Mk.V
BURPG’s flagship hybrid engine development. Mk.V was a feat in undergraduate engineering and was designed to power the Starscraper space shot launch vehicle.
Mk.V
The Mk.V is BURPG’s fifth-generation Nitrous Oxide/HTPB hybrid rocket engine which is throttleable from 100% to 50%, can burn for more than 60 seconds, and produces 3,000 lbf (13.3 kN) of thrust at sea level. The engine was designed to fly on the Starscraper space shot launch vehicle. The Mk.V configuration for Starscraper had the capability to be throttled back during flight in order to extend the burn time, allowing for thrust vector control throughout atmospheric flight.
Like the Mk.IV motor, the pressurization system on the Mk.V allowed the rocket to be run at a higher pressure, resulting in improved specific impulse. This increased pressure difference across the injectors allowed for more stable combustion and the higher pressure results in lower thrust trail off which means the engine can stay at optimal efficiency for a greater period of time.
Unfortunately, the Mk. V engine was destroyed during an failed stage test of the Starscraper vehicle. The Mk.V program was officially ended the following year, with the team’s transition into liquid bi-propellant propulsion and the start of the Lotus program. Starscraper would be transitioned to a liquid configuration following this shift.
Engine Overview
LITVC
The Mk V employed the use of a technique known as liquid injection thrust vector control (LITVC) to replace fins on the Starscraper launch vehicle. This technique involves injecting liquid N2O into ports around the nozzle, creating supersonic shockwaves which have the effect of shifting the direction of thrust. Thrust vector control would have been used to keep the rocket stable during its ascent through the atmosphere. The LITVC technology was successfully demonstrated on the Mk.IIb engine.
The End of an Era
The development of Mk.V stands as the largest hybrid engine ever developed by a university. Mk.V is the culmination of years of hybrid engine development during the Mk era and stands as a testament to what BURPG can accomplish when driven by a singular goal.
Facts & Figures:
| 3,000 lbf | 12 in |
|---|---|
| BURPG's largest Mk hybrid engine produced a record-breaking 3,000 lbf of thrust at sea level. | With a twelve inch outer diameter, Mk.V would be mated to BURPG's largest vehicle at the time. |
| 1,100 lbm | 60 sec |
| At ignition, Mk.V alone weighed over 1,000 lbm but still is able to launch to space. | Mk.V has a long burntime which is able to be throttled to burn more in the thinner atmosphere when flying to space. |
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