Liquid Propellant Rocket Engine

After reading an article about different propulsion systems on Richard Nakka's Experimental Rocketry Website, I decided to build a liquid propellant rocket engine before attempting the L1 Certification. Working with a friend, we spent months designing, simulating and constructing a small model powered by isobutane. As I was in charge of simulating the engine, I used a variety of software including some developed by NASA. To perform the necessary calculations for future simulations, I utilized NASA CEARUN to analyze combustion between our fuel (isobutane) and oxidizer (compressed air). We decided to use these substances due to their accessibility and our constrained budget. To properly design the nozzle, I utilized RPA (Rocket Propulsion Analysis) to parametrically optimize the geometry of the nozzle following our criteria. After completing the CEARUN and RPA simulations, I used Ansys Fluent to confirm the results and ensure proper flow throughout the system. After designing the engine in Onshape by importing the nozzle geometry from RPA and designing around it, my friend and I began the process of assembly. We utilized lathe, mill and CNC machines to manufacture the engine which has been very time consuming. We believe that we will be able to conduct a static fire of the engine in around two months after finalizing the assembly.