(c)2001 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics or Published with Permission of Author(s) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization.

A tA A A01-34264

AIAA 2001-3537
Development of a Small Sounding Hybrid Rocket
with a Swirling-Oxidizer-Type Engine
YUASA, S., YAMAMOTO, K., HACHIYA, H.
and KITAGAWA, K.
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology
Tokyo, JAPAN
OOWADA, Y.
National Space Development Agency of Japan
Miyagi, JAPAN

37th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion

Conference & Exhibit
8-11 July 2001
Salt Lake City, Utah
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(c)2001 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics or Published with Permission of Author(s) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization.

AIAA 2001-3537
DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL SOUNDING HYBRID ROCKET
WITH A SWIRLING-OXIDIZER-TYPE ENGINE
YUASA Saburo*, YAMAMOTO Kengo**, HACHIYA Hitoshi, and KITAGAWA Koki
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Asahigaoka 6-6, Hino-city, Tokyo 191-0065, JAPAN

OOWADA Youichi
National Space Development Agency of Japan
Kakuda Propulsion Center
Koukuzo 1, Jinjiro, Kakuda-city, Miyagi 981-1556, JAPAN

ABSTRACT m geometry exponent constant

Our study of hybrid rockets with a
swirling-oxidizer-type engine required us to verify
the dependency of the fiiel regression rate on the
oxidizer mass flux in the levels up to 130 [kg/(m2<
s)] at high chamber pressures up to 6 [MPa], and to
develop a small sounding hybrid rocket with a
maximum 700-N thrust swirling-oxidizer-type
engine. Burning tests of a full-scale engine showed
that the fuel regression rates increased by 2.7 times
over those without a swirling oxidizer, and the
specific impulses achieved 263 [s] (at sea level).
Using the engine system, Tokyo Metropolitan
Institute of Technology (TMIT) designed and
fabricated a small hybrid rocket that was 1.8 [m] in
length and 15.4 [kg] in mass. It was launched
from Taiki-cho, Hokkaido, JAPAN, and reached an
altitude of about 600 [m].
NOMENCLATURE
a overall regression rate law constant
b local regression rate law constant
c regression rate law constant
CD drag coefficient
CM<X pitch moment coefficient curve slope
de nozzle exit diameter [mm]
dt nozzle throat diameter [mm]
F thrust [N]
G total mass flux [kg/m2 • s]
Go oxidizer mass flux [kg/m2 • s]
hv fuel heat of vaporization [J/kg]
LP specific impulse [s](at sea level)
L grain length [mm]
thf fuel mass flow rate [g/s]
tii o oxidizer mass flow rate [g/s]
* Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering
Member AIAA
** Currently at IHI Aerospace Co. Ltd., Member AIAA
Copyright © 2001 by the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights "reserved.
n oxygen mass flux exponent constant
PC chamber pressure [MPa]
r regression rate [mm/s]
r time-averaged overall fuel regression rate
[mm/s]
rt time-averaged local fuel regression rate
[mm/s]
Sg geometric swirl number
x axial distance from grain leading edge
[mm]
a angle of attack [deg]
Y launch elevation angle [deg]
s , nozzle expansion ratio
cp equivalence ratio
Pf density of PMMA [kg/m3]
1 .INTRODUCTION
We have been studying the combustion
mechanism of a GCh/PMMA small hybrid rocket
engine with a unique technique, a swirling oxidizer
flow, to improve the poor combustion property of
hybrid rockets tlls[21. In our previous work, it was
found that applying swirl to an oxidizer flow
increased fuel regression rates, and varying the
swirl intensity of the oxidizer flow could control the
equivalence ratio of the engine even at a constant
oxidizer mass flow rate [2l
We have developed a project to launch an
unguided small experimental hybrid rocket with an
initial mass of 15 [kg]. The objective of this
launch is to mature the swirling-oxidizer-type
engine to the performance level of solid propulsion
in a realistic environment. To achieve a sufficient
initial acceleration of the rocket at launch, a thrust
level of this type engine needs to be over 600 [N].
The required thrust is about 10 times larger than that
achieved by our previous experiment , in which it
was found that the over-all fuel regression rates of
hybrid combustion with a swirling-oxidizer were
dependent on about the 0.6th power of the oxidizer
mass flux through a grain port of the engine. If
this relation between the fiiel regression rate and the

