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The main aim of this course is to learn the processes required to design, build, launch and control a subsonic, solid fuel powered rocket. The methodologies developed will also have application to sub-orbital and orbital rockets including liquid fuel propulsion. The control part will focus on canard actuation and will utilize an existing vertical wind tunnel platform on campus for testing the control methodologies before flight. Students will work in pairs in their fields of expertise to contribute to the main group goal of a launch ready rocket. The individual tasks assigned for each pair of students will include rocket airframe design, propulsion, actuation hardware/software, aerodynamics, launch safety protocols, sensors/instrumentation including hardware-in-the loop, telemetry, control algorithms, trajectory simulation and parachute recovery. Students will decide what areas they’d like to work on, but everyone will gain a general knowledge of rocketry through the labs, tutorials, lectures and assignment.
CURRICULUMFour week lecture series – Tim Atkins (TriVector Services, US)Lectures 1-2 – Introduction to the rocket industry and future plans for manned space missionsLectures 3-5 – Principles of rocket forces, drag, centre of mass, centre of pressure, stability for sub-sonic rocketsLecture 6 – Supersonic rocket design considerationsLecture 7 – Satellite payloads with a focus on the SLS vehicleLecture 8 – Avionics and software overview and testing for SLS vehicleLectures 9-10 – Systems engineering approach to a successful rocket launch including health and safety design and requirements/specificationsLectures 11-12 – Optimization of rocket parameters to maximize altitude for sub-sonic and supersonic rocketsGuest Lectures – There will be a number of guest lectures from Rocket Lab, Kea Aerospace, Argo-Navis aerospace and Asteria, covering aerodynamics, propulsion and engine design, rocket avionics and control as well as opportunities for entering the NZ space industry.Laboratory work• Lab 1/assignment – design of a mount for the electronics that will be used in the rocket. Part 1 is the development of a list of specifications in addition to some provided specifications and part 2 is the SolidWorks design of an Electronics Mount to meet the specifications, which will be 3D printed. The top designs will be implemented in ground testing and if these tests are successful the best design will be implemented in the final rocket launch (lecture weeks 2-3)• Lab 2/Safety write-up for an uncontrolled rocket launch• Informal labs and assistance as requiredAssessment (learning outcomes in brackets)• Lab 1 is worth 25% (individual assessment)- assesses design and manufacture of avionics stack including development of specifications (1-3, 8)- This houses all the electronics for the launch and requires knowledge of the electronics as well and how various components can be accessed for testing. • Lab 2 is worth 5% (individual assessment)- assesses health and safety of launch (2,8)• Inspections of Practical work (not including field work) 35% (individual assessment)- Assesses individual contributions to each specific task assigned for the rocket including parachute deployment, airframe, aerodynamics, ground station telemetry, onboard telemetry, avionics and actuation/control and involves input from Rocket lab and UC Rocketry (1-4, 8)- Assessment is by formal inspection and involves a presentation of each student’s work and their developed hardware• Launch preparation write-up for student pairs – 15% (group assessment)- covers trajectory planning, wind tunnel testing, hardware testing, health and safety (1-8)• Small vertical wind tunnel design and implementation – 15% (individual assessment)- PWM control of wind speed, calibration of duty cycle versus wind speed, PID control development, mechanical and electronic design (3,4,6-8)- Some hardware and instrumentation as well as the mechanical design and a prototype will be available to base the work on.- Assessment is by a report• Final rocket launch (weather permitting) – treated as final exam so it can be done in exam period – 5% (group assessment)- Learning outcomes 1-2, 5-6, 8- if the rocket launch is cancelled, the small vertical wind tunnel assignment will be worth 20%• The course coordinator (Chris Hann) will oversee all the assessmentLectorials (fortnightly or as required)• An informal lecture/tutorial to answer questions will follow each lab. The work covered in the tutorial is flexible and can include advice on the various tasks assigned to the overall course deliverable, which is launch-ready rocket with avionics and control.Field Work (different to practical work which is related to individual inspections)• Wind tunnel tests of uncontrolled and roll-controlled rocket – assessment is individual inspections• If wind tunnel tests are successful and the rocket is approved for launch there will be a launch from the Rakaia Island launch site. Personnel from Rocket Lab, Kea Aerospace and UC rocketry will supervise the launch planning and safety protocols on launch day – assessment is a whole class grade worth 10%• The goal of the rocket launch will be to achieve roll-control of a sounding rocket up to 600 m altitude – only related to whole class assessment (10%)• All personnel must follow UC Rocketry health and safety protocols which have been developed and successfully used over more than a decade of rocket launches• A final report including analyzing the launch data will be produced following the launch – related to whole class assessment (10%).Ground testing and launch areas:The ground testing will be in the vertical wind tunnel outside the High Voltage Lab in the fenced enclosure. If the rocket developed is approved for launch, the rocket launches will be conducted on Rakaia Island Dairy farm.
At the end of this course, the student will:1. Gain and understanding of practical engineering principles applicable to many fields of engineering2. Learn the basic design principles and manufacturing process of a rocket airframe and electronics for a canard-controlled atmospheric sounding rocket launch.3. Gain an understanding of the various sensors and instrumentation used on the rocket and on ground systems, including wind sensors, wireless transmission of data, accelerometers, rate gyros and GPS4. Learn about filtering, data logging and electronic control hardware5. Understand the design principles of rocket engines with an emphasis on solid propulsion thrust characteristics6. Operate 6DOF (6 degrees of freedom – pitch, roll, yaw, x, y, z accelerations) modeling software in Matlab for trajectory design.7. Design PID controllers in the pitch axis with simulation in matlab and implementation in the wind tunnel and in a rocket launch.8. Obtain insight into the space industry in both NZ and the US with potential opportunities to work in this field after their degree.
Subject to approval of the Head of Department
Christopher Hann
Tim Atkins (TriVector Services, US)
Ashish Tewari; Atmospheric and Space Flight Dynamics ; Birkhauser Boston, 2007.
Hull, David G; Fundamentals of airplane flight mechanics ; Springer, 2007.
Sutton, George Paul. , Biblarz, Oscar; Rocket propulsion elements ; 8th ed; Wiley, 2010.
Further course reading available at:• www.aerotech-rocketry.com/resources
Domestic fee $1,197.00
International fee $6,000.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
Maximum enrolment is 20
For further information see Electrical and Computer Engineering .