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Journey to Mars: Hybrid Rocketry, Plasma, Interstellar Orbits, and the Red Planet By Dr. John Brandenburg, Folasade Akeloko, Christian Garcia, Jacquelyn Cortes, Kujtime Muzhaku, Taquazha Fair, & Louis Shackelford Agenda • • • • • Hybrid Rockets Everclear 1 Project Plasma Astrophysics Mars Main Rocket Types pressurant oxidizer fuel Turbo pump Thrust chamber Solid Fuel Liquid Fuel (pressure fed) Liquid Fuel (turbo pump fed) Solid Fuel Rockets •Solid fuel rockets are oldest (China in ~200 AD) •Simple and reliable •Inexpensive, easy to Launch •Part of Space Shuttle Booster •Cannot be Throttled (stopped and initiated again) •Inefficient fuel burners Solid Fuel Liquid Fuel (turbo pump) •Most commonly used space launch vehicle •Highest propulsion power oxidizer •Can be throttled •Require complex systems (stop-valves, injectors, pumping machinery) •Overall cost and weight are excessive •Storage/unreliability issues fuel turbo pump Thrust chamber Liquid Fuel (turbo pump fed) Hybrid Rockets • Hybrid rockets are a combination of solid and liquid fuel rockets • Gaseous/liquid oxidizer is stored in a tank separate from a solid fuel grain (simple design) • High Propulsion Power (rivals the power of liquid fuel rockets) • Burns more efficiently than solid fuel rockets • Can be refueled • Low relative cost and weight compared to Liquid Rockets • Easily throttled • Environmentally safe • Storable and reliable Everclear 1 Project Improving the performance of Everclear 1 • The solid fuel used in the hybrid rocket is an alcohol gel that is extremely viscous. • In order to improve the performance of the hybrid rocket, the alcohol gel must contain both a concentrated alcohol and a thickener. The thickener will be methyl cellulose. • The concentrated alcohol will be obtained from a substance called Everclear, which contains 95% alcohol. • When a concentrated alcohol substance is combined with an aqueous methyl cellulose solution, a thick alcohol gel will be formed. • The viscosity of the gel determines its regression rate and the life of the rocket. What is Methyl Cellulose? • Methyl cellulose is a white powder that is non-toxic, odorless, and digestible. Its often used as a thickener and emulsifier for popular products such as laxatives, ice cream and in salad dressings. • When mixed with cold water, methyl cellulose has a high retention rate for water and can absorb several times more water than its own weight. • An aqueous solution (colorless gel) of methyl cellulose is hardly affected by acids and is not an ionic substance. • Methyl cellulose can be mixed with almost any substance and not alter its chemical composition while thickening its texture. What is Sterno? • Sterno is an alcohol gel that is extremely viscous. It is often used by chefs for heating foods and is preferred because the gas produced from the burning alcohol is nonpoisonous. • Sterno is made by combining an alcohol with a thickener. • Several forms of sterno can be created using different types of alcohols and thickeners. The Future of Hybrid Rockets: Everclear 1 • Combining alcohol gels and liquid fuels in hybrid rockets extends rocket life. • A rocket could be stopped in mid-air. • The speed of a hybrid rocket can be controlled by changing the rate at which the liquid fuel is released into the rocket. Hybrid Rocket Engine Ignition Hole Oxidizer Exhaust Fuel Gain Injector Valve Nozzle Everclear 1 Hybrid Rocket Engine Test Hybrid Engine Test cont. Everclear Rocket Design v1 Everclear Rocket Design v1 Layout 1.) Small No2 Capsules 2.) Rubber Washer 3.) Ball Needle 4.) Thermal Valve a.) Plastic Sealant b.) Steel wire with match head 5.) Fuel tube Everclear Rocket Design v1 Pros Why it failed • Small and light • Availability of materials • Cheap • • • • Cons • hard to handle • Non modular • A lot of mechnical work Tough seal Weak needle Gas leaks Match does not ignite Everclear Rocket Design v2 Everclear Rocket Design v2 Layout 1.) CO2 Tank 2.) Valve 3.) Tube 4.) Thermal Valve a.) Plastic Sealant b.) steel wire with match head 5.) Fuel tube Everclear Rocket Design v2 Pros Why it failed • Modular • No puncturing • controllable • Thermal valve Cons • Heavy • Pressure limit (temporary) Plasma • 4th state of matter • Energy causes electrons to separate from the atom • Electrons can move freely • Ionized/charged gas • 99% of universe Ball Lightning • A natural sphere that floats and glows for only seconds • Unknown as to how it forms • Theory: form of plasma • A ball lightning effect can be made at home in a microwave oven Vacuum Chamber • Decreases air pressure to increase plasma • Nitrogen gives plasma its purple color when excited. • Electricity is the energy that helps create plasma. • It increases the current of electrons to such an extent that they knock off another electron in an atom. This “knocking off of an electron” is when we actually see the plasma. Uses/Purpose of Plasma • Dr. John Brandenburg is working on creating plasma for the Air Force. • Plasma can be used as a “force field” for satellites as protection from radiation. • People who are not happy about satellites watching and orbiting the earth send these beams of radiation. • A satellite would have to in turn be shut off to avoid damage. Astrophysics Branch of astronomy in which physics is applied to observe properties of the universe: • star life and formation • movement and chemical composition of celestial objects • history of the universe… Life of a Star • Nebula spins and condenses to form a star • Fusion powers the star by converting its abundance of hydrogen into helium… • When fuel is all burned the star grows through a process of death with a dim or explosive end Process of Death • Blue dwarfs burn fuel extremely fast and have a violent end to their life • Red giants burn their fuel slowly and have a long lifespan • Main sequence stars eventually swell up to form supergiants and eventually dim to white dwarf level • Rare occurrence the stars create blackholes or neutron stars Conclusion • Hybrid Rockets are the future of the rocket industry as result of their performance, efficiency, low cost, and ease of storage • The Everclear 1 was never launched • Plasma engines and shields are the next level of space technology • Astrophysics is the key to human exploration throughout the galaxy • Mars colonization is the first step in the development of human existence on distance worlds Special Thanks • • • • • • • • The Harlem Children Society Dr. Sat Bhattacharya Dr. Leslie Lieberman Dr. John Brandenburg SpaceHab, Inc. Florida Space Institute University of Central Florida The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