1
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oxidizer mass flux is applicable for much higher
oxygen mass flux conditions, our previous engine
system may be advanced to a flight engine system
without scaling up significantly.
The present experimental study was first
made to verify the dependency of the fuel
regression rate on the oxygen mass flux in regions
of the oxygen mass flux that were much larger than
our previous values at higher chamber pressures.
Based on the obtained data, we designed and
fabricated an unguided small sounding hybrid
rocket with a swirling-oxidizer-type engine. In
order to demonstrate the advantages of hybrid
rockets, and a maturity level of the propulsion
system, finally, the hybrid rocket was launched
from a small town=Taiki-cho, Hokkaido, JAPAN.
2. TEST FIRINGS OF A SMALL
HYBRID ROCKET ENGINE
2.1 Experimental Apparatus
Operation Room
Solenoid Valve v Air
Compressor
I was 8 [s]. After the test juns, time-averaged
I overall fuel regression rates r and time-averaged
Engine Ignition Transformer
Fig.l. A schematic of the hybrid rocket engine system
Figure 1 shows a schematic of the hybrid
rocket engine system used in this study. This was
essentially the same as that specified in the previous
paper. The oxidizer was gaseous oxygen stored in
high-pressure cylinders at 15 [MPa]. The Ch flow
rates were varied up to about 100 [g/s].
Corresponding to this, the pressures in the grain PC
increased up to about 4 [MPa]. Figure 2 shows the
Injector, 040 Pressure Transducer Port
Thermocouple
500
Grain
7 Nozzle
Grain(PMMA) Case(Stainless)
[Unitimm]
Fig.2. Cross-section view of the small hybrid rocket
with swirl-type Oz injector for ground tests
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hybrid rocket fuel grain engine used in this study,
having a similar configuration and size as the
previous one ^. The fuel grain was made of
transparent acrylic (PMMA) with a single port of 40
[mm] in inner-diameter and 500 [mm] in length.
The first 50 [mm] of the port had a larger
outer-diameter of 80 [mm] than the rest of the
section which had a 60 [mm] outer-diameter to
prevent the grain case from flame exposure, because
the swirling Ch flow remarkably increases the fuel
regression rates at the leading edge. The oxidizer,
gaseous Ch, was supplied tangentially through eight
inlet slits of an injector from the head of the engine.
Three types of injectors, having the geometrical
swirl numbers Sg^ of 0, 9.7 and 19.4, were used.
Schematics of the injectors were described in detail
in the previous paper [2l Two types of nozzles
without cooling, made of oxygen-free copper and
carbon, were used to examine the erosive behavior
of the nozzles. Table 1 shows their dimensions.
A miniature solid rocket (propellant: black powder,
burning time: 0.4 [s] ) was used as an igniter of the
hybrid rocket. To ensure ignition of the fuel grain,
the solenoid valves of the Ch line shown in Fig. 1
were set to open at 0.2 [s] after an igniter signal
input. The normal burning duration of the engine
local fuel regression rates rt were measured by the
method reported in Ref.[2].
Table. 1. Nozzle dimensions
Copper Nozzle Carbon Nozzle
dt [nun] 10.5 10
de [mm] 15.5 19.9
e [-] 2.17 3.97
2.2 Experimental Results and Discussion
2.2.1 Engine Performance
Figure 3 shows typical traces of the chamber
pressure PC, thrust F and oxygen mass flow rate m o
of the engine during burning at Sg =19.4 with a
carbon nozzle. Ignition occurred rapidly and
500 ,———————————————, 100
400
300 60
200 40
f
cfl 100 20
6
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Time, t [s]
Fig.3. Typical traces of engine performance
parameters with Sg=\9A
(c)2001 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics or Published with Permission of Author(s) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization.
surely, and when rho was kept constant,
combustion oscillation did not occur and PC and F
remained almost constant. The measured
time-averaged LP=245 [s] at ?ho= 91.1 [g/s], m/=
65.9 [g/s] and cp=\39. The value was slightly
smaller than the theoretical LP=254 [s] obtained at
/V=3.28 [MPa] and .^=1.39 using the same
propellant mass flow rates as the experimental ones
shown in Fig.3.* Burning tests, which were
conducted about 110 times, concluded that even at
large m* up to 100 [g/s] and high Pc=4 [MPa],
stable combustion and good ballistic reconstruction
were achieved by applying swirl to the oxygen flow,
as in previous experiment121.
* For solid and liquid propulsion, the fuel and
oxidizer mass flow rates can be determined
independent of each other. When a total
propellant mass flow rate and a nozzle throat area
are given, a chamber pressure and then C* can
theoretically be calculated independent of burning
tests. After the burning test, an experimental
value of C* may be determined by measured data
of thrust, propellant mass flow rates and chamber
pressure. This shows that comparing
experimental values of C* with theoretical ones
gives the C* efficiencies, that is, the combustion
efficiencies. For hybrid propulsion, however, it
is impossible to determine a corresponding fuel
mass flow rate independently of a burning test,
even when an oxygen flow rate, a nozzle throat
area and a grain configuration are given. This is
778
4> I = 500[mm] Sg =19.4 r=0.0345G/
A = 9.7 = 0.0266G/790
• =0 = 0.0145G/749
O =150 = 19.4 = 0.0596G00641
A = 9.7 = 0.0562G0°'587
O =0 = 0.0276G 0 0581
1.0
Reg
5
0.1
10 50
Oxygen Mass Flux, G o [kg/(nr-s)]
Fig.4 Overall fuel regression rate versus oxygen mass flux
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because the fuel regression rate is strongly
dependent on the heat transfer rate from a
turbulent diffusion flame that is controlled by the
oxygen flow condition on the fuel surface. This
suggests that the fuel propellant mass flow rate,
and in turn, the total propellant mass flow rate, is
controlled by the combustion efficiency in the
combustion chamber. Therefore, it may be
essentially inadequate to determine the C*
efficiency for hybrid propulsion. However, it is
possible to estimate the maximum values of the
engine performance at a given oxygen mass flow
rate and nozzle throat area, such as the specific
impulse, by using the method in Ref.[2].
