Zéphyr
2019-01-01
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2022-01-01
Zéphyr is an experimental project, started in September 2019 assured by a team of 10 students. This was our association's contribution towards our sponsors' Planète Sciences and CNES campaigns and was presented for qualification during the C'Space 2022 campaign.
After the nominal flight of our MC-1 rocket at C'Space 2019, we decided to start developing a trans-sonic rocket, attaining a speed close to that of sound. The closer an object's speed approaches the speed of sound, the more shock waves will appear around it. 14 different pressure wave sensors will allow us to measure the pressure field around the head of the rocket. Our post-flight objective will be to compare the experimental measures with theoretical measurements made prior to the flight with SU2. This project will allow us to highlight the compressibility of air which appear around the speed of sound.
This project however is presented with a lot of obstacles, for example, the study of aerodynamic stability close to the speed of sound, which was conducted during the first 4 months of the project by two team members, and was later validated by the CNES. A study was also done on the solidity of the mechanical parts of the rocket, which have a heavy load to support during the flight. A new transversal separation method (a method which is recommended for this type of rocket) will be tested and a Pro-75 will be installed in the engine box, a demand which was accepted due to the exceptional demands of this experiment.
This rocket also presented big demands in terms of electrical components, which our team conceptualized and built. An onboard computer was needed, which included an inertial unit, a GPS, and a telemetric transmission unit, which is obligatory for supersonic projects. This will allow us to track the position of the rocket in real-time from our on-site ground station, as well as other measurements with the help of other onboard sensors.
The project was put forward for qualification for the C'Space 2022 launch campaign, having unfortunately not qualified for the year prior due to technical difficulties, for example, the ejection system being too weak among others.
The Team
