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Our Mission: The MIT Rocket Team aims to develop and test methods of analyzing the causes and effects of fin flutter as it pertains to the flight of high powered rockets.
Successfully deliver high school outreach payload Visually identify flutter effects with high speed camera and custom mirror system
Use image post-processing software to accurately track fin movement
Analytically demonstrate rocket stability with 6 fins and additionally only the 3 non-fluttering fins. Attach strain gauges to fins to measure predicted versus actual strain Purposely induce flutter or failure in 3 of 6 fins
Requirements:
Launch rocket to 5280 ft Induce flutter in 3 test fins Deploy High School Science Payload
Design
90 Tall 6 Diameter 42 Pound liftoff weight
Concept
Solid rocket motor Carbon fiber reinforced airframe Redundant flight computers Dual deployment recovery
Key components
Motor retention Fin Retention Avionics package Recovery package
Airframe
PML 6 Phenolic Carbon fiber: Soller Composites Sleeve Aeropoxy 2032/3660 Plywood Wood glued to motor mount tube
Various
Center of Pressure
91 from nose tip
Center of Gravity
67 from nose tip
Stability Margin
~3.9 Calibers ~3.2 without test fins
This is known to be excessive. Effects of liberating fins to be seen during multiple test flights. Lower margin will be used if possible.
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Body tube structural tests Ejection Charge Tests Fin drop tests Avionics Tests
Vacuum Chamber Electric match actuation
3 Full Scale Flight Tests on full motors Opportunity for a total of 5 full scale flight tests
Thrust to Weight Ratio: 8.1:1 Rail exit velocity: 55ft/sec (assuming 66 of guidance)
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Subsystem Tests
Ejection Charges Avionics Recovery
Fin Vehicle
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Motor Retention
Via 3/8 Threaded rod into forward closure Threaded rod passes through avionics bay to recovery attachment point
Avionics
Beeline 70cm Trackers in each section Raven2 as primary altimeter Stratologger as backup Housed in 12 long coupler tube just above motor Trackers attached to recovery cords Avionics bay bulkheads shielded with foil tape
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Fin retention
Airframe
Custom designed glueless unit Will allow easy swapping of payload test fins Will allow reduction in stability margin after first test flight if seen fit.
Screwed into fin can centering rings Force transferred from aft centering ring through airframe
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Nose cone
PML 6 Fiberglass nose cone Houses drogue parachute
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5 ft drogue parachute
14 ft main parachute
System Under Drogue Nose/Payload Final Descent Rate Rocket Body Under Main Liberated Fin
55 ft/s
1670ft-lbf 72ft-lbf
19.1 ft/s
Deployment at 700 feet Pulled out by high school payload High school payload released by Tender Descender Deployment Bag used
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Barometric testing
Deployment sensing Altitude verification
Operational verification
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Tube-Stores payload during flight Charge released locking mechanism - releases sabot at 300 ft Chute Bag ensures clean main parachute opening Separation of rocket and nose cone prevents parachute entanglement
Main Chute Deployment Bag
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Fin flutter measurement system to quantitatively analyze the fin flutter induced modes in the three test fins
Strain Gauges
High-speed Cameras
8 on each fin Saved to SD card via Arduino A Cassio Exilim camera for each fin Recording at 480 frames per second Securely mounted in avionics bay
Mirrors
Time and velocity at which fins experience flutter Fin deflections versus time and velocity
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Software debugging Mirror mount placement and rigidity Camera placement and stability Operational testing
Strain gauges Radio relay circuits Data logging Electrical components
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2 Fins will be liberated during flight Limiting velocity of 40ft/sec Limiting energy of 25ft-lb Each fin will have a tracker for location Each fin will be painted in a contrasting color for visibility against the sky
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Tracker
Kevlar Cord tied to tip of fin, taped to bottom of fin and attached to base of rocket
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Streamer stored in small tube in base of rocket Attached by a Kevlar cord tied to the tip of the fin Kevlar cord taped to bottom of fin for aerodynamic reasons
Streamer stored in tube in base of rocket. Tape is used to hold it in. It deploys when fin liberates and pulls it out
Attached Fin
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Month
Date
Task
September
November December
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28 3 17 19
Project initiation
PDR materials due Construct Scale rocket Scaled test launch Initiate materials acquisition for full scale rocket Return from winter break Test MATLAB and openCV software
January
6 6
6
7 7 7 9 9 9 10
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13 13 15 15 16 19 21
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February March 18 10 17 26 April 2 21
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Boston Museum of Science Mid-January MIT Museum: Mid-January MIT Splash Weekend: 20 November MIT Spark Weekend: Mid-March
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