University of Mississippi Rocket Rebels

Transcription

1 University of Mississippi Rocket Rebels Project Presidium NASA Student Launch Initiative Post-Launch Assessment Report March 6, 2017 Center for Manufacturing Excellence 1784 University Circle University, MS 38677

2 Table of Contents List of Figures... 3 List of Tables General Information Team Information Launch Vehicle Summary Payload Summary Post-Launch Vehicle Data Analysis Disclaimer Flight Data Flight Data Analysis and Vehicle Results Post-Launch Payload Analysis Flight Analysis and Payload Results Scientific Value Project Summary Summary of Overall Experience and Lessons Learned Educational Engagement Summary Budget Summary... 8 UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 2

3 List of Figures Figure 1: OpenRocket Side-view Design Model... 4 Figure 2: FMPA Dimensional Drawing... 5 Figure 3: Altitude and Velocity vs. Time... 6 Figure 4: Project Expenditure Pie Chart Figure 5: PDR, CDR, and FRR Budget Comparison List of Tables Table 1: General Vehicle Parameters... 4 Table 2: Chronological Full-Scale Flight Critical Event Data Points (Retrieved from Altimeter)... 6 Table 3: Final Detailed Expenditures... 8 UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 3

4 1 General Information 1.1 Team Information The Rocket Rebels are a newly-formed rocket team formed as a part of the Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME), which is a state-funded program based out of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS. The Project Faculty Advisor is Dr. Jack McClurg, Professor of Manufacturing Engineering. The Safety and Rocketry Mentor is Cody Hardin (NAR Level III Certified, NAR #87214). The mailing address of the CME is as follows: 1.2 Launch Vehicle Summary Center for Manufacturing Excellence 1784 University Circle University, MS Figure 1: OpenRocket Side-view Design Model Table 1: General Vehicle Parameters Structure and Propulsion Total Length 105 in Outer Diameter 6.2 in Dry Weight 29 lb Wet Weight 33 lb Motor Choice Loki Research L930W Motor Impulse 3534 Ns (794 lbf-s) Average Thrust 895 N (201 lbf) Burn Time 3.95 sec Recovery System Drogue Chute Design: Annular Main Chute Design Annular w/ Pilot Chute Drogue Chute ID-OD 26 in 3 in Main Chute ID-OD 5.93 ft 9.7 ft 1.3 Payload Summary As a new team, the Rocket Rebels have focused its payload efforts to one simplified mission objective. The payload project has been named Project Presidium, which is a Latin term for protection, and consists of designing and constructing a fragile material payload apparatus (FMPA) that can protect a fragile cargo throughout the entirety of a rocket flight aboard the Rocket Rebels vehicle. To fulfill the requirements of the NASA SLI Handbook, the team has designed the apparatus with the capability to easily open and close for quick installation of the cargo before a launch as well as the ability for the apparatus to be easily installed within the vehicle s payload bay. UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 4

5 Figure 2: FMPA Dimensional Drawing 2 Post-Launch Vehicle Data Analysis 2.1 Disclaimer As a result of missing the deadline for completing and submitting all test flight data, the Rocket Rebels were not cleared to launch at the Huntsville site. Nonetheless, the team decided to launch the vehicle and payload in Manchester, TN of the following weekend to have confirmed successful flight data. The following report was based off of this launch in Manchester. 2.2 Flight Data The following data was retrieved from the altimeter and logged in an Excel file with measurements for every.05 seconds. This data was condensed to data points of most relevance. Confirmed max altitude achieved for the test flight was 5291 ft, just 11 feet over target! UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 5

6 Table 2: Chronological Full-Scale Flight Critical Event Data Points (Retrieved from Altimeter) Event Time (s) Data Value Recorded Max Acceleration (ft/s 2 ) Max Velocity fps Apogee (Drogue Deployment) ft Main Parachute Deployment Altitude ft Ground Hit Altitude ft Figure 3: Altitude and Velocity vs. Time 2.3 Flight Data Analysis and Vehicle Results The flight was considered a partial success in that the vehicle was successfully launched and recovered without any damage to the structural components of the vehicle. There was a small flight anomaly where the drogue parachute had tangled upon deployment, causing a greater descent speed than expected. However, the main parachute was more than capable of saving the vehicle on its successful deployment and provide a safe landing. The vehicle s performance, as analyzed by the team, exceeded expectations. The full-scale vehicle was launched three times throughout the duration of the project and, despite some recovery failures, was able to launch again within the next weekend. One of those recovery failures resulted in the booster section freefalling from a mile which lead to inevitable catastrophic damage to the section. However, due to the unique design of the fin can, which was made almost entirely by 3-D printed material, the booster section UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 6

