ROCKET PROPULSION

Learning Module 06: Hybrid Propellant Rockets

Learning Module 06: Hybrid Propellant Rockets

Aeronautical Engineering Department

Institute of Engineering and Technology
Philippine State College of Aeronautics
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Learning Module 06: Hybrid Propellant Rockets

Table of Contents
Title Page
Gospel Reflection i
Tips for Self Learning ii
Learning Outcomes iv
Introduction 1
Applications and Propellants 2
Design Example 4
Combustion Instability 5
Module Activity: Short Research 7
Rubric 7
Honesty Clause 8
Appendix 10
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Learning Module 06: Hybrid Propellant Rockets
Gospel Reflection

Rest is a gift that we too easily tend to push aside. But life without rest is not
sustainable. Rest refreshes our bodies, giving us the energy we need to honour God
and to love others.

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Tips for Self-Learning

1. Assess one’s readiness to learn

Students require various skills as well as an appropriate attitude towards learning for a
successful independent study. This tip involves students conducting a self-evaluation of their
present situation, study habits, and support network both at school and at home. This also
involves evaluating past experiences with independent learning

2. Develop a time-Management Strategy

One Challenge facing in online learning is the self-discipline necessary for us to devote
an ample amount of time to a class in courses that might not have regularly scheduled times to
meet synchronously online or in person. A key difference between in-person and online
learning is the level of independence and ability to participate in the online classroom
“activities” at a time convenient to the student. However, this also presents a potential
conundrum, procrastination. This problem could cause a student to fall behind in the online
course.
A way to mitigate these problems is to try to set and stay to specific “study days”. One
way to accomplish this is by dividing your typical week with days assigned for “learning”, this
includes reading and taking notes of modular materials (learning/laboratory), and some days
reserved for writing assignments. Another way is to incorporate the assistance of your peers
from home or in the online course. Monitoring the progress of your learning can be performed
by any of your family members, since they are the closest person to you (physically) throughout
this online course. Block mates for a specific online course can also assist you with monitoring
by comparing your progress with his/her accomplishments for that online course, forming a
mutual benefit for you and your peers.

3. Engage in the Learning Process

Students need to understand themselves as learners in order to understand their needs
as self-directed learning students. Students must also need to understand their own approach to
studying.
i. A deep approach to studying involves change in ourselves as learners and is ideal for
self-directed learning. This approach is about understanding ideas for yourself,
applying the knowledge to situations that may be unique to you in some levels and
using novel examples to explain a concept, and learning more than is required for unit
completion.
ii. A surface approach involves reproduction: this approach lets you to adapt with the
course requirements, learning only what is required to complete a unit in good standing,
and tending to regurgitate examples and explanations used in reading.
iii. A strategic approach involves organization: achieving the highest possible grades,
learning what is required to pass exams, memorizing facts, and spending time practicing
from past exams.

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4. Stay motivated
Due to the lack of physical contact and interaction with other learners or instructors,
online students might lose their interest or motivation mid-way through their course or
program. Especially in this trying times, we must always remember that no matter what, we
must keep on finding something to fight for.

5. Evaluate Learning
In order for students to be successful in self-directed learning, they must be able to
engage in self-reflection and self-evaluation of their learning goals and progress in a unit of
study. To support this self-evaluation process, they should:
i. Regularly consult with the course instructor,
ii. Seek feedback, and
iii. Engage in reflection of your achievements

6. Find some time to Rest.

Just as this tip suggests, find some time to relax. Make some coffee, eat donuts, play
games. Working on learning modules for more than what your mind can take may cause a
burnout in your system.

Reference(s):
 How Students Develop https://er.educause.edu/articles/2007/1/how-students-develop-
Online Learning Skills online-learning-skills
 Self-Directed Learning: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-
A Four-Step Process resources/teaching-tips/tips-students/self-directed-
learning/self-directed-learning-four-step-process
 Self-Regulation In Online https://elearningindustry.com/self-regulation-in-online-learning
Learning
 How to Be a Successful https://www.northeastern.edu/bachelors-
Online Learner: 9 Tips & completion/news/successful-online-learning-strategies/
Strategies

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Learning Module 06: Hybrid Propellant Rockets

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Course Learning Outcome Module Learning Outcome Topic Learning Outcome

