Advanced Vortex Hybrid Rocket Engine (AVHRE), Phase I

Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) proposes to develop a unique Advanced Vortex Hybrid Rocket Engine (AVHRE) to achieve a highly-reliable, low-cost and extremely versatile propulsion technology. The benefits of AVHRE result from the combination of ORBITEC's patented vortex injection technique; high-regression rate, paraffin solid fuels; and a new fuel formulation innovation to control the solid fuel regression characteristics and provide improved structural integrity of the grain. A vortex injector generates a coaxial vortex pair, driving high solid-fuel regression rates and improved combustion efficiency. In addition, paraffin also regresses very rapidly, further enhancing the systems flexibility. The rapid regression rates and many design degrees of freedom offered by AVHRE offers the potential for: (1) increased propellant mass fractions; (2) the ability to tailor and optimize a hybrid propulsion system for a specific application; (3) increased ISP efficiency; (4) a reduction or elimination of residual fuel; (5) improved grain structural integrity and increased melting temperature; (6) reduced need for thermal insulation. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility and merit of AVHRE through design, analysis, laboratory testing, and hot firings of up to 1,000 lbf thrust. More »