Rocket Engine help

[woelen]

'']....and it lit up, i didnt have time to run away, it just went streight in the air for arround 3 seconds and it disapeared, very fast too

To my opinion you are doing foolish and k3wly things. You light a mix of almost 70 grams of chems, without the chance to run away? You don't use fuses or some other mechanism to delay the ignition? I don't want to be rude, but if I'm correct with this, then I think you are a fool! If you do take some safety measures, then please elaborate on them over here and then I'll take back my rude words.

[TATER]

as i mentioned in another thread i would recommend the dampening of black powder and compacting into sticks to form solid rocket fuel .the KNO3 dissolves into the pores of the carbon thus resulting in a stronger mixture. on the good side the mixture can not ignite because it is damp making it a lot safer

[Rocket Man]

what mix does estes use? (smells like black powder)

the estes engines are paper tubes, a good 3-4 mm thick with a clay nossle.

as for fuses, it's a low burning point compound set over a short piece of nichrome wire. run the thing at 5-10 amps for a few seconds and the engine starts.

[YT2095]

estes use black powder with a dextrin binder and the heavily presses into a solid grain, the "clay" nozzel is compressed bentonite with some sort of binder (I don`t what they use for that though).

[Rocket Man]

i think the binder is there to allow the thing to fall apart in water. "to dispose of this engine, soak in water"

i had to do that to one where the nossle was damaged, the whole thing turned into a grey mess right before the paper roll fell apart. i was impressed.

[TATER]

estes use black powder with a dextrin binder and the heavily presses into a solid grain, the "clay" nozzel is compressed bentonite with some sort of binder (I don`t what they use for that though).

 

Bentonite clay

[JayLechner]

Hey since we are in the whole rocket thing, would you be able to ignite the fuel by running a series circuit through the engine? (connecting it to a 9v battery)

[k13wjd]

no.

 

simple physics stop that....

 

 

 

I=V/R

 

 

you could get enough current from a 9 volt battery to directly ignite black powder ( i mean passing current through it)

 

ive never measured it Resistance value, but i know from previous experience that carbon arc can cause serious amounts of heat......

 

you could do it with a 12v lead acid battery, like a small car battery. the contacts would have to be very close 2gether though.

 

it would, in fact, be much easier to use graphite stick, OR "pencil lead" as this gets very hot when subjected to current.

 

 

hope this helps

[CaptainPanic]

estes use black powder with a dextrin binder and the heavily presses into a solid grain, the "clay" nozzel is compressed bentonite with some sort of binder (I don`t what they use for that though).

 

Betonite is the stuff that is used for kitty litter (you know, the grains that your cat will pee and poo on).

Grind it into a powder and then re-shape it into a nozzle by applying enough pressure (a hammer in the hands of an enthusiastic rocket-builder will do).

[YT2095]

LOL, yeah, I`m aware of what bentonite is

I just wasn`t sure what else (if anything) they put in it.

[CaptainPanic]

LOL, yeah, I`m aware of what bentonite is

I just wasn`t sure what else (if anything) they put in it.

 

Good! Well, now everybody knows... and the world has become a little bit wiser.