Performance Evaluation of Sucrose-Based Rocket Fuel with Additives and Multi-Oxidizer

Abstract

Sounding Rockets Are Space Technologies That Take Probes Into Space To Provide Information About The Earth's Atmosphere And Radiation. Sounding Rocket Has Two Main Parts: Rocket Motor And Payload. The Primary Technical Challenges In Sounding Rocket Technology Include Cost Reduction And The Search For New Propellant. Sucrose-Based Propellants May Be A Cost Effective Alternative To Expensive Ammonia-Based Propellants. This Thesis Analyzes Sucrose Based Fuels With Additives And Multi-Oxidizers To Improve Propulsion Efficiency And Design A Rocket Capable Of Reaching 20 Km With A 1 Kg Payload. The Thesis Employs The Cea Nasa Software To Evaluate The Performance Of The Formulated Fuel. To Improve The Performance Of The Knsu Propellant Fuel, Three Different Additives Are Introduced And Evaluated. The Addition Of Varying Amounts Of Magnesium Powder (1% To 5% Of The Fuel's Mass) Leads To A Enhancement Of 5.4% In Specific Impulse. By Incorporating Aluminum Powder In Concentrations Up To 10%, An Increase In Specific Impulse Up To 10 % Was Observed. Furthermore, Gradually Substituting Potassium Nitrate With Ammonium Nitrate Results In A Steady Improvement In Specific Impulse From 110 To 174 Seconds; However, Relying Solely On Ammonium Nitrate As The Oxidizer Has Some Drawback As They Are Hygroscopic And Of Low Burn Rate. Finally, The Rocket Motor Needed To Send The Specified Payload To The Set ApogeeWas Designed. The Rocket's Design Includes A De Laval Nozzle, With An Optimized Ratio Of Exit Area To Throat Area Set At 5.0. The Total Mass Of The Rocket Is 12.345 Kg, With Fuel Accounting For 75.7% And Payload Accounting 8.1%. Python Simulations Show A Rocket Achieves A 20 Km Peak Altitude In 55 Seconds, With A 165-Second Flight Duration. Additionally, A Small Scale Rocket Motor Test Setup Is Prepared, Equipped With Sensors And A Microprocessor With A Potential Use, In The Future, To Experimentally Test The Fuel. Initial Tests On The Prepared Test Setup Confirmed The Setup's Functionality, While Challenges Arose In Accurately Measuring Temperature During Short Burn Times. Subsequent Tests Provided Valuable Performance Data, Despite Limitations With Thermocouples. The Thesis Contributes To Rocket Design And Propulsion. The Thesis Contributes To Rocket Design And Propulsion By Providing Insights Into Improved Conventional Fuel. The Simulations Validates The Design.