Liquid engine development at Oregon State University has progressed significantly in the two years since the HALE team was established. Progress includes the development of the test stand and related testing infrastructure. The project is nearing its first static test fire of the MIRA engine. A successful static test fire will mark the start of a fully operating liquid engine test stand that will provide future undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to perform liquid engine research. Current methods used in the development of liquid rocket propulsion systems involve many infrastructural challenges stemming from the equipment needed to test engines safely. Ongoing improvements to the existing propulsion laboratory facilities at Oregon State University will simplify and decrease the engine development timeline.
During the past year, the team has been performing system testing including cold flow analysis and controls validation. In tandem with these improvements, the engine team has been working to finalize the prototype engine and perform related integration tasks. The benefits of improving automation, sensor data collection and visual feedback provided by a dedicated liquid propulsion test stand result in a safer and more efficient liquid propulsion development workflow. When integrated into existing infrastructure, these improvements streamline the process of analyzing test results and allows the development team to more quickly determine if the performance characteristics meet design requirements or if further design iterations are needed. This workflow will be crucial to engine characterization and progression towards development of flight hardware.