HELP!!!! Rocket Car

[Ash]

I have been set a challenge to build a rocket car, and have a large collection of chemicals at my disposal, does anyone know what reaction would be best to create a good rocket car, and how would i contain the reaction to propell the car forwards????

Thanks

Ash

[Flashman]

Take one balloon, one nozzle made from a pen cap, and one plastic toy car, tape balloon to nozzle, tape nozzle to back of car, inflate balloon, enjoy....

 

Because I can't for the life of me imagine that you'd consider messing with the 100lb or so of highly dangerous chemicals it would take to push a real car with absolutely no experience in propellants.

[hermanntrude]

If you wanted to propel a SMALL car, perhaps a small model made from something very light, there are a few things which might work, but the nature of rocket propellants makes them very dangerous.

 

give me some more details about what it is you need to do exactly

[Flashman]

It's important to realise that any ideas you might get for small scale models may not scale up. There's potential problems with mixing up fuels or reactants for example, where the amount of heat generated in a reaction can easily be dissipated from teaspoon quantities, but where mixing large amounts would boil buckets full or prematurely explode. You get any issues with incorrect reaction speed, due to propellant grain size or quality, nozzle blockage, self confinement, etc you've just taken out a city block, and they probably won't find enough of you to bury.

[big314mp]

I'm guessing he wants a small, pinewood derby -esque type car. If so, a compressed CO2 cartridge would do very nicely.

 

If you want to use chemical power, then get a small model rocket engine.

 

In both cases, you need to ensure that your design has sufficient down force to actually stay on the track and not become airborne.

[hermanntrude]

It's important to realise that any ideas you might get for small scale models may not scale up. There's potential problems with mixing up fuels or reactants for example, where the amount of heat generated in a reaction can easily be dissipated from teaspoon quantities, but where mixing large amounts would boil buckets full or prematurely explode. You get any issues with incorrect reaction speed, due to propellant grain size or quality, nozzle blockage, self confinement, etc you've just taken out a city block, and they probably won't find enough of you to bury.

 

there's no indication in the original post that this person is building a full-scale rocket car. You're jumping to conclusions

[CaptainPanic]

I know you asked this in the chemistry forum, but I just ignore that.

Use a bottle rocket! (Or water rocket). Safe, simple, cool... and really easy to reload and use again. No need to buy chemicals in a store. Totally environmentally friendly.

 

The only disadvantage is that there's no smoke, no fire and no danger.

 

have a read at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_rocket

[Ash27]

Take one balloon, one nozzle made from a pen cap, and one plastic toy car, tape balloon to nozzle, tape nozzle to back of car, inflate balloon, enjoy....

 

Because I can't for the life of me imagine that you'd consider messing with the 100lb or so of highly dangerous chemicals it would take to push a real car with absolutely no experience in propellants.

 

Aha, the simple ones are the best!!!

 

there's no indication in the original post that this person is building a full-scale rocket car. You're jumping to conclusions

HI it is Ash again, different account though, The car is aproximately 40cms long and very light, but we can add weight if the reaction needs it...

 

So far Ideas are:

Balloon and Nozzle

Magnesium and 3Molar Acid

Water Rocket, although the experiment will be carried out inside!!

 

We have to propell the car across the sports hall, approx 60m long, preferably using a chemical reaction to fuel it. We need to keep it n a straight line, and get there as quick as possible, the best reaction seems to be a very reactive metal with high molar acid, but its hard to contain it, are there any better suggestions???

 

I'm guessing he wants a small, pinewood derby -esque type car. If so, a compressed CO2 cartridge would do very nicely.

 

If you want to use chemical power, then get a small model rocket engine.

 

In both cases, you need to ensure that your design has sufficient down force to actually stay on the track and not become airborne.

 

Our budge is very low, the school dont want this turning into a full scale project!!! just a bit on the side

Edited November 6, 2008 by Ash27
multiple post merged

[big314mp]

Rocket motors are dirt cheap. You can find them in most hobbyist stores. They're no more than a few bucks for a pack of them. Finding the appropriate size of motor will depend on the vehicle design. Perhaps you could post a picture?

 

The CO2 cartridge would work the same way as the rocket motor, just using compressed CO2 as power rather than a chemical reaction. Safer, but less fun.

 

I'm not sure if Mg+acid will produce enough gas to drive you 60m. I think the weight of the fuel will be a limiting factor there.

 

Talk to your teacher and see what you can get away with.

[Flashman]

Balloon will get you about 10-20M

 

CO2 "sparklet" bulbs will tend to clog with dry ice after brief rapid discharge.

 

Indoors is a bit of problem... I'd say that limits you to something that makes large volumes of steam or CO2 or something like that.

[hermanntrude]

hydrogen peroxide and an iodide salt would produce large amounts of oxygen... perhaps you could harness that? but it'd need a clever mechanism, you wont be able to just use a jet of oxygen

[Flashman]

Make a carbon nozzle and heat it red hot before you mix those two????

[big314mp]

Maybe copper + concentrated nitric acid over a rubber plug of some sort, and then you light the rubber in the NO2 stream...It's painfully complicated, but theoretically possible.

 

I think we need to know your requirements better before we can offer proper advice.

[hermanntrude]

Maybe copper + concentrated nitric acid over a rubber plug of some sort, and then you light the rubber in the NO2 stream...It's painfully complicated, but theoretically possible.

 

I think we need to know your requirements better before we can offer proper advice.

 

could be just plain painful too if it decided to start spitting conc nitric acid at you

[YT2095]

Rocket motors are dirt cheap. You can find them in most hobbyist stores. They're no more than a few bucks for a pack of them. Finding the appropriate size of motor will depend on the vehicle design.

 

I`m in complete agreement with you there, I`v built and raced many rocket cars in the past, and these Estes engines Rock!

they`re properly engineered and tested and as result give reliable performance and most important of all Predictability!

[CaptainPanic]

So far Ideas are:

Balloon and Nozzle

Magnesium and 3Molar Acid

Water Rocket, although the experiment will be carried out inside!!

 

[sarcasm]Ah! Yeah, if you don't want to destroy the floor, it is probably best to play with dangerous chemicals like strong acids. Water (dihydrogenoxide) is really bad for the floor. [/sarcasm]

 

On a side note,

has a video of a water-rocket-car. Perhaps you will become enthusiastic if you just check that out. The title is "WORLD RECORD Water Rocket Car 0 - 343.5 kph in 2.5 sec", says enough. And

of the 1st video. It does reach the 60 meters, and it's made of stuff you find in and around the house.

 

Finally, this one is a video of rockets (that go up, rather than horizontal). At about 1.30 minutes there's a part with an on-board camera. Quite cool.

[person]

I have not tried this myself but i know someone who has made a rocket engine with a mixture of sulphur and Zinc powder . It made a dence white smoke tail and a bright white flame .