Tag: Hollenstein CTC

Today’s lesson was concerning the Anatomy of a Rocket. Quite honestly this was not a good class to come into the middle of and expect to keep up.

The best example I can give of how this went is as follows. My family often plays a game at holidays, we call “Pass Around Pictionary.” To sum it up, each person has a piece of paper on which they draw a picture, then fold the paper to hide the picture, and then they pass it to the next person to describe the picture in words. This process continues going back and forth from picture to words each time the paper is passed, and each person can only see what the person before them drew or wrote and must describe using the opposite action.

Now fast forward to today. I walk into a high level rocket training class just as the main lecture on how to design these vehicles has ended, and a student/teacher is selected to go to the board and draw/design a rocket with the help of his classmates. Not only are they drawing this vehicle as they go along, they are problem solving, designing, discussing parameters and components, and redrawing as the thought process changes and develops.

The drawing began simple enough so I tried to draw my own copy picture as they went along. Their board allowed for erasing and changing as they went along. I brought a notebook and an INK pen to class today. It worked well the last two days, but failed me miserably today. I finally gave up on trying to complete the drawing, and went to listing components that I knew were part of a rocket. Needless to say I went from drawing to writing, watching as their diagram continued to evolve.

Incidentally, here is what my drawing and notes looked like.

This too had it’s downfalls, because even though I know a lot of the pieces that go into a rocket, it is mostly the big stuff, like nose cone, tank, fins and fuel grain, and some of the tiny things like O-rings, valves, nuts, bolts, etc.

We were now discussing all the large, small, tiny, unknown and very necessary items. Several factors that effect each of them, their sizes, configurations, placement possibilities, etc. Not to mention the abbreviations, acronyms, and formulas that were being used as descriptors. I definitely need to take this class from beginning to end!!!

One thing is for sure, these teachers were being held to the same standard or higher that the high school students in the program are and they were having to perform, just as they will be directing their future students to do. They were designing and developing a diagram of a rocket that they could look back on later as a working example. Each one was analyzing the possibilities and determining the best, what kind, why that one, and how of it all.

They were thinking through things like injector ports, vents, nozzles, electronics bays and their placements on the vehicles and determining if the design was good. Contemplating if they might need to reach that component later and how they would?

The drawing developed, morphed, changed and was redrawn as questions were put forth and answered. It was amazing to be a part of, but nearly impossible to take notes on and keep track.

Even these pictures really do not do the material or the participation of the working minds, justice. I cannot wait to see where they are tomorrow! Here are two more that were part of their discussion. I will let you fill in the captions for these.

We did have a few new faces today. SystemsGo Executive Director, Scott Netherland; Board President, Doug Kimbrell; and past graduate of the program, Robert Sanchez were all in attendance. At the time that I was there, Scott and Doug were observing. Robert said he was fixing one of the school’s 3D printers so that he could use it to fix the other 3D printer.

Until tomorrow, if you are not dreaming of designing, building, launching and chasing rockets, you obviously have not hung out with this crew enough!

www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. You may also email them at info@systemsgo.org .Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited.

#RideTheSky! #Rockets2022 RocketSeason!

Teachers and others in the program probably already know this, but it was news to me. That was either because I have just missed it in conversation before today, or the fact just never came up. Maybe I should have known, but then I am not a teacher, just a crazy, addicted volunteer that loves and supports the program. The technical term is Rocket Junky! What didn’t I know, well the fact that they only do the Goddard level training every four years!!!!!

Doug Underwood, actually gave me that piece of information today. He is seen here with his materials laid out as the lecture resumes after their lunch break.

Not all schools participate in this level of the program. One reason is because these vehicles are expensive to build. It also requires extra travel for the students and schools, and the only window for launch is a month after the students have graduated and school has dismissed. Most schools stay at the Tsiolkovsky and Oberth levels. Therefore training every year is not always necessary or cost effective. That is my take on the why. Of course, SystemsGo may have more specific reasons for their why.

Either way, at first I was stunned and wondered, how can that be? But, knowing just what I do know, taking the things I have mentioned into account and the fact that not every school that does the Goddard program comes to WSMR to launch every year, it could be made sense of rather quickly.

