General Discussion

The third meeting of the Kelvin Aerospace Lab focused on clarifying the club’s technical direction and establishing a step-by-step development roadmap for the liquid rocket engine project. The discussion centered on determining feasible prototype phases and defining short-term goals.

Development Plan Overview

The club agreed to begin with a gas-fed prototype that uses gaseous oxygen and room-temperature ethanol as propellants. The first prototype will not employ regenerative cooling, as the purpose of this stage is primarily to test the Laval nozzle design, the igniter and the pintle injector. A basic test bench will be developed in parallel to support static testing and data collection.

Following the first-stage prototype, the second prototype will also use gas-fed oxygen and room-temperature ethanol, but will introduce regenerative cooling and incorporate design improvements based on the results of the initial tests. During this phase, the club will also begin exploring technologies for oxygen production and storage.

In the third phase, the project will transition from gas-fed propellant supply to an electric pump-fed system and replace gaseous oxygen with liquid oxygen (LOX). By this stage, the club aims to complete a fully functional first-generation liquid rocket engine.

Technical & Project Discussions

Prototype and Test Bench Development:

The meeting discussed designing a test bench alongside the engine to ensure accurate and safe measurements of thrust and combustion performance.

Safety procedures will be reviewed before any physical testing begins.

Propellant

• Members discussed using room-temperature ethanol to simplify the early development phase and reduce risks associated with cryogenic handling.
• For the oxygen supply, the team will explore electrolysis-based production and cryogenic storage. Initially, the oxygen will be supplied from high-pressure tanks.

Software and Documentation

• Establishing a GitHub repository to host project documentation, simulation data, and design files are also in the plan.

• The Google form for new member registration will be updated to include a “9th grade” option to ensure access for all interested students.

Scheduling Discussion

Due to the school closure on Tuesday, members discussed rescheduling the next meeting. After reviewing options, the meeting was moved to Friday as an alternative.

Next Step

• Begin preliminary design work for the first gas-fed prototype and its test bench.
• Set up the GitHub repository for version control and collaborative documentation.
• Research oxygen storage methods and regenerative cooling designs for the second prototype.
• Research the appropriate electronic control system solution.
• Update membership forms and continue organizing weekly meetings according to availability.