HPR Science Project Ideas

[Emsley]

Hey all. My 13 year old is in 7th grade. The science projects are pretty weak and they hand out $1000 scholarships. Anyway, he will have his M1/L1 this month if the weather holds. We can't think of an experiment that could lead to an improvement. So I thought of you all. Stevie understands the fundamentals well enough to get things up and down no problem. Some things he can do that could help...

Build cardboard an fiberglass
Use open rocket pretty well with some help
Understand thrust curves pretty well
Good understand of basic flight cg, cp, thrut to weight...
Has ability to launch model class whenever the wind is low, HPR L1 once a month if weather is good.
Can solder through hole and larger smd.
Can figure out payload flight with some help.

I guess we are looking for a possible improvement that can be tested through scientific process. Design, propulsion, electronics, recovery, tracking?

If anyone has some thoughts we have a year to put together something top notch.

Picture for fun. No that's not his normal face.
Steve

 

[Emsley]

Here is the scoring rubric.

 

[Aeva]

What are common problems in rocketry that can be improved with the scientific approach? First things that come to mind are typically related to launch and recovery reliability. Maybe he could do a study of baffles, recovery blankets, and disposable wadding to see what offers the best protection? Then design his own baffle or recovery protection system based off what he learned?

You could also test this on the ground if you have a DD set up, so it's way more repeatable.

 

[Scott_650]

One suggestion that could give you some potential ideas would be to check Apogee Components’ Peak of Flight newsletter index - open up the “Contest” and “Education” sections, could be something there that strikes a spark (figuratively, of course).

If you’re a NAR member the magazine and technical paper archive is a huge resource - hundreds of archived magazines and a bunch of technical reports that could yield an idea for a project.

Best of luck!

 

[Emsley]

Thank you. I am TRA but will consider NAR for the source. I saw the Apogee book of projects for sale and thought those have probably all been done. I like the recovery phase suggestion... lots to do there that isn't quite as nailed down as fin shape (for example).

Maybe we can task him with base drag calculations for short stubby rockets. That won't be controversial at all.

 

[sr205347d]

Hey all. My 13 year old is in 7th grade. The science projects are pretty weak and they hand out $1000 scholarships. Anyway, he will have his M1/L1 this month if the weather holds. We can't think of an experiment that could lead to an improvement.

I suggest a low-cost "wind tunnel" arrangement that could replace the "swing test" to demonstrate stability of rockets that OR/Rocksim can't handle (oddrocs, etc.). I'm thinking a flow straightener that could be attached to a fan, and a means to support a rocket in the flow and allow it to rotate about a CG.

The problem with the swing test is that it can show a rocket to be unstable when in fact it is stable if kept at a reasonably low angle of attack.

 

[sr205347d]

I'm thinking a flow straightener that could be attached to a fan

Or, maybe a "redneck wind tunnel" that you set up in the back of a pickup truck that holds the rocket up in the free stream.