2.2.2 Characteristics of Fuel Regression Rates
Figure 4 shows the relation between Go and
r for three values of Ss. The experimental data
of the short grain (Z,=150[mm]) [2] were also plotted
in Fig.4 to compare with those of Z=500[mm]. It
can be seen that r increased with increasing Go
according to the relation r =aGo" independent of L
and Sg) even though PC, depending on the Cb mass
flow rate, varied from 0.26 to 4 [MPa]. With
increasing Sg, a increased, while n remained almost
constant at about 0.8. In the region ofSg tested, r
increased up to 2.7 times of that without swirl.
0 Sg =19.4 r / =1.302x-°- 1 2 9 I<150[mm]
= 0.605 x 0 0 3 0 >150
A = 9.7 = 1.328x-°- 177 <150
= 0.316x 0 1 1 6 >150
O =0 = 2.095x"°' 388 <180
= 0.073 x°- 269 >180
1.0
1
0.5
C
O
o
o
0.1
10 100 1000
Distance from the Grain Leading Edge, x [mm]
100
Fig.5 Axial profiles of the local fuel regression rate
The maximum r obtained was 0.8 [mm/s] for
^19.4 at Go = 56.9 [kg/(m 2 -s)].- In comparison
(c)2001 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics or Published with Permission of Author(s) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization.
with standard head end injected hybrid data without
swirl, the value was 1.1-1.5 times higher than that
using the HTPB-gaseous Ch propellant, which have
about 2 times larger regression rates than the
PMMA-gaseous Cb propellant under non-swirling
oxidizer flow conditions14'51, at a comparable
oxidizer mass flux._ The extrapolation of the
empirical relation r =aGon gives m f and then
m o necessary for obtaining a thrust of 600 [N] at a
maximum LP condition for the hybrid rocket engine
with the same configuration shown in Fig.2. For
Sg =19.4 and 1=500 [mm], it is estimated that the
optimum Ch and m r to obtain the required F are
138.1 [g/s] and 100.7 [g/s], respectively, resulting in
Pc= 5.01 [MPa] and/,,=256 [s].
Figure 5 shows axial profiles of r{ for
three values of Sg at a constant of mo=90 [g/sec].
For all cases of Sg) rl was relatively high near the
grain leading edge, but decreased with increasing
the axial distance x from the edge until reaching a
minimum, and then rt increased again. The
relations between x and rl can be expressed as
r{ = bxm . As seen in Fig.5, the dependency of r/
on x weakened with increasing Sg. This means
that applying swirl to the oxidizer flow not only
increases r; but also may cause the whole fuel
grain to bum more efficiently because of fairly
constant burning rates. A similar fuel regression
rate behavior of HTPB with non-swirling oxygen
has been reported by Chiaverini et alJ6] using a
slab-geometry hybrid motor.
It is well known that in hybrid combustion
the fuel regression rate is determined by heat
transferred from the flame zone to the fuel surface.
If we ignore radiation from the flame, at steady state,
this is expressed by the following
, dT.
Pfr'hv =-£—!>'=<>
dy
From this expression, fuel regression characteristics
may be examined by an analysis of convective heat
transfer in a turbulent boundary layer considering
blowing due to fuel vaporization and Reynolds'
analogy. Some researchers[5>7>8] showed in the
following equation that the regression rate depends
on the axial location and the total mass
flux: 7;=C A'" 02 G 08 . This means that r is strongly
dependent on G and rather weakly dependant on x
^5\ As shown in Fig.5 the experimental fact that
r decreased with increasing x near the leading
edge suggests that the boundary layer growth from
the grain leading edge causes the convective heat
flux to decrease, that is, the thermal gradient in the
boundary layer dominates r . On the other hand,
the fact that in the downstream region of the fuel
grain /• increased with increasing x implies that
the addition of fuel mass in the downstream
direction increases local G, and thus the gas
velocity in the port section. This enlarges transfer
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coefficients due to an increase in the turbulence
intensity and increases the temperature gradient as a
result of the reduction of the boundary layer
thickness.
In general, a swirling motion applied to the
oxygen flow at the injector reduces the boundary
layer thickness and increases the intensities of
transfer coefficients in the turbulent flow in the
grain because of an increase in velocity by an
additional tangential velocity component near the
fuel surface. Based on this, the experimental result
with swirl that the regression rate varied little with
axial location, suggests that except for the region
just downstream of the leading edge of the grain,
the effect due to the boundary layer growth in the
flow direction is approximately balanced by the
effect of an increase of turbulent intensities.
However, the flow field with swirl in the grain port
is so much more complicated than that without swirl
that a further study needs to make the regression
rate behavior with swirl clear. It must be considered
that the flame temperature in the grain may vary
with length x according to the variation of (p.
3. FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION OF
A SMALL HYBRID ROCKET
3.1 Design Concept
In order to examine some of the advantages
of hybrid rocket engines, we designed and
fabricated a small hybrid rocket which follows these
criteria:
1. Low cost: using mainly the commercial
products and processing fundamentally by
ourselves at TMIT.
2. Environmental cleanliness: using GCh (stored
in a high-pressure Cb tank)/PMMA propellants,
not including chlorine and nitrogen.
3. Safety: using non-explosive/non-pyropheric
propellants.
4. Reusability: recovering the rocket by a
parachute and replacing GCh/PMMA
propellants.
3.2 Airframe
Figure 6 and table 2 show a schematic and
specifications of the hybrid rocket, respectively.
Its stability was confirmed by the wind tunnel test
using a 1/2 scale model of the rocket and by the
trajectory simulation of the rocket considering its
dispersion due to thrust malalignment^. It was
found that the rocket was stable for -15< a
<15[deg]. A multisensor recovery deployment to
record acceleration of the rocket and barometric
pressures during flight was stored in the rocket, as
well as a recovery parachute which was ejected by a
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Grain L = 500[nu Nozzle

