INNOVATION Nov-Dec 2019

F E A T U R E

The test stand of the Whistler Blackhome liquid engine, showing the tanks of fuel and oxidizer (left), and the electronics system to control the reaction of the liquid fuel and oxidizer. Solid-fuel rockets have pre-mixed fuel and are therefore safer and more reliable—but they do not provide flexible, real-time fuel mixture. P hoto : ubc r ocket

c ontinues from Page 21... 12-line annular parachute and improved recovery mechanism, and an innovative, deployable drone payload that collects data on landscape features while descending autonomously. A key part of the design process was prototyping, said Nathaniel McCallum, a second-year Mechanical Engineering student. “Most of my time was spent designing and prototyping components for the internal structure of the rocket,” he said. “This included brainstorming designs and sketching up concepts, then progressing to designing them in CAD software and finally manufacturing them. Throughout the process, we would use a variety of prototypes to assist in the evolution of the design, from simple Popsicle-stick models to full scale 3-D printed versions of the final design.” Bambey underscores that both money and time are always major challenges. UBC Rocket gets some funding from UBC, but must raise the remaining amount, which is often substantial. Complicating things is that the teams must design and fabricate everything themselves, on a “close enough” basis, using affordable found objects, without the usual commercial resources. And the students must do it all while balancing a heavy course load. Newer members on the Frequent Flyer team within the wider UBC Rocket team design and launch their own smaller rockets; other members work on the Base 11 and IREC rockets. For

example, Alice, a first-year engineering student, designed and manufactured a new aluminum set-ring, threaded rods, and inter-subsystem plates, which allowed the entire upper assembly to be inserted into the upper body tube in proper alignment in a single step. Ivan, another first-year student, supported the IREC team’s composites subteam and helped with the final pieces of Sky Pilot. With the manufacturing of the Base 11 rocket underway, UBC Rocket members are accelerating towards careers in engineering, both outside and within the aerospace industry. The team is also continuing its outreach and promotion of rocketry and aerospace, with plans to hold workshops and model rocket “build days” for the public in the upcoming year. What’s the main thing that keeps members coming back to build rockets? Nathaniel answers: “I enjoyed solving real-world engineering problems that aren’t presented in class. Being able to use creativity and critical thinking to design a component that solves a complex problem while working alongside close friends is extremely rewarding.” Lauren Lee is a third-year UBC Civil Engineering student and a student member of Engineers and Geoscientists BC. She has been a member of the UBC Rocket team for the past three years, previously serving as the team lead for the Sky Pilot airframe manufacturing sub team.

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