Ammonium Nitrate Rocket Motor Test.avi

Static test firing of a homemade I-167 Ammonium Nitrate Composite Propellant Rocket Motor on May 03, 2010.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Rockets
• rocket motors
• rocket engines
• solid propellant
• ammonium nitrate
• composite propellants
• test stand
• static test
• static firing
• PSAN
• PVC motors
• homemade
• ammonium
• nitrate
• rocket
• fuel

[bulruq]

On watching again I noticed that there is a secondary external flame front that indicates a large amount of the fuel is exiting the nozzle unburned. Did you see that? Very showy but potentially wasteful and inefficient.

[pevargas]

@bulruq :The flame may be due to CO and H2. The low molecular wt. of the H2 and CO actually help the Isp; for a given chamber pressure and temp. Both AP and AN CP's are fuel-rich; you can't add enough oxidizer for complete combustion because the solids loading would be enormous (unmixable). For comparizon: APCP has 26v% CO and 30v% H2. For ANCP it's 26 and 45v%. The magnesium in the ANCP and my low pressure design on this motor may actually make this flame more obvious. Good observation!

[bulruq]

FFFing youboob won't let me paste a link but it's at Wired.com.

[bulruq]

@pevargas There is a great story on that exact subject somewhere on the internet called "Don't try this at home!" you've got to check out.

[bulruq]

I used to be able to buy AN for about $10 per 50Lb bag; it was so pure it usually could be used right out of the bag. It was my raw material for making nitric acid since it WAS the cheapest nitrate available. Now it's completely unavailable and people look at you funny if you even mention it...

[pevargas]

@bulruq : Yep, I guess we are not supposed to be interested in science.....what a shame.

[pevargas]

@bulruq : The chuffing on this PVC motor was a combination of a bad igniter and the low design chamber pressure (being cautious with the PVC and my brand-new test stand). I have since improved my igniters to give almost instantaneous thrust. Check out my other video with my improved igniter and wheeled test-stand. Thank you for your comment.

[bulruq]

@pevargas Having experimented with AN as an oxidizer I found it to be more trouble than it was worth because 1. it's hygroscopic, and 2. ignition is erratic and difficult. In your demo you can see how it 'chuffs' several times before you get consistent burning; if that had been in an actual rocket the assembly would have popped up off the stand, fallen over and either burned on it's side or taken off horizontally, terrorizing spectators.

[bulruq]

@pevargasAlso keep in mind that 'Big Brother' is doing everything possible to BAN AN and make merely possessing it a class A felony, punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison!

[bulruq]

@pevargas It is only a matter of time before they also target saltpetre. I have it straight from an agent of the BATF that amateur high power rocketry is one of their primary targets for investigation (read 'harassment').