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AEROSPIKE ROCKET ENGINE
AEROSPIKE ROCKET ENGINE
In the pursuit of greater thrust and efficiency, this unconventional rocket engine turns the bell nozzle inside out and relies on atmospheric pressure to constrain the exhaust against a central spike. This nozzle design has potential to enable good performance at any ambient pressure, but it also suffers from drawbacks such as greater thermal loading and more complex geometries to manufacture. Based on my testing, this engine had considerable performance gains over a conventional bell nozzle and was able to achieve usable amounts of thrust.
ARCJET ROCKET ENGINE
ARCJET ROCKET ENGINE
From graphite sparks to stable plasma
From graphite sparks to stable plasma
This electrothermal thruster relies on a contained electrical arc to superheat propellant to several thousand degrees as a way to get higher exhaust velocities. The first version of this thruster relied on striking an arc with a graphite electrode, but the high flow of air through the arc caused rapid erosion and burning of the carbon electrode. This lead to a redesign of the thruster that used much higher voltage and a cooled nichrome electrode to sustain arc plasma for long periods - with little to no damage to the engine. Activating the arc allowed for noticeable gains in performance over the cold gas efficiency, but a higher arc current and feed pressure would lead to efficiencies that rival even the most efficient chemical rockets.
PROPANE-AIR ROCKET ENGINE
PROPANE-AIR ROCKET ENGINE
This rocket engine was my first rocket engine to achieve supersonic exhaust velocities and it performed rather well with compressed air and liquid propane as its propellant. It used a large air accumulator to supply the high pressure to the chamber where it mixed with fuel and combusted. It was very difficult to get working, but once the major issues were solved, it was able to function as planned for 5 full duration tests.
See The Video: https://youtu.be/YdkOEA0pESs
ROTATING DETONATION ENGINE PROTOTYPES
ROTATING DETONATION ENGINE PROTOTYPES
RDE MK-1
RDE MK-1
This rocket engine prototype was an interesting experiment with new technology and had somewhat promising results. However, it was also prone to many issues such as it was unable to run longer than a second or two. I also don't know if the rotating combustion was a detonation or deflagration. either way, it was very loud and made a high pitch scream when running.
See The Video: https://youtu.be/kGjWvrVlenY
RDE MK-2
RDE MK-2
This engine was supposed to be an improvement over the MK-1 prototype, but instead it failed catastrophically, rupturing the chamber gasket and burning test stand equipment. This was likely the result of a propellant buildup and an internal pressure spike, destroying this engine beyond repair.
See Video: https://youtu.be/qHwD3idRWJY
RDE MK-3
RDE MK-3
This attempt at a rotating detonation engine was riddled with problems, from inconsistent ignition, to oxygen leaks, to backflow in the lines. These issues and more made it entirely unreliable and too dangerously unpredictable to continue testing.
EARLY VERSIONS
EARLY VERSIONS
These early prototypes often served as learning experiences as they frequently melted or caught fire. Thankfully tests were conducted in a (mostly) safe manner so no accidents or injuries occurred. Their biggest issue was the very low pressures of oxygen and propane. This meant that they would produce lots of heat but not enough pressure for supersonic exhaust. Even the best of the early versions rarely made more than a Newton of thrust.
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