Design and Performance Characteristics of a Rocket Using Potassium Nitrate and Sucrose as Propellants

O. S. Olaoye, O. A. Abdulhafeez

Abstract: The field of rocketry is one of the most complex and expensive on the planet today, where only the most developed and rich countries delve into its full applications. Rocket propulsion is a very complex field where lots of equations are involved. When designing, a lot of factors and conditions are considered because it has to deal with explosives and it can be quite expensive. Its complex thermodynamics doesnt allow much room for error as a simple miscalculation can be quite devastating. This work simulate the ideal theory equations which govern the working of the rocket using MATLAB and crating a virtual way of determining and improving it performance before it is being launched. By so doing, certain dangers and expenses can be avoided. The parameters determined through MATLAB were in close agreement with the experimental results by Nakka. The predicted operating pressure of KNO3 propellant is 19 MPa, this in not beyond what stainless steel material can withstand and the thrust coefficient are in a range of 1.5 and 1.9. It was extended to predict variation of pressure with time and the thrust generated which could carry the load effectively.

Keywords: Propellant, Specific Impulse, Burning time, Chamber pressure, MATLAB