Solid Rocket Propellant and Liquid Oxygen Manufacturing

The focus of the design effort was on production and manufacturing processes for liquid oxygen and a custom solid propellant. The liquid oxygen manufacturing was modeled as a tonnage plant with a high-output capacity of liquid oxygen to meet market demand. The solid propellant design was modeled after a propellant researched by the UA student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This propellant is made of ammonium perchlorate, aluminum powder, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene and dioctyl adipate. The solid propellant was mixed and degassed under a vacuum, and cast in tubes for later use. It was validated through a static fire conducted with a single fuel grain on a remote test range. Data was collected with a pressure transducer and load cell to verify preliminary calculations for the specific impulse and thrust of the fuel. Economic analysis of the cost to build and operate both plants was completed to show economic viability.