Client
U.S. Air Force
Project Objectives
- Design and build a liquid ethanol rocket engine with optical windows for laser diagnostics and acoustic access for atomization control
- A liquid ethanol rocket engine was desired in order to test combustion instability control techniques utilizing acoustic energy. It was required that the combustion chamber have optical windows so that laser diagnostics could be applied.
Summary of Project and Results (Non-Confidential)
- Built a liquid ethanol storage system, nitrogen pressure delivery system, and flow metering system
- Developed a computer control system for the rocket engine using LABVIEW software
- Designed and built a liquid fuel atomization and injection system for the combustor
- Designed and machined a combustion chamber with quartz windows for optical access
- Designed and built an automatic ignition system that utilized a oxygen/acetylene flame to ignite the ethanol spray
- Designed and machined a variety of stainless steel isentropic exit nozzles to control the combustor pressure
- Built a water spray cooling system to cool the hot product gases
The Liquid Fuel Combustion Facility