Design of a transportable and self-contained hybrid propulsion laboratory

Sammanfattning

Hybrid rocket engines are well suited for student propulsion research due to their relativelyhigh level of safety, low complexity, and lower cost compared to liquid rocket engines. Despitethis, experimental work with hybrid rockets still requires dedicated test infrastructure toaddress safety, noise, logistics, and data quality. At the Luleå University of TechnologyRymdcampus in Kiruna, hybrid rocket testing has so far been performed using a largelymanual and temporary setup. This approach has limited testing frequency, scalability, andease of operation. The work presented in this thesis addressed these limitations by designing atransportable and self-contained hybrid propulsion laboratory housed in a standard shippingcontainer.The main outcome of the thesis was a system-level design of a container-based propulsiontesting facility intended for academic research and student use. A literature study was firstconducted to review existing hybrid rocket testing facilities, propulsion test infrastructure,safety practices, and mobile laboratory solutions. Based on this study, a set of system re-quirements was developed and iterated during the design process. These requirements formedthe basis for the layout of the container and the design of the supporting subsystems.The thesis presented a finalized layout for the container and critical designs for the testbench mounting system and the data acquisition system. The test bench mounting systemwas procured and installed, while the data acquisition system design addressed sensor andData Acquisition (DAQ) device selection, wiring schemes, sampling rates, grounding, andelectromagnetic interference considerations. Preliminary designs were developed for the pipingsystem, control system, control software, and overall safety concept. Supporting calculationswere performed for tank sizing, piping dimensions, flow elements, and structural loads relatedto the test bench mounting.In addition to the technical design work, the thesis included planning for laboratory activ-ities, operating procedures, and procurement of equipment. While not all subsystems reacheda final design state, the work established a clear and structured basis for further developmentwhich has been continued in related thesis works within Luleå Tekniska Universitet (LTU).The proposed laboratory design improves safety, reduces setup time, increases data quality,and enables more flexible testing operations, supporting continued hybrid rocket research andeducation at the Kiruna campus.