High Altitude Liquid Engine (HALE)

The High Altitude Liquid Engine (HALE) team is competing in a multi-year competition sponsored by Base-11 with the goal to launch a liquid bipropellant to the edge of space. This year’s HALE team split into six subteams to further the overall team goal. The combustion sub-team performed simulations and numerical analysis to ascertain the effect the pintle injector flow has on the temperature gradients within the chamber hardware, as well as the mixing efficiency. The test stand sub-team focused on the design of a new thrust frame and load cell assembly to facilitate continued testing and development of the engine. The electric pump sub-team focused on designing new fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) electric pumps. The vertical test stand team had a fluids and a structures subteam, each responsible for the design and development of the fluids and structures components of a stand capable of testing entire vehicles. The vertical test stand is designed to be mobile, allowing HALE to use the stand for static fires or for launching vehicles. Additionally, the tanks subteam designed and analyzed the propellant tanks for a subscale rocket. Through these six projects, the capstone teams were able to provide valuable infrastructure and information to the HALE team for future developments towards the goal of a student-built rocket flying to the edge of space.