Today the Goddard class was training on Propulsion. Engineering teacher, Andrew Matthes was manning the presentations, leading the discussions and taking questions again.

Here are a few things I heard in my 30 minutes in class today. Do not expect these session to be perfect and totally technically on because, I am not an engineer, though if I could go back and do this stuff I would. I am just a writer and volunteer for the program that loves to soak up all that I can like a sponge and throw it out there for the many more rocket junkies like me, including other students, teachers, rocket followers, etc. so that we may all have a piece of the action and involvement. First and foremost I love to bring more light to the program in any way I can. And have some fun with all I see, hear and learn.

That being said, here is my bit of today’s lessons. There was much discussion about the fuel grain and how it reacts with Nitrous and Oxygen. Specifically how the vapor off the surface of the fuel grain burns with the oxidizer to create combustion. Hot expanding gasses were a topic at this point, which brought forth a quote about hot gasses from the movie, October Sky!

I tried to locate the exact quote, and it did speak about the necessity of the nozzle in the design and how it directs the flow of hot gasses. Of course the comments in the movie went south after hot gasses.

The class went on to discuss fuel grain flow designs. The first of which is pictured here:

This lead to discussions about expansion within the fuel grain, as well as pressure changes, flow rate changes and various other effects as it burns. One such example that is likely with a single port is that the port gets larger as it burns. This changes the Mass Flow Rate also causing the DOF to get larger.

Another comment mentioned was that with only one port, the expansion creates two separate sides to the fuel grain, kind of like two separate pieces of wood burning, which also changes the potential of the propulsion.

According to some in the class, “Two sticks burn better than one!” Chris McLeod, said that I definitely needed to include that comment in today’s blog, so there you have it.

The anatomy of fuel grains and what works well and does not,

as well as nozzle designs were also touched on while I was present, as seen in the pictures shown above and below.

At the beginning of class the internet was down. Apparently it is an intermittent problem. Mr. Matthes made a call and it restored quickly. Jerry, the FISD, IT guy stopped by to check. He said the server had actual gone off momentarily. Some of you might remember him from Willow City a few years back. He brought his drones out to help aide recovery.

Yesterday, someone commented that they wanted to see who else was in attendance besides, Chris McLeod, so here maybe you can make out a few more people. Rhonda Baker is one you might know.

SystemsGo Program Director, Rebekah Hyatt was there when I first arrived, but left quickly to address some issues back at the office.

The same seven teachers were present for training again today. As previously noted they are from Birdville Career and Tech Center, RL Turner, Union Grove, Brazoswood, Booker T Washington, and Jal High Schools.

Today, most of the photos are already included, but I thought this one could be of some interest since the discussion is Goddard rockets. It is the aft end of an old Goddard vehicle. Not a clue if it belongs to a FHS Red Bird or some other school, but it is a prime example of how success often comes to you in pieces.

Until tomorrow, if you are not dreaming of rockets, you obviously have not hung out with this crew enough!

www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. You may also email them at info@systemsgo.org .Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited.

#RideTheSky! #Rockets2022 RocketSeason!

Goddard training began today with FHS Engineer teacher, Andrew Matthes directing the class.

SystemsGo Program Director, Rebekah Hyatt, sitting in the back where she was able to add in information or examples as needed. SystemsGo Regional Director, Doug Underwood was also in attendance.

Seven teachers were present for training. Most were from schools around Texas including Birdville Career and Tech Center, RL Turner, Union Grove, Brazoswood, and Booker T Washington High Schools, and one from Jal High School in New Mexico.

I watched and listen for about 40 minutes today, during which, Chris Madsen, NASA JSC, Orion Entry GN&C Systems Manager skyped in to present The SystemsGo Goddard 6-DOF Inputs session of the training.

As I listened to discussions including center of mass, Roll, Yall and Pitch, metric and standard measurement uses, weight balance across the vehicle, just to mention a small fraction of the information being presented, I was really wishing I had brought a folder for notes and not just a camera. I definitely wish I could have stayed for the full presentation as this program and all they do, never ceases to amaze and fascinate me.

Here are a few more pics. Not too much different, but I will check in on them again tomorrow to see if there is more of interest to report.

www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. You may also email them at info@systemsgo.org .Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited.

#RideTheSky! #Rockets2022 RocketSeason!