Hybrid rocket engine with acrylic and gaseous oxygen

TL;DR

This video demonstrates the construction and operation of a hybrid rocket engine using acrylic as the solid fuel and gaseous oxygen as the oxidizer.

Transcript

hey everyone I've built a rocket engine a hybrid rocket engine out of a piece of solid acrylic and I'm using gaseous oxygen as my oxidizer and it's mounted in the vise right over here so let's zoom in and take a closer look a hybrid rocket engine is an engine that uses solid fuel as well as something else and so the hybrid aspect of it is that you ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🚒 A hybrid rocket engine utilizes a combination of solid fuel and another substance, providing the ability to control and throttle the engine.
• 😋 Construction of the engine involves machining acrylic rods, creating aluminum end plates, and assembling the components with O-rings and threaded rods.
• 😒 The engine demonstrated in the video is not designed for long-term or reusable use due to the limitations of the materials and construction.
• ✋ The acrylic solid fuel can melt due to the high heat generated by the engine, highlighting the need for materials that can withstand higher temperatures.
• 🚒 Throttling and the ability to turn off the oxidizer are advantageous features of hybrid rocket engines.
• 🚒 Ideal nozzle shape and design can significantly impact engine performance and optimize thrust.
• ✋ Safety considerations, such as using high-temperature silicone O-rings and working with caution when handling high-pressure oxygen, are crucial during the construction and operation of the engine.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does a hybrid rocket engine differ from other rocket engines?

Unlike traditional rocket engines that use either liquid or solid fuels, hybrid rocket engines use a combination of a solid fuel and another substance, such as gaseous oxygen.

Q: What materials were used to construct this hybrid rocket engine?

The presenter used acrylic rods as the solid fuel, aluminum for the end plates, steel for the nozzle, high-temperature silicone O-rings, and quarter-twenty threaded rods for assembly.

Q: Can the engine be controlled and throttled?

Yes, one of the advantages of a hybrid rocket engine is that it can be easily controlled and throttled by adjusting the flow of the oxidizer. This allows for varying levels of thrust and the ability to start and stop the engine.

Q: How does the construction and nozzle shape affect engine performance?

The presenter did not calculate the ideal nozzle shape for this engine but mentioned that a convergent-divergent nozzle is typically used to optimize thrust by speeding up the exhaust gas to supersonic speeds and expanding the flow for higher volume.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The presenter built a hybrid rocket engine using a solid fuel made of acrylic and gaseous oxygen as the oxidizer.

• The engine was constructed by machining acrylic rods, creating aluminum end plates, and assembling the components with O-rings and threaded rods.

• This engine is only meant for demonstration purposes and is not designed for long-term or reusable use.