quick help! best rocket fuel.

[forufes]

i'm in an exams blizzard right now, and have just gotten the green light fromour dean for my project which i plan on doing NEXT semester, a rocket.

however, he said i have to tell him about the rocket fuel we need so he can order it early because of all the security stuff.

so, which should i choose? i'm not even sure about the rocket i wanna make! it's gonna be about 1 meter long, range of around half a kilometer, payload of around 1 kg..uh, idk what else is needed.

if this's better in engineering please move.

thanks.

[rigney]

i'm in an exams blizzard right now, and have just gotten the green light fromour dean for my project which i plan on doing NEXT semester, a rocket.

however, he said i have to tell him about the rocket fuel we need so he can order it early because of all the security stuff.

so, which should i choose? i'm not even sure about the rocket i wanna make! it's gonna be about 1 meter long, range of around half a kilometer, payload of around 1 kg..uh, idk what else is needed.

if this's better in engineering please move.

thanks.

 

Don't!. Go into Medicine, Politics or the Clergy. But, if you insist on rocketry, go liquid. "Red fuming nitric acid" and UDMH. For short ranges under fifty miles and controllable, you can't beat it. Be careful of the (Unsymmetrical Dimethyl Hydrazine) though, it can be cancerous. Otherwise, have a nice big bang! Edited January 8, 2011 by rigney

[forufes]

Don't!. Go into Medicine, Politics or the Clergy. But, if you insist on rocketry, go liquid. "Red fuming nitric acid" and UDMH. For short ranges under fifty miles and controllable, you can't beat it. Be careful of the (Unsymmetrical Dimethyl Hydrazine) though, it can be cancerous. Otherwise, have a nice big bang!

wow man thanks, that was very specific, and am already in engineering btw .

however, i searched those two and couldn't get my hand on a brand name or product for them, know any?

 

also, what do you think of those?

___. Bentonite Clay (Search on ebay: "Bentonite Clay", got mine from ebay seller: "koinaturalenhancer", just make sure whatever bentonite clay you get that its a fine mesh type.)

___. KNO3 (Potasium Nitrate...aka "Salt Peter") <Please refer to the link about "KN/Sucrose Fuel" at the bottom of this page to find out where to obtain this stuff.>

from here.

[dragonstar57]

Don't!. Go into Medicine, Politics or the Clergy. But, if you insist on rocketry, go liquid. "Red fuming nitric acid" and UDMH. For short ranges under fifty miles and controllable, you can't beat it. Be careful of the (Unsymmetrical Dimethyl Hydrazine) though, it can be cancerous. Otherwise, have a nice big bang!

why not nitrocellulose.

or TNT like in fireworks?

Edited January 27, 2011 by dragonstar57

[hypervalent_iodine]

why not nitrocellulose. or TNT like in fireworks?

Oh my god, dragon. You did not just suggest someone try and use TNT. Scarily enough, this isn't the dumbest thing you've ever said. People don't use TNT in fireworks, for starters. Edited January 26, 2011 by hypervalent_iodine

[D H]

Hydrazine and now TNT? This is a student. Do you want him to fail, or die?

 

forufes, if you haven't made your decision yet, do not consider something as nasty as hydrazine or as something stupid and nasty such as TNT.

 

One option is of course to use a commercially-available model rocket engine. If you are going to make your own (a serious undertaking), you will need to decide very quickly whether you are making a solid or liquid fueled engine. Each can cause serious damage if you are not very careful. Each can get you in serious trouble with the law if you do not follow regulations. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse.

 

A fairly safe solid fuel can be made with potassium nitrate and sugar. A fairly safe liquid fuel can be made with hydrogen peroxide (not your mother's hydrogen peroxide, however). Whatever you do, get the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), read them, follow the precautions, and follow any additional precautions when mixing and handling your fuel. Find the appropriate regulations, and do consider using a commercially-available engine as a backup plan.

 

Good luck and be safe!

[ewmon]

Making a rocket involves enough engineering without trying to use liquid motors, so I recommend staying with solid-fuel commercial engines. You'll have a hard enough time with: aerodynamics, aerodynamic center vs center of mass, stability, throw weight, computer simulations, etc. I've been away from rockets for a while, but shooting a 1 kg payload 500 meters downrange with a 1 m rocket sounds challenging enough.

[dragonstar57]

Oh my god, dragon. You did not just suggest someone try and use TNT. Scarily enough, this isn't the dumbest thing you've ever said. People don't use TNT in fireworks, for starters.

the boxes of fireworks says TNT I just assumed that it was the propellant

Edited January 26, 2011 by dragonstar57

[hypervalent_iodine]

the boxes of fireworks says TNT I just assumed that it was the propellant

 

 

TNT is the name of a company that makes fireworks. I suppose it is possible to make them with TNT, but I have no idea why you'd want to. And you would most certainly not want to use it as rocket fuel. You need to think about what you're suggesting before you go around telling people efficient ways of maiming/killing themselves.

 

 

[dragonstar57]

TNT is the name of a company that makes fireworks. I suppose it is possible to make them with TNT, but I have no idea why you'd want to. And you would most certainly not want to use it as rocket fuel. You need to think about what you're suggesting before you go around telling people efficient ways of maiming/killing themselves.

I looked up the brand and what i saw was the logo, not a notice that it contains tnt

if it were me i would a variation of that

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

or with a canister of pressurized CO2.

Edited January 27, 2011 by dragonstar57