical combustion ports. Aerospike nozzles have a shorter form factor than an equivalent expansion-ratio traditional nozzle. This makes them well suited to space applications where volumetric efficiency is critical. Aerospike nozzles can provide multi-axis secondary-injection thrust-vectoring and also function as a cold gas re- action control thruster without primary flow. To date, aerospike nozzles have not been adopted on operational space vehicles due to several factors, including difficulty in cool- ing the large nozzle throat area, an issue which is overcome on the MUPHyN motor with nitrous-oxide regenerative cooling. The MUPHyN motor design represents a convergence of technologies, including hybrid rocket regression rate modeling, aerospike secondary injection thrust vectoring, multiphase injector modeling, non-pyrotechnic ignition, and nitrous oxide regenerative cooling. This synthesis of technologies is unique to the MUPHyN thruster design and no comparable work has been published in the open literature. (245 pages) v Public Abstract Development of the Multiple Use Plug Hybrid for Nanosats (MUPHyN) Miniature Thruster by Shannon Eilers, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 2013 Major Professor: Dr. Stephen A. Whitmore Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering The Multiple Use Plug Hybrid for Nanosats (MUPHyN) prototype thruster incorpo- rates solutions to several major challenges that have traditionally limited the deployment of chemical propulsion systems on small spacecraft. The MUPHyN thruster offers several features that are uniquely suited for small satellite applications. These features include 1) a non-explosive ignition system, 2) non-mechanical thrust vectoring using secondary fluid injection on an aerospike nozzle cooled with the oxidizer flow, 3) a non-toxic, chemically- stable combination of liquid and inert solid propellants, 4) a compact form factor enabled by the direct digital manufacture of the inert solid fuel grain. Hybrid rocket motors provide significant safety and reliability advantages over both solid composite and liquid propulsion systems; however, hybrid motors have found only limited use on operational vehicles due to 1) difficulty in modeling the fuel flow rate 2) poor volumetric efficiency and/or form factor 3) significantly lower fuel flow rates than solid rocket motors 4) difficulty in obtaining high combustion efficiencies. The features of the MUPHyN thruster are designed to offset and/or overcome these shortcomings. The MUPHyN motor design represents a convergence of technologies, including hybrid rocket regression rate modeling, aerospike secondary injection thrust vectoring, multiphase vi injector modeling, non-pyrotechnic ignition, and nitrous oxide regenerative cooling that address the traditional challenges that limit the use of hybrid rocket motors and aerospike nozzles. This synthesis of technologies is unique to the MUPHyN thruster design and no comparable work has been published in the open literature. vii Acknowledgments I am very thankful for the advice, motivation, and support of my adviser, Dr. Stephen Whitmore, who enabled me greatly in my endeavor to work on propulsion-related topics at a university without a previously existing rocket propulsion program. I deeply appreciate the guidance of my committee members, Dr. Baron Smith, Dr. David Geller, Dr. Warren Phillips, and Dr. Doran Baker. I am also grateful for the fellowship from the Rocky Mountain Space Grant Consortium that funded my research during early years when no other funding was available. Research in the \aerospike group" was a team effort and there was significant contri- bution to this project from many members. Zach Peterson, Matthew Wilson, Jonathan McCulley, Steven Bachman, Stew Hansen, Nate Ernie, Mike Judson, and Andrew Bath provided diligent work towards research goals as well as high-calorie research fuel during the many \aerospike breakfasts." The construction of much of the hardware necessary for this project would not have been possible without the skill and dedication of our machinist, Terry Zollinger. May all the fishes rest in peace. Shannon Dean Eilers viii Contents Page Abstract ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: iii Public Abstract ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v Acknowledgments ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: vii List of Tables ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: xi List of Figures :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: xii 1 Introduction ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1 1.1 Research Overview . 1 1.2 Overview of Chemical Rocket Systems . 2 1.3 Overview of Aerospike Rocket Nozzles . 7 1.4 Overview of Direct Digital Manufacturing . 10 1.5 Research Motivation . 11 1.6 Overview of the MUPHyN Motor Design . 13 1.7 Thesis of the Dissertation . 15 2 Literature Review ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 19 2.1 Hybrid Rocket Development History . 19 2.2 Regression Rate Modeling Development . 20 2.3 Recent Advanced Developments in Hybrid Rocket Motors . 30 2.4 Aerospike Nozzle Development History . 32 2.5 Secondary Injection Thrust Vectoring Development History . 38 2.6 Hybrid Rocket Motor Ignition System Development History . 42 3 Development of the Longitudinally Averaged, Variable Prandtl Number Hybrid Rocket Regression Rate Model :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 44 3.1 Motor Combustion and Regression Model Development . 45 3.1.1 Fuel Regression Model . 45 3.1.2 Chamber Pressure Model . 50 3.1.3 Modeling of the Combustion Product Properties . 52 3.2 Experimental Data Collection . 54 3.2.1 Motor Construction . 55 3.2.2 Measurements and Instrumentation System . 56 3.2.3 Motor Fire Control System . 58 3.2.4 Test Results . 58 3.2.5 Fuel Grain Burn Patterns . 60 3.2.6 Fuel Grain Regression Rate Measurements . 62 3.3 Model Comparisons with Experimental Results . 67 ix 3.3.1 Chamber Pressure, Thrust, and Mixture Ratio Comparisons . 68 3.3.2 Regression Rate Comparisons . 69 3.4 Summary and Concluding Remarks . 72 4 Extensions to the Longitudinally Averaged Variable-Prandtl-Number Re- gression Rate Model ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 74 4.1 Discussion of Wall Blowing and the Blowing Parameter . 75 4.2 Inclusion of Length Variation and Total Mass Flux for Simple Port Geometries 81 4.3 Discussion