Hybrid Rocket Burning Rate Enhancement by Nano-Scale Additives in HTPB Fuel Grains
| dc.contributor.advisor | Petersen, Eric L | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Mukherjee, Partha | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Karpetis, Adonios | |
| dc.creator | Thomas, James C | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-05-15T16:19:43Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-12-01T06:36:14Z | |
| dc.date.created | 2014-12 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014-12-10 | |
| dc.date.submitted | December 2014 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2015-05-15T16:19:43Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Low regression rates in hybrid rockets limit their use and capability, but additive aluminum nano-particles represent a possible solution to this problem. In this thesis, aluminum nano-particles were characterized and added to hybrid motor grains to assess their effects on the combustion behavior of hybrid rocket fuel grains. Procedures for the fabrication of 6-inch-long motors with combustion port diameters of 1 cm and 2.54 cm (1 inch) were developed for formulations with and without additive particles. The implementation of commercial aluminum particles at a mass loading of 5% as a burning rate enhancer was assessed on a lab-scale burner. Traditional temporally and spatially averaged techniques were applied to determine the regression rates of plain and aluminized HTPB motors burning in gaseous oxygen. Resistance-based regression sensors were embedded in motor grains and used to determine instantaneous and averaged burning rates. The resistive-based sensors exhibited good accuracy and unique capabilities not achievable with other regression measurement techniques, but still have limitations. The addition of commercial nano-aluminum, with a diameter of 100 nm, to hybrid motors increased the motor surface regression rate for oxidizer mass fluxes in the range of 0-15 g/cm2-s. Future testing will focus on the evaluation of motors containing novel aluminum particles manufactured in situ with the HTPB at a mass loading of 5%, which are expected to perform better than similar commercially aluminized motors. | en |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/154244 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | Hybrid | en |
| dc.subject | Rocket | en |
| dc.subject | HTPB | en |
| dc.subject | Aluminum | en |
| dc.subject | Regression | en |
| dc.title | Hybrid Rocket Burning Rate Enhancement by Nano-Scale Additives in HTPB Fuel Grains | en |
| dc.type | Thesis | en |
| dc.type.material | text | en |
| local.embargo.terms | 2016-12-01 | |
| local.etdauthor.orcid | 0000-0002-2555-6772 | |
| thesis.degree.department | Mechanical Engineering | en |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Mechanical Engineering | en |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Texas A & M University | en |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Science | en |