7 was able to be reconstructed within the next week. This proves that our vehicle has exceptional turnaround capabilities to facilitate multiple launches in a short amount of time, even if the launches result in some damage to the vehicle. At the beginning of the project, the vehicle had several mission success criteria which deemed that the vehicle was performing to the standards the team had set for it. These criteria were: 1. The launch vehicle must successfully lift off the pad at a minimum rail velocity of 52 ft/s. 2. The launch vehicle must attain an altitude of 5280 ft. AGL ±150ft. 3. The drogue/main chute must deploy within 2.0sec after apogee is reached. 4. The landing speed of the rocket after drogue deployment shall be approximately 70 fps to minimize drift. 5. The landing energy of the heaviest section shall be less than 75 ft-lb. 6. All parts of the rocket are recovered and are launch ready within three hours. 7. The FMPA and the fragile material enclosed must survive the entirety of the flight and remain intact upon retrieval. Most of these criteria were successfully fulfilled throughout most of our launches, as each launch provided its own anomaly to address. Despite these problems, the vehicle was considered mission successful as it was seen to complete all of these criteria in the first test launch except for the altitude requirement, which was mainly caused by an overpowered motor (L840). 3 Post-Launch Payload Analysis 3.1 Flight Analysis and Payload Results The FMPA worked with no anomalies during ground testing and during test flights where the FMPA was installed, which stands to the structural integrity of the vehicle. A fragile cargo was only installed on the third test flight, but was destroyed due to the jarring force experienced upon main parachute deployment at a higher than anticipated descent speed. Nonetheless, visual inspection of the vehicle after every flight confirmed that the FMPA device was not damaged and was ready for re-flight. 3.2 Scientific Value The creation of a sustainable and reusable system that can dampen loads developed on a launch vehicle during flight is an invaluable step towards developing life outside of Earth s atmosphere. This technology could allow for fragile cargo of any size and weight, be it biological samples, small CubeSats, or other instrumentation, to be sent away from Earth. This technology could also be applied to human and robotic transport in a much higher-scaled scenario. Advanced shock suppression systems could allow for more people to be able to access the beyond of outer space and eliminate health risk factors that are typical of having multiple g s exerted on the body. This technology could as be used to bring cargo back to Earth, such as fragile biological or geological samples gathered from other moons, planets, or asteroids. UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 7

8 Research and Development 4 Project Summary 4.1 Summary of Overall Experience and Lessons Learned Multiple lessons from engineering, safety, and administration can be taken from this experience. More time should be spent in future projects on assuring that recovery systems are flawless. It was found that it is much easier to get up safely than it is to get down safely. More accountability must be made present with future teams on doing their individual part in assuring the vehicle is constructed, the reports are being written, and the mission requirements are being fulfilled. In future projects, a living document of task assignments will be made for all team members to view and requirements will be made to ensure all team members play an equal part in the vehicle s success. Consequences for lack of participation will also be enforced, like removal from the team and not being allowed to attend launches/competition. The most lessons learned would have to be in the technical realm, as a steep learning curve had to be overcome in order to get to the same caliber of understanding sport rocketry as other veteran teams in the competition. This applies to designing and building the vehicle, but also writing detailed and professional technical reports for the NASA team. If there was any one thing that was gained from this competition, it was a further understanding of technical principles of aerodynamics and a real-world application for the engineering coursework that had been taught to the team prior to the competition. 4.2 Educational Engagement Summary Three major educational engagement events were conducted to increase awareness of the new rocket team and the interesting aspects of STEM-based learning. Two of these events involved hosting a table at a local high school robotics competition, where high school teams were given a presentation of the vehicle and the USLI project. A Q&A session followed, where students were allowed to ask about any yearning questions they had about rocketry in general. The last event was a small mid-power rocket launch hosted by the team. This was facilitated in an open field outside of Oxford High School. More than 150 students and teachers came to watch the launch. Afterwards, a brief Q&A session was held with the high school engineering club, where questions were asked about the competition, including how the school could get involved in the competition itself. 4.3 Budget Summary The Rocket Rebels have created a comprehensive budget to facilitate this year s expenditures. The following table shows the complete and exact costs of all expenditures for the Rocket Rebels throughout the project that were not donated material from its sponsors. A pie chart is provided to show the allocation of funds to each category of the project and a clustered bar graph is available to show the change in projected budget costs per section from PDR, CDR, and the finalized budget costs submitted here. Table 3: Final Detailed Expenditures Item Vendor Part Cost Quantity Total Cost ATHENA3 Rocket Kit LOC Precision $ $87.95 GRADUATOR Rocket Kit LOC Precision $ $69.25 Chute Release Chris Rocket Supplies $ $ G80-7T Single Use Rocket Motor Chris Rocket Supplies $ $22.39 G77-4R Single Use Rocket Motor Chris Rocket Supplies $ $22.39 Subtotal $ UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 8

