Hyperloop Propulsion
CAL POLY HYPERLOOP
Summary
I designed this cold gas thruster system in collaboration with Syed Huzefa Rauf and Roger Zucchet. This propulsion module is designed as an element of Cal Poly SLO's entry into the 2020 SpaceX hyperloop competition. The system converts the energy of stored high pressure gas (nitrogen during operation and air during testing) into kinetic energy, accelerating the pod down the track. Extensive thermal, fluid, and structural analytics have been carried out to ensure the system's reliability and performance.
Major Characteristics
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27,288 Ns Total Impulse (O class rocket equivalent)
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377 km/hr predicted pod speed (A new record for cold gas propelled pods)
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Dual Bell Nozzle Design
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Eliminates the need for nozzle replacement during the transition from testing to operational environments
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Fault Tolerance
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3 fault tolerant during preparation
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2 fault tolerant during operation
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Straight Blow Down Configuration
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Analysis showed that a straight blow down configuration transitioning from under to optimal expansion offered advantages over a pressure regulated system, given the added mass of the high pressure, large flow rate regulator.
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Above are the results of an ANSYS Fluent study I conducted to investigate the dual-bell nozzle's performance during atmospheric testing and vacuum operations.
Above you can download the HP P&ID (High Pressure and Instrumentation Diagram) and LP (Low Pressure) P&ID I created during the design of the system.