Utah State University

Other

Stephen Whitmore

Zachary Lewis

Tyson Smith

Kurt B Olsen

Nathan Inkley

Marc Anthony Bulcher

Mark C Heiner

Anthony Marc Bulcher

Daniel P Merkley

A hybrid propulsion system includes a housing, at least two electrodes, a solid-grain fuel material, a combustion chamber, an oxidizer port, and a nozzle. The housing has a first end and a second end and defines a cavity. The electrodes extend into the cavity. The fuel material is free of an oxidizer and is positioned in the cavity. The fuel material has a combustion surface and is exposed to the electrodes. The combustion chamber is defined between the combustion surface and the second end. The oxidizer port provides a flow of oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The nozzle is positioned at the second end. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may be dominated by radiative heat transfer. Combustion of the fuel material in the combustion chamber may generate thrust of no more than 5 N at an oxidizer flow rate of no more than 5 g/s.

Miniaturized green end-burning hybrid propulsion system for cubesats

Miniaturized green end-burning hybrid propulsion system for CubeSats

A hybrid rocket includes a housing having first and second ends, a solid-grain fuel material in the housing and defining a bore extending from end to end, two electrodes positioned adjacent to the fuel material to ignite the fuel material at the first end, a primary oxidizer port positioned at the first end to inject a primary oxidizer to flow in a downstream direction from the first end to the second end, a nozzle positioned at the second end and having a converging portion and a diverging portion, and a secondary oxidizer port to inject a secondary oxidizer downstream of the converging portion. The bore has a geometry configured to produce a hot-gas, fuel-rich mixture at the nozzle as the fuel material and primary oxidizer burn while flowing downstream. The diverging portion of the nozzle is configured to spontaneously combust the secondary oxidizer and the hot-gas, fuel-rich mixture.

Thrust augmentation of an additively manufactured hybrid rocket system using secondary oxidizer injection

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to various devices, systems and methods of providing a restartable, hybrid-rocket system that uses Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and compressed air containing oxygen levels up to 40% as a propellant. Alternatively, embodiments of the present invention includes restartable hybrid rocket system that uses a heterogeneous matrix of ABS and a solid oxidizing agent in addition to compressed air as a propellant. When the ABS is exposed to an electrical potential field, the electrical field's effect on the ABS produces localized arcing between multiple layers of the ABS resulting in joule heating and pyrolysis of the ABS. The pyrolysis produces spontaneous combustion of the ABS once the oxidizer flow provides a local oxygen partial pressure greater than two atmospheres at the surface of the ABS.

Methods and systems for restartable, hybrid-rockets

Devices, methods, and systems for providing a restartable ignition system for a hybrid rocket system. In one embodiment, an ignition device includes a housing and at least two electrodes. The housing includes a first side and a second side and defines a bore with an axis extending therethrough between the first and second sides, the bore defining an internal surface of the housing. The at least two electrodes extend through the housing to the internal surface. The at least two electrodes are configured to be spaced apart so as to provide an electrical potential field along the internal surface between the at least two electrodes. Such housing is formed with and includes multiple flat layers such that the multiple flat layers provide ridges along the internal surface. With this arrangement, the internal surface with the ridges are configured to concentrate an electrical charge upon being subjected to the electrical potential field.

Restartable ignition devices, systems, and methods thereof

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Logan, UT, United States of America

Stephen Whitmore