9 Payload Project Vehicle Subscale Vehicle 1/4" x 1" U-Bolts Fastenal $ $ BC 1/4" Zinc Plated Quick Link, Pack Of 5 National Hardware $ $ "x12" NOMEX Blanket Apogee Components $ $ mm Blue Tube Full Length Coupler Apogee Components $ $ mm Blue Tube Apogee Components $ $23.95 MW RRC3 Altimeter Chris Rocket Supplies $ $69.95 Rotary Switches Chris Rocket Supplies $ $9.00 9V Battery Holder Chris Rocket Supplies $ $4.00 Perfectflite StratologgerCF Chris Rocket Supplies $ $54.95 Mounting Screws and Nuts Fastenal $ $20.00 Fiberglass Sheet (G-10/FR4), 1/8" Thick, 24" x 24" McMaster-Carr $ $46.68 Cesaroni 54-3 Grain Case Chris Rocket Supplies $ $64.85 Cesaroni 54mm Rear Closure Chris Rocket Supplies $ $39.95 Cesaroni J295-16A Classic Reload Kit Chris Rocket Supplies $ $85.95 Motor Retainer Assembly (54 mm) Aero Pack $ $38.00 Airfoiled Rail Button, 10 series, pair Apogee Components $ $7.00 Subtotal $ Airfoiled Rail Button, 15 series, pair Apogee Components $ $ /4" U-bolts and Lock Nuts Fastenal $ $20.00 Sunward 18" Nomex Red/Orange Parachute Protector Apogee Components $ $20.98 Fiberglass Sheet (G-10/FR4), 1/8" Thick, 24" x 24" McMaster-Carr $ $46.68 Motor Retainer Assembly (76 mm) Aero Pack $ $ " x 48" Blue Tube Apogee Components $ $ " x 48" Blue Tube Apogee Components $ $ /8" - 16 Wing Nuts Home Depot $ $1.18 1/2" PVC Male Adapters Home Depot $ $1.92 1/2" PVC Caps Home Depot $ $3.44 Glossy Sky Blue Adhesive Vinyl (pack of 6 12"x24" sheets) Vinyl Ease $ $ /2" x 3/8" U-bolts with Collar Home Depot $ $10.32 Loki Motor Kit Chris Rocket Supplies $ $ First Fire Igniter Chris Rocket Supplies $ $25.98 TK102 Mini Spy GPS Tracker Silicon Electronic $ $19.30 Rotary Switches MissleWorks $ $9.00 Loki L930 White Chris Rocket Supplies $ $ Loki L840 Cocktail Chris Rocket Supplies $ $ Subtotal $1, Time Capsule Airtight Container Skyway Products $ $14.95 Losi Front Shocks with Springs (pair) AMain Performance Hobbies $ $79.95 Subtotal $94.90 UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 9

10 Outreach/Trav el Facilities and Equipment 96" X 1.00 X 1.00 T-Slotted Profile Rail - Four Open T-Slots 80/20 Inc. $ $ " x 1.5" x 1.5" T-Slotted Profile Rail - Four Open T-Slots 80/20 Inc. $ $41.73 Go Box Launch Controller Apogee Components $ $ x 3/4-Inch - Nylon Machine Screw, 40-Pack National Hardware $ $8.00 Firewire Electric Matches Chris Rocket Supplies $ $ M Fire Block Sealer (10.1 oz) Home Depot $ $5.97 Data Transfer Cable Chris Rocket Supplies $ $ fl. oz. Autobody Icing Polyester Finishing Putty U.S. Chemical $ $ mm Motor Cleaning Brush Chris Rocket Supplies $ $ m, 20 gauge phone cable Sportsmans' Guide $ $29.99 West Systems 105 Epoxy Resin, 1 Gallon West Systems $ $80.46 West Systems 206 Slow Epoxy Hardener, 1 Quart West Systems $ $45.81 Resin Pump Kit West Systems $ $19.93 Epoxy Mixing Cups and Sticks Wal-Mart $ $ " x 8ft OD Aluminum Tubing (0.25" thickness) OnlineMetals.com $ $ " x 12ft OD Aluminum Tubing (0.25" thickness) OnlineMetals.com $ $ " x 0.12" Steel Tube A513 (17ft) Tigrett Steel $ $ " x 0.12" Steel Tube A513 (17ft) Tigrett Steel $ $95.20 Stainless T-304 Annealed 2B Sheet/0.06" (16 ga.) 12" x 12" OnlineMetals.com $ $ /8" Pivot Bolt Fastenal $ $5.00 1/2" Pull Pin Fastenal $ $4.99 Subtotal $ Slush Fund for Part Shipping Costs --- $ $ Competition Lodging Costs Embassy Suites $1, $1, Subtotal $2, Total $5, Figure 4: Project Expenditure Pie Chart UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 10

11 Figure 5: PDR, CDR, and FRR Budget Comparison UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI POST-LAUNCH ASSESSMENT REPORT 11