Hey all, New to the forum! Also a re-new to rocketry.
I used to do model rockets as a kid, build the kits, light off the little Este's C engines. It was a lot of fun, but life went the other way.
Here I am some 10 years later and looking to get back into it...but with a different approach. I am looking to build rockets based on my own fuel. I know, its gonna be a lot simpler to go out and buy a pack of engines, but what fun is that.
I am in school for Manufacturing Engineering so I can machine about any part of a rocket to create my completely custom design. Don't worry, right now I'm just doing chemical testing for fuel and working with cheap engine models to demonstrate thrust and burn time.
Anyone who does this, care to chime in on a few questions?
- My biggest worry right now is I am using PVC pipe as the casing for the combustion chamber, with a concrete plug. I use 3/4" ID PVC pipe and a 1/8" Dia nozzle. Burned one off and it was awesome. Worry is, I understand PVC when burned can be toxic, although the PVC never catches fire it sure does withstand a high level of heat that I'm sure is burning off traces of the inner walls, is this something to be concerned about or maybe just take precautions anway? I was thinking if i introduce a cardboard or even Aluminum foil sleeve I might be able to produce enough of a barrier all the PVC would suffer would be heat instead of direct flame contact.
- How can I reduce any chance for explosions of issues if/when I start manufacturing an aluminum nozzle? I'd imagine a thick enough wall would help to reduce the effects of a blow out, but maybe a special cap I'd have to design that would blow out at high pressure?
- Is the smoke from the typical Sugar Rocket mixture (most basic formula) toxic or at all dangerous? I do have an older painters mask (with the 2 carbon filled canisters for purity) laying around that I'm considering using for another precaution.
Anything else I should be worried about with this type of engine? I've made a few different mixtures and worked with different designs, so far still getting into it but want to make sure I'm not building a device that could blow out and cause damage or injury to something around me.
Attached is my video of my first engine with a nozzled tip
Burn time: 22s
Thrust: uncalculated
[video=youtube;FH5LhkgvZ1I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH5LhkgvZ1I[/video]
I used to do model rockets as a kid, build the kits, light off the little Este's C engines. It was a lot of fun, but life went the other way.
Here I am some 10 years later and looking to get back into it...but with a different approach. I am looking to build rockets based on my own fuel. I know, its gonna be a lot simpler to go out and buy a pack of engines, but what fun is that.
I am in school for Manufacturing Engineering so I can machine about any part of a rocket to create my completely custom design. Don't worry, right now I'm just doing chemical testing for fuel and working with cheap engine models to demonstrate thrust and burn time.
Anyone who does this, care to chime in on a few questions?
- My biggest worry right now is I am using PVC pipe as the casing for the combustion chamber, with a concrete plug. I use 3/4" ID PVC pipe and a 1/8" Dia nozzle. Burned one off and it was awesome. Worry is, I understand PVC when burned can be toxic, although the PVC never catches fire it sure does withstand a high level of heat that I'm sure is burning off traces of the inner walls, is this something to be concerned about or maybe just take precautions anway? I was thinking if i introduce a cardboard or even Aluminum foil sleeve I might be able to produce enough of a barrier all the PVC would suffer would be heat instead of direct flame contact.
- How can I reduce any chance for explosions of issues if/when I start manufacturing an aluminum nozzle? I'd imagine a thick enough wall would help to reduce the effects of a blow out, but maybe a special cap I'd have to design that would blow out at high pressure?
- Is the smoke from the typical Sugar Rocket mixture (most basic formula) toxic or at all dangerous? I do have an older painters mask (with the 2 carbon filled canisters for purity) laying around that I'm considering using for another precaution.
Anything else I should be worried about with this type of engine? I've made a few different mixtures and worked with different designs, so far still getting into it but want to make sure I'm not building a device that could blow out and cause damage or injury to something around me.
Attached is my video of my first engine with a nozzled tip
Burn time: 22s
Thrust: uncalculated
[video=youtube;FH5LhkgvZ1I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH5LhkgvZ1I[/video]
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