Aerospike 500 psi Thrust Test

Couldn't get the full 1000 psi tank pressure for safety concerns, but this camera angle was a pretty nice outcome.

The aluminum setup is connected with a solenoid to a pressure tank, which was designed by a previous year's team to operate at up to 2000 psi. The tank is filled with nitrogen at 500 psi for this test. The solenoid is then opened and the tank dumped, releasing the nitrogen through the nozzle so that it expands along the spike contour.

There are four spikes: contoured, conical, truncated, and modified-conical. This test was with the contoured design.

We also have some pretty sweet CFD results for all four shapes.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Aerospike
• Florida
• Tech
• Senior
• Design
• Aerospace
• Engineering

[doc34thumper]

excellent! what type of propulsion system? in 2006 i did an aerospike hybrid and still continuing work on it now.

[starfallfury]

The working fluid is nitrogen. The system is simply a tank with a nozzle on the end of it and a solenoid separating the two. We charge the tank up to a certain pressure, then open the solenoid. The design part was to make the aluminum setup on the end that holds the spike and to create the spikes for it. We have several spike designs (contoured, truncated, conical), but have only had the chance to test the contoured one.

Now that you mention that, I'll update the info.

[ragobgar]

Cool, looks a lot like the one I just finished testing. Whats the approximate size of the nozzle? and were you able to measure any thrust on that run? Seeing that it was machind from aluminum, have you done any hot fire tests or just cold flow?