CLO 1. To ascertain the

different classification of
Rockets and differentiate each MLO 1. Understand Hybrid TLO 1. Demonstrate deep
of its operations. Propellant Rockets in terms of understanding of hybrid
CLO 2. Analyse the its Applications and propellants through
fundamental principles of Propellants, Design Example, understanding its applications
Rocket Propulsion which are and Performance Analysis and propellants used.
those of mechanics,
thermodynamics, and MLO 2. Final Revisions of the TLO 2. Demonstrate deep
chemistry. Design Blueprint and understanding the functions and
CLO 6. Define liners and Assembly of the Amateur uses of hybrid propellant rocket
insulators, propellants for Rocket Design components and parts.
igniters, tailoring of
propellants, and propellants for MLO 3. Formulation of the TLO 3. Familiarization with
gas generators. Propellant Grain and loading it the testing and measurement of
CLO 8. Understand Hybrid in the Rocket Cylinder new concepts or phenomena
Propellant Rockets in terms of using experimental rockets.
its Applications and
Propellants, Design Example,
and Performance Analysis

Learning Tool Requirement:  Gather and prepare Learning

Tools (Laptop, Smartphone,
5 minutes
Pens, Notebook, etc.)

Learning Module Duration: Introduction 25 minutes

Applications and Propellants 25 minutes
Design Example 30 minutes
Combustion Instability 25 minutes
Assessment Duration:  Research 40 minutes
 Formative Assessment 30 minutes
 Technical Report 420 minutes
TOTAL 600 minutes

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Introduction
Hybrid propellant rocket is a rocket propulsion concept in which one component of the propellant is
stored in liquid phase while the other is stored in solid phase. This system most commonly employs a
liquid oxidizer and solid fuel. Various combinations of solid fuels and liquid oxidizers as well as liquid
fuels and solid oxidizers have been experimentally evaluated for use in hybrid rocket motors. The
figure below shows the most common liquid oxidizer-solid fuel concept.

Listed below are the advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid rocket propulsion system.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Safety during fabrication, storage, or operation mixture ratio and, hence, specific impulse will
without any possibility of explosion vary somewhat during steady-state operation and
or detonation throttling
start-stop-restart capabilities lower density-specific impulse than solid
propellant systems
higher specific impulse than solid rocket motors Some fuel sliver must be retained in the
and higher density-specific impulse than liquid combustion chamber at end-of burn, which
bipropellant engines slightly reduces motor mass fraction
The ability to smoothly change motor thrust over unproven propulsion system feasibility at large
a wide range on demand. scale.
relatively low system cost

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To get a better idea of how a hybrid propellant rocket works, watch this video.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqjXMoljpl8

APPLICATIONS AND PROPELLANTS

Hybrid propulsion is well suited to applications or missions requiring throttling, command shutdown
and restart, long-duration missions requiring storable nontoxic propellants, or infrastructure operations
(manufacturing and launch) that would benefit from a non-self-deflagrating propulsion system. Such
applications would include primary boost propulsion for space launch vehicles, upper stages, and
satellite maneuvering systems.

In recent years development efforts have concentrated on booster prototypes for space launch
applications. Design requirements for one target missile, which entered production in the early 1970s,
included a nominal thrust of 2200 N with an 8: 1 throttling range, storable liquid oxidizer, and engine
shutdown on command. Selected propellants included a nitrogen tetroxide/nitrous oxide oxidizer and
a hydrocarbon fuel grain composed of polymethylmethacrylate (plexiglass) and magnesium. In another
program (Ref. 15-3), a hybrid motor was developed for high-performance upper-stage applications
with design requirements that included a nominal thrust level of 22,240 N and an 8: I throttling range.
Oxygen difluoride was selected as the oxidizer for use with a lithium hydride/polybutadiene fuel grain.

A more practical, although lower energy, upper-stage hybrid propellant system is 90 to 95% hydrogen
peroxide oxidizer combined with hydroxylterminated polybutadiene (HTPB) fuel. Hydrogen peroxide
is considered storable for time periods typical ofupper-stage mission cycles (oxidizer tanking to
mission completion on the order of several months) and is relatively inexpensive.

