Designed to produce 550 pounds of force, the odyssey hybrid engine was created to provide valuable insight into the complexities of hybrid rocketry and eventual power a flight vehicle capable of landing safely back on the ground.
Draco is a system that will help ERPL safely test their liquid bipropellant rocket engines. It includes tanks, valves, regulators, and plumbing needed to deliver two types of propellants (one ambient and one cryogenic) at the right pressure and flow rate. It can test much larger engines than ERPL currently has, has a maximum pressure of 1300 psi, and can be moved around on a mobile platform. The project is being sponsored by Blue Origin and has received an award from the 2022 College of Engineering Philanthropy Council.
Vulcan is ERPL's small scale hybrid rocket engine. Producing only 50lbs of thrust, Vulcan is the perfect test bench to teach young engineers about hybrid rocket design and operation. Our team is currently looking to test fire using a HTPB fuel grain and N2O as our oxidizer. Gaining preliminary data before investigating new fuels.
Juno is a liquid bipropellant rocket engine that is the successor to Aquila, ERPL's first liquid bipropellant engine. Juno will serve as a modular, experimental testbed to inform the design of future liquid rocket engines. With an estimated 300 pounds of thrust, Juno is powered by liquid oxygen and ethanol. It has completed manufacturing and is scheduled to be first test fired on Draco in the spring of 2024.
The Spectre program aims to create a system that stabilizes rockets during flight, allowing them to fly vertically without rolling. The program uses the Spectre Module, which is a flight controller that uses control surfaces to adjust the rocket's attitude. The Spectre Module includes a custom flight computer and firmware to collect flight data, run a control loop, and record flight data. The program is currently testing a roll controller using the Spectre Mk1 rocket, which has flown twice. Once the roll controller testing is complete, the Spectre Module will be upgraded to a 4-canard model to test yaw, pitch, and roll stabilization.
The CNC team supports other ERPL projects through the use of their Pocket NC V2-10. The team uses this 5-axis CNC milling machine to manufacture parts out of a variety of materials including Delrin, brass, and aluminum. Inventor CAM is utilized to model and generate tool paths for all parts.
The Atlas Test Stand is a modular system designed for testing current and future rocket motors in the Experimental Rocket Propulsion Lab. It can adapt to support fluid feed, data acquisition, and remote operation systems for liquid and hybrid rocket engines. Additionally, its mobile design allows for easy transportable to and from the testing site.
