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Theory of Rockets

Theory of Rockets. Dr. Eric Besnard California State University, Long Beach Project Director, California Launch Vehicle Education Initiative http://www.csulb.edu/rockets/. How does a rocket work?. Exercise 1: Take a balloon and blow it up – Do not tie it Release the balloon

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Theory of Rockets

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  1. Theory of Rockets Dr. Eric Besnard California State University, Long Beach Project Director, California Launch Vehicle Education Initiative http://www.csulb.edu/rockets/

  2. How does a rocket work? • Exercise 1: • Take a balloon and blow it up – Do not tie it • Release the balloon • What happens? Why? • Exercise 2: • Take a cart with a pile of bricks on it • Stand on the cart and throw bricks backward • If there is no friction on the wheel, what happens? Why?

  3. Thrust • This effect comes from conservation of momentum • Momentum: • Definition: mass x velocity (speed) • A truck at 40 miles per hour has more momentum than a car at 40 miles per hour • A car at 40 miles per hour has more momentum than a car at 20 miles per hour • Newton’s first law of motion: When no external forces are applied on the object, momentum is conserved • Mass exits backwards at a certain speed or velocity • Therefore object moves forward at a speed which will conserve momentum: → THRUST is generated Rocket (large mass, “small” velocity) Gas (small mass, large velocity)

  4. Rocket flight • Newton’s second law of motion: forces acting on the object will change the momentum of the object: F = m a • F: Sum of all forces • m: mass of object • A: acceleration of object • Forces on our rocket: • Drag (air) • Weight (gravity) • Thrust (engine) • Fins are added for stability of the rocket

  5. Rocket engines • Generate high velocity gas by chemical reaction (burning) of propellants: • Something which burns: fuel • Something which carries oxygen: oxidizer • Unlike aircraft engines which take the oxygen from the atmosphere (“air-breathing” engines), rocket engines carry their own oxygen so they can fly in space (where there is no atmosphere) LOX tank Solid Rocket Booster LH2 tank • Types of propellants: • Solids. Ex: gun powder, Estes rockets • Liquids. Examples: • Oxidizer: liquid oxygen, LOX (≈ -320 F) • Fuel: liquid hydrogen, LH2(≈ -425 F) or kerosene • Hybrids: nitrous oxide (laughing gas) & rubber • Propellant is burnt and accelerated with a nozzle Orbiter

  6. 5 F-1 engines were used on the Saturn V on its way to the Moon 1.5 million pounds each! A Really BIG rocket engine

  7. Smaller rockets, same technology… Designed and integrated by Long Beach State students

  8. Aerospike rocket engine static fire test

  9. When something goes wrong…

  10. Prospector-4 flight

  11. A slightly bigger rocket: size for 20 lb to orbit!

  12. Your rocket Nozzle Ejection charge for deployment of recovery system Non-thrust delay and smoke tracking charge Solid propellant High thrust charge for lift-off and acceleration

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