The propellant system of choice for large hybrid booster applications is liquid oxygen (LOX) oxidizer
and HTPB fuel. Liquid oxygen is a widely used oxidizer in the space launch industry, is relatively safe,
and delivers high performance at low cost. This hybrid propellant combination produces a nontoxic,
relatively smoke-free exhaust.

Where a smoky exhaust is not a detriment, hybrid propellants for certain applications may benefit from
the addition of powdered aluminum to the fuel. This increases the combustion temperature, reduces
the stoichiometric mixture ratio, and increases fuel density as well as overall density-specific impulse.

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Although density-specific impulse (ρfIs)) is increased, addition of aluminum to the fuel actually reduces
specific impulse. This occurs because the increase in flame temperature gained by adding aluminum
does not compensate for the increase in molecular weight of the exhaust products. The table below
tabulates the heat formation for HTPB reacted with various oxidizers.

A hybrid fuel grain is ignited by providing a source of heat, which initiates gasification of the solid
fuel grain at the head end of the motor. Subsequent initiation of oxidizer flow provides the required
flame spreading to fully ignite the motor. Ignition is typically accomplished by injection of a
hypergolic fluid into the motor combustion chamber. Using the motor described in the figure below as
an example, a mixture of triethyl aluminum (TEA) and triethyl borane (TEB) is injected into the
vaporization chamber. The TEA/TEB mixture ignites spontaneously on contact with air in the
combustion chamber, vaporizing fuel in the dome region. Subsequent injection of liquid oxygen
completes ignition of the motor.

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DESIGN EXAMPLE
The preliminary design problem typically posed is to determine the approximate size of a hybrid
booster, given numerous system requirements and design assumptions. Suppose that the operating
characteristics of a Space Shuttle class hybrid rocket booster are to be determined, given the following
initial design requirements:

Fuel HTPB
Oxidizer Liquid oxygen
Required booster initial thrust (vacuum) 3.1 x 106 lbf
Burn time 120 sec
Fuel grain outside diameter 150 in.
Initial chamber pressure 700 psia
Initial mixture ratio 2.0
Initial expansion ratio 7.72

Kindly read Chapter 15.3 – Hybrid Propellant Rockets – Design Example of Rocket
Propulsion Elements Textbook for the continuation of this discussion. The chapter was also
attached together with this module on the Appendix section.

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COMBUSTION INSTABILITY

The hybrid combustion process tends to produce somewhat rougher pressure versus time
characteristics than either liquid or solid rocket engines. However, a well-designed hybrid will
typically limit combustion roughness to approximately 2 to 3% of mean chamber pressure. In any
combustion device, pressure fluctuations will tend to organize themselves around the natural acoustic
frequencies of the combustion chamber or oxidizer feed system. While significant combustion pressure
oscillations at chamber natural-mode acoustic frequencies have been observed in numerous hybrid
motor tests, such oscillations have not proved to be an insurmountable design problem. When pressure
oscillations have occurred in hybrid motors, they have been observed to grow to a limiting amplitude
which is dependent on such factors as oxidizer feed system and injector characteristics, fuel grain
geometric characteristics, mean chamber pressure level, and oxidizer mass velocity. Unbounded
growth of pressure oscillations, such as may occur in solid and liquid rocket motors, has not been
observed in hybrid motors.

Hybrid motors have exhibited two basic types of instabilities in static test environments:
 Oxidizer feed system-induced instability (non-acoustic)
Oxidizer feed system instability is essentially a chugging type as described in Chapter 9 and
arises when the feed system is sufficiently "soft." In cryogenic systems, this implies a high
level of compressibility from sources such as vapor cavities or two-phase flow in feed lines
combined with insufficient isolation from motor combustion processes.
 Flame holding instability (acoustic)
Flame-holding instability relevant to hybrid motors was first observed during the development
of solid fuel ramjets. A solid fuel ramjet is essentially a hybrid motor operating on the oxygen
available in ram air. Flame holding instabilities in hybrids are typically manifested at acoustic
frequencies and appear in longitudinal modes. No acoustic instabilities in hybrid motors have
been observed in higher frequency tangential or radial modes such as in solid rocket motors or
liquid engines. Flame-holding instabilities arise due to inadequate flame stabilization in the
boundary layer and are not associated with feed system flow perturbations.

