Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2023
27th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Conceptual design of the thrust vector control system for a hybrid rocket engine
Submission Author:
Olexiy Shynkarenko , DF
Co-Authors:
Olexiy Shynkarenko, Luís Guilherme Julião Simões, Lucas Vinícius de Souza Nascimento, Danielle Lima Bezerra, Rodrigo Evangelista Aguiar de Souza, Maurício Sá Gontijo, Jungpyo Lee, Artur Elias De Morais Bertoldi
Presenter: Patrick Christian de Melo
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2023.COB2023-2035
Abstract
Hybrid rocket propulsion is crucial for academic research and small-scale rocket applications that require relatively short engine operation times. However, the stability of the rocket during flight is a fundamental challenge that can be addressed through either aerodynamic control in high-velocity atmospheric conditions or thrust vectoring (TVC) in low-velocity or low-pressure environments without the use of aerodynamic forces. Developing a TVC system requires a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses propulsion, structures, materials, control, and electronics. This study focuses on the feasibility of implementing TVC in low-thrust hybrid motors developed in the Chemical Propulsion Laboratory (CPL) at the University of Brasilia. The authors examined the compatibility of various TVC methods with hybrid rocket engines, while considering the required Technology Readiness Level, access to structural materials, manufacturing technology, and cost optimization. They conducted an extensive literature review, analyzing different types of TVC, including nozzle and combustion chamber gimballing, jet vanes, interceptors, and secondary subsonic and supersonic flow injection. The TVC requirements were based on the typical flight program, trajectory, and required angular accelerations. The authors concluded that chamber gimballing was a Brazilian research institution's only viable TVC method. However, implementing it would require significant modifications to the hybrid motor design, including mass reduction, cost reduction, flexible connections, and modifications to the test bench, which were successfully addressed in this study. The authors reduced the engine's mass by conducting thermal and structural analyses of the combustion chamber, reducing the thickness of the motor's walls, introducing a new thermal insulation design, and using structural materials with improved characteristics. They also simulated the flow process in the engine using the compressible turbulent model with combustion and validated the engine assembly, gimbal bearing, and test bench structures through numerical analysis. The authors coupled the blended solid fuel with EPDM heat protection and 3D-printed rings in the pre-combustion and post-combustion sections to reduce the engine's cost. They achieved this by standardizing sizes, simplifying the manufacturing process, and implementing 3D printing. The engine's flexible connections, such as the oxidizer supply hose, gimbal connection, coupling adapters, and sensor cables, were designed according to the requirements of the engine's movement. The analytical and numerical studies allowed the authors to validate the engine with TVC and test stand structures, enabling them to proceed with the system's fabrication and testing in the laboratory. Future research will involve a campaign of experiments on the test bench to confirm the results of this study.
Keywords
Hybrid Rocket Engine, Thrust control system, gimbal, Thrust vectoring control, rocket stability
