Enhancements to a propulsion demonstrator

This paper presents enhancements to a propulsion demonstrator that illustrates how a rocket works. The operation of the original system is manual and collection and display of useful data is not possible. The updated system consists of the following major components: (1) a computercontrolled ignition mechanism; (2) a programmable valve that allows control of oxygen flow during the ignition phase and throughout the demonstration process; (3) temperature and pressure sensors inside the rocket chamber to monitor the behavior of the system and allow computation of resulting thrust; and (4) a data acquisition board for interfacing the various components. The system can be assembled in five minutes and is fully controlled by software via push buttons in a LabVIEW™ programming environment. This paper documents the major system components and discusses test results.