Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world.
Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves.
All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.
- George Bernard Shaw.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Silver ball is on the way to FAR.
We should do a static test of the new vehicle and motor this weekend. Still does not have gimbal actuators or roll thrustors, but the propulsion system is complete and shop tested.
Paul, Let us know what the weather was like. We didn't come out because we can't launch when the wind is greater than 20 mph and we can't launch into clouds. The TAF from KEDW at noon Friday looked like 3000 ft ceiling and 25 KT winds.
The weather Saturday had clouds at maybe 5000 ft, winds around 20 mph. Looking at all those windmills in Mojave, I wonder how often winds are less than that.
And now I get the joke on why it's called "FAR", it's a heck of a far distance from anywhere!
The wind on the FAR site was at least 30+ mph gusting to hand on to something.
We ran ths silver ball in regen mono-prop mode and other than one minor leak we had no issues.
We had kerosene valve issues so did not really get a good kerosene test. All in all a good result for the first time out on a new vehicle and new motor.
I like the fact you can run it in regen mode though with only a mono prop mode - this is a good move for testing and development - so I assume you have build in a secondary method to drain kero (assuming you still are using it to cool the chamber in this mode - from the system with out feeding it to the engine - How was this done? Is it simply secondary out piping at the top of the engine - maybe through the side where the stainless adapter exists?
Also, how did the standard catylist go - I assume your positive report indicates it worked out well - so how long did you run it for?
Thanks again for your constant flow of information.
David - FYI, one of nice things about peroxide rockets is that you use the oxidizer (H202) as the coolant in the regen chamber, not the fuel (kero).
I'm fairly sure that H202 have far better properties as a coolant liquid than the kero or at least that's what I remember reading a few places.
Hopefully it's "good enough" that you can use it to run a biprop H202/kero engine made out of 6061 aluminum. Again, IIRC, the chamber temp/nozzle temp in such an engine is much higher than the melting point of aluminum, so you need a really nice coolant!
Thanks - It makes more sense and I have learned a little more. I had read that kero has the property of coaking up the cooling passages so using peroxide as a coolent makes perfect sence and if it is better at that job as well then all the better. I would also assume (possibly wrongly) that the warm peroxide would de-compose better. Anyway, it makes the dual mode far easier to build - Learning so much here.
I don't think its dead. I think its changing and will be based more on content in future.. . I think googles strategy is to have the best sites (content wise) ranked high rather than the best advertised sites.. The idea being that if they can improve their search results even more, users wont see the point of using lesser search engines.. And if you are always on google then your likely to use other google features ect.. Google continues to be the best and more and more people are using it. What if it changes the way we use the Internet?. Maybe its already begun with 'make google your home page' . Then creating a google account and customising your homepage. Customising and improving searches. If they improve much more then there wont be any point using other search engines. Others will be brought (by google) or fade out.. Everyone will use google. They will make a FORTUNE with advertising. Google will 'be the internet' pay per click management services
7 comments:
Paul,
Let us know what the weather was like. We didn't come out because we can't launch when the wind is greater than 20 mph and we can't launch into clouds. The TAF from KEDW at noon Friday looked like 3000 ft ceiling and 25 KT winds.
The weather Saturday had clouds at maybe 5000 ft, winds around 20 mph. Looking at all those windmills in Mojave, I wonder how often winds are less than that.
And now I get the joke on why it's called "FAR", it's a heck of a far distance from anywhere!
The wind on the FAR site was at least 30+ mph gusting to hand on to something.
We ran ths silver ball in regen mono-prop mode and other than one minor leak we had no issues.
We had kerosene valve issues so did not really get a good kerosene test. All in all a good result for the first time out on a new vehicle and new motor.
Good news and a good step forward. Questions -
I like the fact you can run it in regen mode though with only a mono prop mode - this is a good move for testing and development - so I assume you have build in a secondary method to drain kero (assuming you still are using it to cool the chamber in this mode - from the system with out feeding it to the engine - How was this done? Is it simply secondary out piping at the top of the engine - maybe through the side where the stainless adapter exists?
Also, how did the standard catylist go - I assume your positive report indicates it worked out well - so how long did you run it for?
Thanks again for your constant flow of information.
David - FYI, one of nice things about peroxide rockets is that you use the oxidizer (H202) as the coolant in the regen chamber, not the fuel (kero).
I'm fairly sure that H202 have far better properties as a coolant liquid than the kero or at least that's what I remember reading a few places.
Hopefully it's "good enough" that you can use it to run a biprop H202/kero engine made out of 6061 aluminum. Again, IIRC, the chamber temp/nozzle temp in such an engine is much higher than the melting point of aluminum, so you need a really nice coolant!
Whamodyne,
Thanks - It makes more sense and I have learned a little more. I had read that kero has the property of coaking up the cooling passages so using peroxide as a coolent makes perfect sence and if it is better at that job as well then all the better. I would also assume (possibly wrongly) that the warm peroxide would de-compose better. Anyway, it makes the dual mode far easier to build - Learning so much here.
I don't think its dead. I think its changing and will be based more on content in future.. . I think googles strategy is to have the best sites (content wise) ranked high rather than the best advertised sites.. The idea being that if they can improve their search results even more, users wont see the point of using lesser search engines.. And if you are always on google then your likely to use other google features ect.. Google continues to be the best and more and more people are using it. What if it changes the way we use the Internet?. Maybe its already begun with 'make google your home page' . Then creating a google account and customising your homepage. Customising and improving searches. If they improve much more then there wont be any point using other search engines. Others will be brought (by google) or fade out.. Everyone will use google. They will make a FORTUNE with advertising. Google will 'be the internet' pay per click management services
Post a Comment