LRE Gen-II | Ablatives Engine
Completion and Hotfire Date: April 28 2024
Snippet from gen-2 hotfire test, more updates to come soon…
A Wooden Rocket?
SFU Rocketry is developing our Liquid Rocket Engine (LRE) Gen-II propulsion system: a 3kN ablatives engine focusing on efficient and sustainable rocket propulsion.
After extensive materials research and ablative testing, MDF wood was chosen as the primary ablative material, being a cost-effective and eco-friendly choice with good burn-rate characteristics. The engine's profile is designed based on our established Gen-I Liquid Rocket Engine, ensuring familiarity for those experienced with our systems while welcoming new insights. This approach allows team members and partners to explore innovative materials in rocketry. A significant aspect of the engine is its reusability, achieved by replacing the ablative inserts, emphasizing our commitment to sustainable space technology and enabling materials research opportunity.
This project offers members, industry, and research partners a chance to collaborate on a practical and forward-thinking venture in rocket technology, balancing innovation with environmental responsibility.
Ablatives Layering of LRE Gen-II Engine
LRE Gen-II Shell
LRE Gen-II takes the shape of our original engine, with a removable back injector plate to allow quick materials and injector iteration.
Ablatives Material
The combustion chamber, throat, and nozzle are all made out of our ablatives material. In the first ignition of the engine, these will be a wood composite.