Parachute Combustion Chamber

Oxygen Tank Solenoid Valve

Fig.6 A small hybrid rocket development by TMIT [Unit:mm]

trigger from the multisensor or a mechanical timer. achieved using a miniature solid rocket, and the
Table.2 Specifications of the hybrid rocket burning duration was varied from 7 to 10 [s].
Figure 8 shows typical traces of PC, F and
Propellants GO2/PMMA m o of the flight engine during burning. Rapid
Total weight [kg] 15.4 ignition and sure shutdown were observed. Just
Propellant weight 1.5 after ignition, F and LP obtained the maximum; 692
[kg] [N] and 263 [s], respectively. Then the
Burning duration [s] 7-10 performance decreased with time due to a decrease
Center of pressure,CP [%] 85.3 in O2 tank pressure. The maximum value of LP is
Center of gravity,CG [%] 57.8 the same level as those of solid rockets with
0.51 composite propellants. After burning, it was found
CD [-] that there was no erosion at the throat of the carbon
CMa [-1 -7.95 nozzle. This demonstrated that this hybrid
technology matured to the level of solid propulsion.
3.3 Engine
3.4 Flight Performance
The full-scale flight model engine has 800 300
essentially the same structure as the laboratory
engine shown in Fig.2. Figure 7 shows a 250
schematic of the flight model engine made of
aluminum alloys for lightening. The gaseous 02 200
stored in a high-pressure Ch tank (~20 [MPa]) was
supplied through an injector with Sg =19.4 in the 150 O
blowdown mode. The PMMA fuel grain was the
same structure as that shown in Fig.2. The nozzle 100
was made of carbon without cooling. To achieve
c
an optimum expansion of the nozzle that gives a <u
50 cm
Igniter Grain Case(Al) Nozzle Case(Al)
Injector Grain(PMMA)
/ Nozzle(C)
2 4 6 8 10 12
Time, / [s]

