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Hybrid Rocket Fuel.

Nanomaterial-infused paraffin hybrid rocket fuel designed for safer, high-performance propulsion

Date: 2023 - Present

Role: Researcher, Mechanical Engineer

Type: Research

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  • Develop advanced paraffin-based hybrid rocket fuels enhanced with carbon black nanoparticles, improving mechanical and thermal properties to ensure safer handling, higher thrust efficiency, and greater structural integrity, while advancing the viability of hybrid propulsion systems for aerospace applications.

  Project Goal:  

Research Paper:
“Enhanced Mechanical and Combustions Properties of Paraffin-based Hybrid Rocket Engines with Carbon Black”

Phase 1: Establish a base line

Fabricating ASTM D638 TYPE V Samples

Fuel Types:

  • Liquid Fuel:

    • Characteristics: Occupies significant space and offers a controllable burn rate.

    • Challenges: It poses storage and handling dangers due to its high reactivity.

  • Hybrid Fuel:

    • Characteristics: Burns only in the presence of an oxidizing agent.

    • Challenges: Complex and costly.

  • Solid Fuel:

    • Characteristics: Exhibits volatile burning and is hard to control once ignited.

    • Challenges: It cannot be stopped once started, necessitating precise control mechanisms.

Material characterization of pure paraffin wax

  • Tensile Test

    • Mechanical properties

  • Rheology

    • Melt/liquid properties

    • DSC/TGA testing

  • Thermal properties

    • Counterflow and Slab Burner

    • Combustion properties

    • Regression rate

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  • Used 100% paraffin wax melted at 80 degrees celcius 

  • Metal mods provided best results

  • Easy to remove samples

  • Used risers to move meniscus above sample which was later removed

Compression Mold Testing

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  • Developed a cold-press casting technique to create 10% denser fuel grains, improving the fuel’s performance and stability during flight

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Version 1 Mold Aligner

Compression Mold set up

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Version 1 Mold Pusher with Mold
Aligner

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Trial 2 mechanical failure 

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Mold Bracket

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Version 1 & 2 Mold Aligner side viewcomparison​

Tensile Testing

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  • Initial Camera setup
    • Shakiness
    • Inconsistency in the shots
    • Glare
    • Difficulty scaling reference and
    the sample.

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Current setup

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  • Reference marks used to track deflection

  • Can track crack growth as failure occurs

  • Tracking deflection using imagJ
    • Split video into individual
    frames
    • Load frames into stack of
    images
    • Process images into format
    imagJ can track
    • Generates table of
    coordinates of each dot

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3D Printing

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  • 3D printer usage

    • Custom Printer (a Hyrel 3D Printer):

    • Can mix material A and B to achieve variable regression rates in printed solid rocket fuel

    • Allows maximization of fuel density and efficiency to cater to specific needs without creating different shapes inside the solid rocket fuel

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