justice_purdue
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First, I am new to this forum. If I have placed this post in the wrong thread, feel free to move it.
Second, I am an AAE student at Purdue University. A team of students and I am building a high powered rocket (L-motor ish) for NASA's USLI (university student launch initiative) competition. The goal is to get a rocket to exactly 1 mile in altitude --> you lose points for going over or under.
Our team is really good with electronics. However, we are new to high powered rocketry, and we are ignorant to what will work and what will not in terms of aerodynamics and stability.
Basically, our current plan is to deploy rearward drag streamers after motor burnout, but before apogee. (The exact time of deployment will be determined by an onboard computer taking fancy sensor data and doing fancy calculations. Deployment will occur with black powder and an e-match.)
The hard part for us is designing external pods to contain the packed streamers. We don't know how exactly to keep the pods from flying off, yet keeping the rocket stable without adding too much weight to the back of the rocket.
Anyway, here are 2 of our ideas:
idea 1:
As seen, our rocket is 4 inches in diameter. There will be 6 external pods. 3 of the pods will be hollow tube fins. The other 3 pods will each have packed stramers. These pods will be topped with a nose cone. For extra stability, fins will be added through the tube fins. (are these needed.) The problem with the design at the moment is that there is no room for the rail buttons.
Design 2:
As seen, this design has the same 6 external pods. However, we make our own cap out of fiberglass instead of using nose cones. We think this will save weight and add to stability since the surfaces will act as stabilizers.
Comments? concerns? suggestions? criticisms? questions? We need all the help we can get.
Second, I am an AAE student at Purdue University. A team of students and I am building a high powered rocket (L-motor ish) for NASA's USLI (university student launch initiative) competition. The goal is to get a rocket to exactly 1 mile in altitude --> you lose points for going over or under.
Our team is really good with electronics. However, we are new to high powered rocketry, and we are ignorant to what will work and what will not in terms of aerodynamics and stability.
Basically, our current plan is to deploy rearward drag streamers after motor burnout, but before apogee. (The exact time of deployment will be determined by an onboard computer taking fancy sensor data and doing fancy calculations. Deployment will occur with black powder and an e-match.)
The hard part for us is designing external pods to contain the packed streamers. We don't know how exactly to keep the pods from flying off, yet keeping the rocket stable without adding too much weight to the back of the rocket.
Anyway, here are 2 of our ideas:
idea 1:
As seen, our rocket is 4 inches in diameter. There will be 6 external pods. 3 of the pods will be hollow tube fins. The other 3 pods will each have packed stramers. These pods will be topped with a nose cone. For extra stability, fins will be added through the tube fins. (are these needed.) The problem with the design at the moment is that there is no room for the rail buttons.
Design 2:
As seen, this design has the same 6 external pods. However, we make our own cap out of fiberglass instead of using nose cones. We think this will save weight and add to stability since the surfaces will act as stabilizers.
Comments? concerns? suggestions? criticisms? questions? We need all the help we can get.