Over the past week the engine team have been preparing designs for the hybrid rocket engine, the aim is to see if we can produce a net thrust from the engine. Different engine designs have been researched to find the most simple and most effective design.
We settled upon a cylindrical aluminium core to house the solid fuel with a chamber to allow the liquid fuel to flow. Attached to either end of the core is an end cap with an injector assembly and a nozzle to direct the expelled gases, both of which are interchangeable to allow for the test of various designs.
We also decided on materials for the nozzle and end cap, due to the higher temperatures they will be exposed to, they have to be made from a material with a higher melting point. Steel has been proposed for initial testing as it is cheaper than other materials and SHOULD withstand the heat and stresses subjected on it. For the actual engine, it would have a layer of graphite on the inside of the nozzle to withstand the stresses for a longer period of time.