Flame holding instability can be eliminated using two methods:

The first method is to use a pilot flame derived from injection of a combustible fluid such as
hydrogen or propane to provide sufficient oxidizer preheating in the leading edge region of the
boundary layer flame zone. With this technique, motor stability characteristics are relatively

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insensitive to the nature of the injector flow field. In the previous example, the hydrogen torch
igniter acted as a pilot during its period of operation.

A second method involves changing the injector flow field to ensure that a sufficiently large
hot gas recirculation zone is present at the head end of the fuel grain. Such a zone can be created
by forcing the upstream flow over a rearward-facing step or by strong axial injection of oxidizer
(see figure below).

Axial injection in the correct configuration produces a strong counter-flowing hot gas recirculation
zone, similar to that of a rearward-facing step, at the head end of the diffusion flame (conical injection
produces a much smaller and usually ineffective recirculation zone). These techniques produce a flow
field result very similar to that produced by bluff body flame stabilizers used in jet engine afterburners
and solid fuel ramjets to prevent flame blowoff. The recirculation zone acts to entrain hot gas from the
core flow, which provides sufficient oxidizer preheating for the leading edge of the boundary layer
diffusion flame to stabilize combustion.

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Technical Report – Rocket Static Testing/Firing

Introduction
Flight testing of rocket propulsion systems is always conducted in conjunction with tests of vehicles
and other systems such as guidance, vehicle controls, or ground support. These flights usually occur
along missile and space launch ranges, sometimes over the ocean. If a flight test vehicle deviates from
its intended path and appears to be headed for a opulated area, a range safety official (or a computer)
will have to either cause a destruction of the vehicle, abort the flight, or cause it to correct its course.
Many propulsion systems therefore include devices that will either terminate the operation (shut off the
rocket engine or open thrust termination openings into rocket motor cases) or trigger explosive devices
that will cause the vehicle (and therefore also the propulsion system) to disintegrate in flight.

Activity
Execute Static rocket system tests (with complete propulsion system on test stand):

(a) Partial or simulated rocket operation (for proper function, calibration, ignition, operation-
oftenwithout establishing full thrust or operating for the full duration);
(b) Complete propulsion system tests (under rated conditions, off-design conditions, with
intentionalvariations in environment or calibration). With a primary focus on (a).

Compilation of Reports
Submit a compilation of reports. This includes:
1. Reasoning
2. Feasibility
3. Procedures
4. Rocket Design Concept
5. Progress
6. Documentation

Documentation
1. Make use of the Journal.
2. Presentation. Create a well-thought out presentation (PowerPoint, Canvas, etc.)
3. Create a video with at least one member of your group as a representative to present the flight
test conducted.

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Note* | kindly read the Rubric for Written Submissions to assist you in accomplishing the
activities in this part of the module better.

Rubric for Written Submissions

Honesty Clause
Here is a copy of the Honesty Clause which you will attach to every submission you will carry
out in this learning module.

“As members of the Academic Community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards
of intellectual and academic integrity. Philippine State College of Aeronautics assumes, as a basic
and minimum standard of conduct in academic matters, that students should be honest and that they
submit for credit only the products of their own efforts.”

Signature over PRINTED name

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References
Milligan, T. S. (2008). Model Rocket Design and Construction. Fillmore Ridge Heights, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
USA: Apogee Rockets.
Nakka, R. (2020, July 23). Amateur Experimental Solid Propellants. Retrieved from Richard Nakka's Experimental
Rocketry Web Site: https://www.nakka-rocketry.net/propel.html
National Association of Rocketry. (2021). MODEL ROCKET INFORMATION. Retrieved from National Association of
Rocketry: https://www.nar.org/model-rocket-info/
Surmacz, P., & Rarata, G. (2009). Hybrid Rocket Propulsion Development and Application. Warsaw, Poland.
Sutton, G. P., & Biblarz, O. (2017). Rocket Propulsion Elements 9th Edition. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons inc.
Sutton, G. P., & Biblarz, O. 9. (2017). Rocket Propulsion Elements 9th Edition. New Jersey: John wiley and Sons Inc.

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APPENDIX

Rocket Propulsion Elements 7th Edition – George P. Suton; Oscar Biblarz

Chapter 15.3 – Hybrid Propellant Rockets – Design Example

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