Hot-Fire Tests 2007-04-21

Ran the final test with this engine. At the very end of the run, the throat melted out due to what I believe was a sequencing problem which caused LOX to spray on the hot nozzle. One thermocouple was taped down to the outside of the chamber but I think it detached sometime during the run. See the discussion on the main page for more details.

Run 1 Image

Death of uncooled engine

Run 1 Clip

Run 1 Data

Melted throat

Melted throat inside

Hot-Fire Tests 2007-02-25

Ran one test with the new flowmeters. No thermocouples were connected. See the discussion on the main page for more details.

Run 1 Image

Run 1 Clip

Run 1 Data

Pre-Test

2004-05-17

Added more pictures. In the data plots, the units are:

Tank pressures:          psig
Thrust:                  lbf
Compressed air pressure: psig
Chamber pressure:        psia
Temperatures:            Deg R

Hot-Fire Tests 2004-04-18

Run 1 Image

Run 1 Clip

Run 2 Clip

Run 1 Data

Run 2 Data

Setting up the night before

Filling kerosene tank

Last look before the run

Remote instrumentation

Test control central

Filling LOX tank

After the run

LOX lines were still cold

More cold LOX lines

Test crew

Lots of soot in there

My faithful supporters!

Injector after disassembly

Cleaned up injector

Science Fair at work

Cold-Flow Tests 2004-01-26, 2003

The tests with LN2 and water were much more exciting than water alone. I'm sure my neighbors were wondering what I was up to with billowing clouds of cold nitrogen vapor coming out from the open garage!

You can really see the difference between the clogged injector photo and the full open injector with the LN2. Also, note the frost and ice on the top of the tank - you can see where I couldn't get the burst disk holder screwed all the way back in.

I've performed various cold water tests with the injector over a range of pressures. The spray pattern is pretty good. In one case, the o-ring which seals the fuel manifold failed and got stuck in one of the fuel injector orifices. In a live fatal as the corresponding LOX stream would have been left unpaired and may have impinged on the hot chamber wall. Having more pairs would lessen the impact of this type of failure but the holes are already getting pretty small for a 100 lbf thrust engine.