ROCKET ENGINE THRUST MEASUREMENT
What is Thrust ?
Thrust refers to the push with force used to propel a rocket through the atmosphere and into space. Through the application of Newton’s third law of motion, thrust is generated by the rocket’s propulsion system. All of the parts that make up a rocket engine, such as the tanks, pumps, propellants, power head, and rocket nozzle, are included in the propulsion of a rocket.
The propulsion system’s goal is to generate thrust. Thrust is generated in a number of ways by propulsion systems. However, Newton’s third law of motion is used to generate all thrust. The system accelerates a working fluid in any propulsion system, and the reaction to this acceleration exerts a force on the system. The amount of thrust generated is dependent on the mass flow through the engine and the gas exit velocity, according to a general derivation of the thrust equation.
In rocket technology, a load cell is an important component for measuring the thrust generated by a rocket. Its goal is to see how effective rocket thrust is at achieving the project's goals. A load cell is a sensor that converts force into an electrical output. It is typically made up of four strain gauges connected in a Wheatstone bridge configuration.
The deformation (strain) is converted to electrical signals by the strain gauge. There are two stages to this process. The strain gauges on the load cell will first detect deformation of the load cell structure (tension or compression), and then translate the changes in the load cell into voltage values. The load cell must be calibrated before it can be used as a thrust sensor to find the relationship between load and voltage.
LabVIEW is employed as a data logging interface platform that is coupled to National Instrument hardware. The National Instruments hardware functions as a signal conditioner, allowing LabVIEW to gather and analyze the voltage data recorded by the load cell. Each load cell has its own equation for relating force to voltage. To convert the voltage data to thrust, for measuring the fuel burnt and the thrust developed the equation is used as a guideline.
During engine testing, the metal in the load cell is subjected to forces. When you pull apart a metal, it becomes more resistive to electricity flow, and when you compress it, it becomes less resistive. This alters the electrical voltage of a circuit in the load cell in either scenario. The strain gauge can accurately measure variations in electrical voltage and use this information to calculate the amount of force applied to the load cell.
- Liquid Engine (Cryogenic )
- Solid Engine