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NERO Experimental rocket motors
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Experimental rocket motors
On this and the many subsequent linked pages you'll find information about the workhorse of a rocket, the rocket motor.
Since the early days of NERO, rocket motor development has been a major activity of the club. Each motor is given a name and also motor families are developed. Rocket motor qualification is done in three steps:
  1. development of the propellant, using small quantities of propellant, the propellant is characterized;
  2. a motor casing is developed and the motor is tested, not using any measurement equipment;
  3. the motor is tested on a test bench, where a thrust curve (thrust against time) is obtained.

The following links will show several motors developed by and in use within the NERO
Blue=new Red=visited Look at the smoke signal a rocket motor gives. Il tells you more about the type of motor used.
Blue=new Red=Visited Before use in light-weight flight motors, all propellants are characterized in a heavy burner, the c*-motor. This motor can be equipped with nozzles varying in diameter of 2 to 10 millimeter. The c*-motor is protected against over-pressure by two brass safety diaphragms, which burst at 100 or 150 Bar, depending on the thickness used.
Follow the link to read more about the C* motors, used for propellant characterization.
Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the Star Grain motor.
Blue=new Red=Visited Hybrid rocket motors run on a propellant off which one is a solid (usually the fuel), and the other one is a gas or liquid (the oxidizer). In corporation with MEROC the HY-4000 hybrid rocket motor is developed, with nitrous oxide as oxidizer (laughing gas), and polyurethane as a fuel. The oxidizer flow is controlled by an pneumatic main valve. The air for driving this valve is controlled by a selenoid, which is controlled by the measurement system. Via a key switch, which is in hands of one of the operators, the system can be shut down at any time, in case of malfunction. Hybrid tests are very impressive, because their long duration (up to 15 seconds) and exhaust with clearly visible shock diamonds.
Read more about the HY-4000 hybrid motor, used in the first European hybrid rocket.
Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the Penta motors, high performance motors used for the altitude record.
No English page Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the Thrust motor: a rigid, cheap and easy to mount motor.
 Blue=new Red=Visited Read more about the static test bench, used for rocket motor qualification.
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