LOHAN gets hands on mighty thruster
We're very pleased to report that El Reg's Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) team has taken delivery of a mighty thruster in the form of an AeroTech RC 32/60-100NS rocket motor. Click here for a bigger version of the LOHAN graphic As you can imagine, there was much excited fondling of stiff tubes down at the Special …
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Thrusters
I like the manly way it "contains no ejection system".
That is all.
I liked the warnings that it was flammable when loaded and hot after firing.
We have an icon for that sort of thing.
Quick point on REHAB
If the engine doesn't fire, you'll need a valve to let air in - or "Let the vacuum out" as we always used to describe it at university.
Yay...
as previously stated, I'll be happy to stump up some(!) cash towards the sintering, etc. when (and if) requested.
"WARNING: FLAMMABLE WHEN LOADED"
and "CAUTION: Motor Hot After Firing"
<<<< Quite!
Am I missing something?
Shouldn't the pressure (vacuum?) guage be on the other side of the valve?
Otherwise the valve might remain closed but the vessel will be in an unknown (but probably air-filled) state?
otherwise good luck getting Lohan through re-hab - it's been tried several times before, which speaks of it's success :-)
ttfn
And when the motor fires it'll break the pressure gauge!
What I suggested previously was a second valve (the original design had your layout), that way the pump could be shut off and the valve closed and any leaks in the system could be monitored for, if the vacuum is stable for long enough close the second valve and ignite the motor.
Have a question on the REHAB
I take it the plan is to seal the motor inside.
Then add the dry ice
then once workign tempreture is reached evacuate the air inside to create the pow preasure environment .
If you evacuate first would it not cause issues with the time it takes to cool the assembly ?
the otehr option is to pre cool the motor but that would make assembly difficult.
Re: Have a question on the REHAB
Correct - put motor inside, chill, then remove air
Hmm, will the vac tube have to be a special material at those low temps to avoid problem with contraction or degradation? Also, you might be able to run it up the gap between the two chambers and out the open top, rather breach the outer casing. Alternatively, I wonder if you could evacuate the chamber without the need for making holes at all by using the schoolboy experiment of boiling water (or something else?) to drive out the air, pop the lid on and allow to cool...
Where does the rocket exhaust go?
What volume of gas is this rocket motor going to produce? it looks like you may be constructing a bomb complete with shrapnel if you can't handle venting all that gas very very quickly.
Re: Where does the rocket exhaust go?
Check our previous piece on the chamber - the lid isn't fixed on, and just sits on a rubber seal.
Rocket motor
It certainly LOOKS like an Illudium Q36 Explosive Space Modulator. Which, of course, begs the question:
"Where's the Ka-Boom? There's supposed to be an Earth-shattering Ka-Boom."
Hate to say it but "TOLD YOU SO"
This could have been put more delicately put
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