Propulsion

Lead: Jesko Fröhlich

If you are thinking of rockets, you are probably first thinking about rocket engines. In the propulsion team, we design, build and test any systems that can make rockets move. Our current projects include an altitude control system and the development of a liquid-liquid engine and test bench.

Altitude Control System (ACS)

For our current rocket FRODO-M we are working on an all-new cold-gas propulsion system, which will enable us to precisely control the apogee of our rocket. Our goal is to set the new competition record at the European Rocketry Challenge (EUROC), which means achieving our target altitude of 3 km with an error of no more than 6 meters.

For this purpose, we will use high-pressure air from a paintball tank to feed a total of six 3D-printed nozzles. The system will be controlled by our flight computer via two main valves and includes a variety of sensors, pressure regulators and fail-safes.

To achieve our goals, we are building prototypes to test and optimize our designs, performing CFD-simulations to assess the in-flight performance and the effects of the system on aerodynamic-stability and finalizing system components.

Engine & Test Bench Development

As we have gathered experience from our various projects, we have set our sights on a new goal: Developing liquid-liquid engines to power our future rockets!

To do so, we have designed a test bench capable of testing a variety of different engines with performances of up to 3kN. Once this test bench is finished, we plan on building our first ethanol and nitrous oxide engine with a thrust of 1kN and continue from there. For more on this project, check out the BALRoG project project site.

Interested?

If what we are doing sounds interesting to you, and you would like to participate – whether you have some prior experience or are just eager to learn – join our Discord or drop by one of our weekly meetings on Tuesday afternoon. We would be happy to meet you!