Our Problem

In 2020, the RIT Launch Initiative will compete in the Advanced category of IREC [Inetercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition]. By competing in the challenge, the RIT Launch Initiative will be competing with the likes of Perdue, Yale, McGill, Embry-Riddle, and others. Launch hopes to gain greater recognition for RIT in the field of Aerospace Engineering among other peer universities.

In order to compete in the challenge, Launch requires a rocket engine capable of powering a rocket to exactly 30,000 feet. The engine will need to be designed, analyzed, and manufactured within IREC, RIT, and government regulations. RIT Launch Initiative will need to be provided with a functional and tested hybrid rocket engine complying with their design specifications.

In order to determine if the developed hybrid engine is functional and safe to use, a hot fire test will take place by the spring of 2019. Before the test, the rocket engine will be integrated with a Test Stand developed by Test Stand Team. Once both of these projects are integrated, the hot fire test will commence in a bunker on RIT's campus. During testing, the data will be collected and analyzed to verified and validated that the custom hybrid engine is adequate for RIT Launch Initiative's needs.

What is a Hybrid Rocket?

• A form of rocket chemical propulsion
• A classical hybrid uses a solid fuel grain (located in the combustion chamber) with a liquid/gaseous oxidizer injected through the feed system to develop thrust
• Chemical Energy --> Thermal Energy --> Mechanical Energy

Additional Project Deliverables

• A detailed & well documented design that can be handed off to Launch Initiative
• An auto-ignition system
• A user guide for operation and integration into a certain sized rocket body
• Test data verifying all IREC requirements related to pressure vessel, electronics and range safety
• Well-documented & safe bunker testing procedures for future use
• Design considerations for future iterations when more resources (i.e. time, money, personnel) are available

Project Name

RIT Launch Initiative Hybrid Rocket Engine

Project Number

P19102

Project Family

Aerospace Engineering

Start Term

2141

End Term

2142

Faculty Guide

Martin Pepe, mjpastro@gmail.com

Primary Customer

RIT Launch Initiative, launchinitiative@rit.edu

Sponsor(s)

Swagelock, RIT Launch Initiative

Planning & Execution

Project Photos and Videos

Imagine RIT

Gate Reviews

Problem Definition

Systems Design

Preliminary Detailed Design

Detailed Design

Build & Test Prep

Subsystem Build & Test

Integrated System Build & Test

Customer Handoff & Final Project Documentation (Verification & Validation)

PRP

Requirements

Schedule

Risk Management

Communication & Minutes

Use Cases

Benchmarking

Functional Decomposition

BOM/Cost

Mechanical Drawings

Electrical Schematics

Software Diagrams

Facility Layout

Manuals

Mockups

Test Fixtures

Prototyping

Test Plans

Analysis Results

Simulations

Test Results

Design Review Documents

Technical Paper

Poster

Imagine RIT Exhibit