When Hybrid Rockets go wrong 2 (Hybrid post mortem)

Video 2 of the aftermath of my 2 foot by 3 inch in diameter aluminum hybrid rocket explosion. In this video you can see what happened to the rocket itself. It burst. The heat stressed areas around the welds gave first and the whole thing split itself down the middle. Valve were torn off, the Nitrous tank went flying, the camera was destroyed, and shards of aluminum and fuel were scattered all over the area. Unfortunately the only camera I had on the rocket at the time was on the test stand so I don't have any footage of the rocket exploding.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Hybrid
• rocket
• aftermath
• post
• mortem
• wax
• nitrous
• oxide
• destroyed
• burst

[berin99]

oops likes like aluminum is not strong enough :)

[Rocketmang]

heheh, yep, time to try carbon fiber.

[soverato3]

what does a bottle of nos costs?, can you refill it?? and for how many engine fires can you use it???

thnx!!

[Atevra]

@pereduranofcourse thanks for pointing out the aluminium nozzle

[pereduranofcourse]

@Atevra look, you can't have an aluminium nozzle when you have a very high pressure and temperature. Usually you would use graphite because it will not melt at high temperatures and will not burst at high pressures. and thanks for the google tip, i already knew, btw...

[Atevra]

Have you built a rocket motor before? have you seen a commercial high power rocket motor? Aluminium is a more widely used material than steel for rocket motor casings, for many reasons so you can use Google. Look at tensile strength/motor operating pressures, thermal liners/temperatures in combustion chamber, (fuel grain is often used as a heat barrier between aluminium casing in amateur hybrid motors) and materials used professionally for rocket motors, (solid fuel and hybrid).

[pereduranofcourse]

@Atevra sir, it does...

[Atevra]

@pereduranofcourse that has nothing to do with it

[pereduranofcourse]

Are you mad, aluminium melts at 640 degrees celcius but steel at 1350 degrees celcius! Next time think which materials you are using. You were lucky that the box safed you!

[NOBOX7]

well boys the design is perfecto,he

just needs better metals ,,lol

[conoba]

KAbooooom!

A nice explosion can be as entertaining as a good launch. It is fun either way and you learn if something works or not.

[VooDooRocketry]

Aluminum is plenty strong