Yengine 2.0 & The Yocket
Project Goal
To design, build, and test a regeneratively cooled liquid-fueled rocket engine capable of producing 1000 lbf of thrust and to integrate this engine into a flight vehicle to compete at the annual Friends of Amateur Rocketry Oxidizers Unlimited Tournament (FAR-OUT) in June of 2025.
My Role(s):
Propulsion subteam co-lead (Spring 2023 - Spring 2024) responsible for leading the design, manufacture, assembly, and testing of the thrust chamber assembly (TCA).
Project co-lead (Spring 2024 - present) responsible for the technical and logistical operation for Project Liquid and all the underlying teams (propulsion, fluids supply, avionics & control, and structures).
Technical Skills: Non-technical Skills:
CAD (OnShape) Project management
Mechanical design Leadership
Python programming Communication
Thermodynamics Collaboration
Results & Future Plans
The Yengine 2.0 is currently in its final stages of development, after which it will be submitted to an industry expert so that it can be manufactured with metal 3D printing.
The structure of the Yocket is in development and entering the first stages of construction: the structures team is building the fuel tanks and the fluids supply team will begin assembling the fluids delivery mechanisms in the Fall of 2024. Moreover, the Yengine 2.0 test stand is nearing design completion with plans to complete manufacture and assembly in the Fall of 2024.
Fully integrated TCA, including the augmented spark ignition system
Facts and Figures
Design thrust: 1000 lbf
O/F ratio: 5
Design chamber pressure: 400 PSI
Design burn duration: 3-5 seconds
Cooling mechanism(s): regenerative + film cooling
Oxidizer: nitrous oxide (liquid)
Fuel: ethane (liquid)
Ignition mechanism: augmented spark igniter
Project Overview & Process: The Yengine 2.0
The Yengine 2.0 is the second-generation engine currently being designed by the Propulsion team at Yale Project Liquid. It will serve as the flight engine on our rocket which is also in development. The engine will be powered by a pressure-fed cycle in which the propellants are liquid nitrous oxide and ethane, and it will use regenerative and film cooling systems.
Design: The combustion chamber and the regenerative cooling channels were sized using two Python scripts, authored by a member of the propulsion subteam. A detailed document regarding the working principles of our regenerative cooling channel solver program (nicknamed the regen solver) can be found here.
The injector plate is a triplet impinging injector designed to implement the ASI assembly as an ignition system. The injector
Manufacture: Currently, the engine is in the final stages of design. Upon completion, we aim to submit CAD models to an expert from the aerospace industry so that we can have the engine 3D printed out of heat-resistance Inconel alloy.
Project Overview & Process: The Yocket
The Yocket is Project Liquid's fully integrated launch vehicle, planned to be launched at FAR-OUT in June of 2025. The vehicle will be 14 ft tall and has a target altitude of 10,000 ft. As the project co-lead, I am not responsible for any specific component or subassembly. Rather, I am responsible for the technical and logistical operation of the whole project: I support the technical development of the rocket while leading the administrative and logistical operations of the club. Below is a summary of the technical and operational aspects of the project:
Propulsion: the propulsion team is nearing completion of the Yengine 2.0 (see above). Moreover, looking ahead to the Fall of 2024, the team will conduct more rigorous testing of the ASI assembly to ensure its reliability as an ignition system.
Structures: the structures team is responsible for designing, manufacturing, and assembling the rocket structures, aerodynamic surfaces, recovery systems, avionics bay, and fuel tanks. We have custom-made aluminum fuel tanks that serve as the main structure of the vehicle, and they are connected with couplers, bolts, and sections to house the fluids routing systems (valves, tubes, and more). The subteam has completed the design of the recovery systems and is in the process of ordering parts to assemble and test the system. Furthermore, this subteam has constructed prototype tanks and successfully pressure-tested them to 1500 PSI, reporting no leaks, damages, or failures.
Fluids Supply: this subteam is responsible for designing, manufacturing, and assembling the propellant delivery mechanisms for the engine. The feed system is comprised of steel tubes that route propellant from the tanks to the engine, using motorized ball valves to control the flow and needle valves to fine-tune the mass flow rate into the engine. This subteam has completed the design of the fluids supply system for both the Yocket and the Yengine 2.0 test stand and is in the process of ordering parts to begin construction in the Fall of 2024.
Avionics & Control: this subteam is responsible for designing, manufacturing, and testing the system control hardware and software. The system is powered by lithium-ion batteries and controlled by a Teensy microcontroller. The avionics team is pivoting to custom-made PCBs for the control systems for the Yocket and the Yengine 2.0 test stand, using everything we learned from the ASI electronics systems. Currently, the team is nearing the design completion of two custom PCBs and we aim to order these boards and test them in the Fall of 2024. Moreover, the avionics team will work on improving the electronics for the ASI as we continue to pursue the ongoing test campaign.
CAD model of the combustion chamber
Cross-section of the combustion chamber, showing the cooling channels that run along the length, the coolant outlet manifold (left), and the coolant inlet manifold (right).
CAD model of the injector
CAD model of the fully integrated Yocket