Fig.8 Typical traces of a full-scale hybrid rocket performance

02 500
[Unit: mm]
Fig.7 Full-scale hybrid rocket Engine
propellant mass flow rate of 97 [g/s] and operates
at a chamber pressure of 2 [MPa] and at an exit
atmosphere of 0.98 [MPa], di and 6* were determined
as 10 [mm] and -iT], respectively. Ignition was
Based on the thrust-time trace shown in Fig.8,
the flight performance of the rocket was estimated
when the rocket was launched at an elevation angle
y= 85[deg], in a no cross-flow condition, and the
engine burnt for 7 [s]. Figure 9 shows the flight
performance predicted. The flight will reach a
maximum altitude of 616 [m] at 13.9 [s].

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Parachute
O 2 flow ejection
cutoff
-200
0 4 8 12 16
Time, / [s]
Fig.9. Calculated flight data
3.5 Flight Test
A flight test was conducted at Taiki-cho,
Hokkaido on March 9, 2001. The launcher was set
at 7~85.5 [deg]. Figure 10 shows views of the
small hybrid rocket after launch. The flight was
stable and no smoke from the engine was observed.
This indicates that the swirling oxidizer flow did not
disturb the flight stability and the exhaust of the
engine was environmentally clean. The
combustion was shut down at 7 [s] after ignition.
After reaching an apogee altitude, the parachute was
opened. However, an opening shock broke
junctures between the airframe and the parachute,
and the rocket fell into a snowfield in Taiki-cho 620
[m] from the launch site. The apogee altitude,
which was estimated based on video images and the
fall location, was 610 [m], in good agreement with
the predicted value in Sec.3.4. Although the soft
landing of the rocket failed, the flight demonstration
itself was successfully conducted.
REFERENCES
[l]Yuasa, S. et al., "A Technique for Improving the
Performance of Hybrid Rocket Engines," AIAA
Paper 99-2322, 1999.
[2]Tamura, T. et al., "Effects of Swirling Oxidizer
Flow on Regression Rate of Hybrid Rockets,"
AIAA Paper 99-2323, 1999.
[3]Beer, J. M. and Chigier, N. A., "Combustion
Aerodynamics," Applied Science Publishers,
London, 1972.
[4]Shanks, R. and Hudson, M. K., "A Labscale
Hybrid Rocket Motor for Instrumentation
Studies," Journal of Pyrotechnics, Issue 11,
Summer 2000.
[5]Sutton, G. P., "Rocket Propulsion Elements," 6th
Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 1992, pp.502-522.
[6]Chiaverini, M. J. et al., "Regression Rate
Behavior of Hybrid Rocket Solid Fuel," Journal
of Propulsion and Power, vol.16, No.l,
January-February 2000, pp. 125-132.
[7]Marxman, G. A., "Combustion in the Turbulent
Boundary Layer on a Vaporizing Surface,"
Proceedings of Combustion Institute, Vol.10,
1965,pp.l337-1349.
[8]Altman, D., "Space Propulsion Analysis and
Design," Ed., Humble, R. W., McGrow-Hill,
1995,pp.365-441.
[9]Rosser, J. B., "Mathematical Theory of Rocket
Flight," McGraw-Hill, 1947.

4.SUMMARY

Burning tests of a swirling-oxidizer-type

hybrid rocket engine with the PMMA/Ch propellant,
which were conducted at large Cb mass fluxes up to
130 [kg/(ni2>s)] and high chamber pressures up to 6
[MPa], showed that overall fuel regression rate with
swirl increased in proportion to the 0.8th power of
the 62 mass flux, and increased up to 2.7 times of
that without swirl. A full-scale engine achieved a
maximum thrust of 692 [N] and specific impulse of
263 [s]. Using this engine, a small hybrid rocket
that was 1.8 [m] in length and 15.4 [kg] in mass was
designed and fabricated. It was launched from
Taiki-cho, Hokkaido, Japan, and reached an altitude
of about 600 [m]. The successful launch
demonstrated the advantages of this hybrid rocket
engine with a swirling oxidizer flow and a maturity
level of the propulsion.

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,-
ffiSifflHWS/J.vr-^^.: -,-:: ^v

Fig. 10. Views of the small hybrid rocket after launch

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