Electric-pump Rocket Engines: Comparative analysis of the electric-pump cycle using Rocket Cycle Analysis Tool (RoCAT)

The electric-pump cycle is a rocket engine configuration that uses an electric motor to power the pumps instead of a turbine. This offers several expected advantages such as simpler design, lower development costs, and easier restartability, but comes with reduced performance compared to conventional cycles. Previous research has primarily...

Ignition modeling in methane-oxygen rocket engines: Design and modeling of a methane-oxygen rocket engine igniter using reacting flows with computational fluid dynamics

The influence of using different chemistry model and different chemical kinetics schemes on modeling combustion inside a rocket engine igniter are investigated. An igniter for a LOX/CH4 rocket engine is designed and a CFD model is developed which is used to model the designed igniter. Verification and validation methods are discussed.<br/><br/>...

Cryogenic propellant tank pressurization

To launch a rocket to the edge of space using a pressure fed rocket system with liquid oxygen as propellant, you need to know exactly how much pressurant gas (helium) you need to take along. In this thesis a practical investigation on cryogenic tank pressurization is conducted together with DARE. The measurement results are used to validate...

The stratos rocket: Design, simulation and production of a record breaking rocket

On March 17, 2009, a rocket named Stratos was launched, by Delft Aerospace Rocket Engineering, or DARE in short. The purpose of this rocket was to break the European altitude record for amateur rockets which was 10.7 km at that time. A design of a small sounding rocket, such as Stratos, is a good example of an interdisciplinary challenge. An...