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Author: Subject: Solid state rocket propellant
chemrox
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[*] posted on 28-3-2016 at 01:14


powdered sulfur and aluminum mix in alcohol and cast with a wax star shaped insert to be melted out after the cast sets. Goes like hell!



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Oscilllator
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[*] posted on 28-3-2016 at 02:00


Wow Nedhead, that's a nice jig! I made one out of scrap wood, but I didn't have a lathe so I made it by bolting a drill onto the jig. It had the unfortunate disadvantage that I had to hold the rocket by hand though. The extra long drill bit I used also snapped in one of the rockets, as I could never find a good lubricant and so the propellant kind of set around the dill bit, holding it tightly. Next time I'll be sure to try silicon.
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NedsHead
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[*] posted on 28-3-2016 at 02:26


Thanks Oscillltor, a smooth coring tool used with silicon spray from the hardware store work well for me, I took the idea from this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyPysthIRss
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[*] posted on 5-4-2016 at 18:00


I estimate that the process of designing and building the cryogenic turbopumps for your second stage would take 2 years and cost 20,000 dollars if you and your friends can get a deal at the local precision machining company. If you want to make them yourself I just saw a really nice Haas 4-axis CNC mill on ebay for only 90,000 dollars. :D

On a serious note I suggest you head over to Richard Nakka's experimental rocketry website at http://www.nakka-rocketry.net

[Edited on 6-4-2016 by Canerican]
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NedsHead
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[*] posted on 18-4-2016 at 05:54


I was back in the South Australian desert this weekend and took the opportunity to try out some more KNSU rockets, I'm still having some issues with core diameter and thrust but my rockets are slowly improving. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MEW9tOEFc4
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Aurium
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[*] posted on 19-4-2016 at 09:02


On the subject of liquid fueled rockets, maybe one could find more feasible to build a hybrid motor.
Liquid, room temperature red HNO3 + an acrylic solid fuel.
This would also make pump design much simpler due to the no cryogenic liquids.
An electric powered gerotor stainless steel pump might be enough.
Keeping the nozzle cool would still be a nightmare though :(
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XeonTheMGPony
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[*] posted on 19-4-2016 at 09:20


Quote: Originally posted by Aurium  
On the subject of liquid fueled rockets, maybe one could find more feasible to build a hybrid motor.
Liquid, room temperature red HNO3 + an acrylic solid fuel.
This would also make pump design much simpler due to the no cryogenic liquids.
An electric powered gerotor stainless steel pump might be enough.
Keeping the nozzle cool would still be a nightmare though :(


Actually you use the fuel to cool the nozzle at the same time super heating the fuel. I used this in my Alcohol rocket engines.

A CO2 cartridge pressurized the alcohol, and drove an O2 regulator to match the pressure to the alcohol feed pressure, then a needle valve assembly driven by servo to throttle the thrust.

Needle valves operated 1:1 and a secondary mix valve to control fuel to oxidizer ratio, they where operated via engine back pressure.

The engine burn time was sadly limited to using gas phase O2, But if one where so lucky to have LO2 sure a modified system would do well.
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aga
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[*] posted on 19-4-2016 at 09:58


Just had an idea and did not know where else to put it, so here it is :

deltaH had the idea of a factice (artificial rubber) rocket motor.

I was wondering ....

Activate some charcoal (ball mill it) and then boil in dilute (5%) HCl for about 20 mins to 'clean' it. Dry thoroughly in an oven. Cool.

Flood the fresh AC with pure oxygen for as long as you dare.

Rapidly mix with very cold vegetable oil (to trap the O2 in the AC).

React with very cold S2Cl2 keeping the reaction mixture as cold as possible.

The result should be a solid rubbery lump of plenty of fuel and plenty of oxidisers.




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Canerican
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[*] posted on 19-4-2016 at 21:23


More energetic results could probably be obtained by soaking the charcoal in liquid oxygen instead of flooding with gaseous oxygen. Of course, that process would produce a very sensitive oxyliquit explosive.

LOX usually requires licenses to purchase. A quick search of the forums reveals that many members have instead purchased completely unregulated liquid nitrogen and condensed gaseous oxygen from various sources :D
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Oscilllator
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[*] posted on 20-4-2016 at 00:02


Quote: Originally posted by aga  
Just had an idea and did not know where else to put it, so here it is :

deltaH had the idea of a factice (artificial rubber) rocket motor.

I was wondering ....

Activate some charcoal (ball mill it) and then boil in dilute (5%) HCl for about 20 mins to 'clean' it. Dry thoroughly in an oven. Cool.

Flood the fresh AC with pure oxygen for as long as you dare.

Rapidly mix with very cold vegetable oil (to trap the O2 in the AC).

React with very cold S2Cl2 keeping the reaction mixture as cold as possible.

The result should be a solid rubbery lump of plenty of fuel and plenty of oxidisers.

Other than how this is an incredibly dangerous idea and should never every be done by a human, the problem with this method is that
1)The freezing point of S2Cl2is above the boiling point of oxygen, so it's guaranteed to freeze so it won't react with the vegetable oil
2) When the mixture warms up the oxygen will expand, breaking up the fuel mixture.
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PHILOU Zrealone
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[*] posted on 20-4-2016 at 04:32


Quote: Originally posted by aga  
Just had an idea and did not know where else to put it, so here it is :

deltaH had the idea of a factice (artificial rubber) rocket motor.

I was wondering ....

Activate some charcoal (ball mill it) and then boil in dilute (5%) HCl for about 20 mins to 'clean' it. Dry thoroughly in an oven. Cool.

Flood the fresh AC with pure oxygen for as long as you dare.

Rapidly mix with very cold vegetable oil (to trap the O2 in the AC).

React with very cold S2Cl2 keeping the reaction mixture as cold as possible.

The result should be a solid rubbery lump of plenty of fuel and plenty of oxidisers.

Assuming O2 to be a perfect gas, one mole or approx 32gr will take 22,41 Liters of volume at STP.
This means that 12gr (approx 1 mole) of your activated C would need to catch at least 22,41 L of gaseous O2 (or 32gr) to get to perfect OB
--> this would deliver 44 gr in fine or 44gr of CO2 after exploding.

This seems way too much (African idiom: Someone eating entire coconuts in one swallowing has full trust in its own anus ;):P:D)
If it does, it would be hell an explosive and burning very hot.
But it doesn't because at best AC catch 1/3 of its weight of gasous compounds that display a strong affinity for it (gaseous hydrocarbons)...and O2 should be weakly adsorbed.

You also add the disulfide bridges and vegetable oil as external matrix what reduces the overal OB in very negative regios
--> Without external oxydizers, it won't work better than burning lamp oil or candle.

[Edited on 20-4-2016 by PHILOU Zrealone]




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Chemist_Cup_Noodles
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[*] posted on 26-4-2016 at 08:17


Quote: Originally posted by chemrox  
powdered sulfur and aluminum mix in alcohol and cast with a wax star shaped insert to be melted out after the cast sets. Goes like hell!


This mixture rings a bell. Actually I believe it is quite similar to the "zincoshine" mixture that Homer Hickam Jr (of Rocket Boys/ October Sky) used. Except instead of aluminum powder, he used zinc powder which was likely far cheaper and more accessible. So really this mixture should be getting some more attention I'd say. It's easy to cast as it's a hybrid rocket fuel (so not totally solid, but oh well). Not too sure about it's specific impulse or energy density though.




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