I was the first to recommend ablative, it's the simplest/quickest to get
onto the test stand and/or into the air. My first flight engine was
ablative,
see video below from the 1970's before I know what I do now. Also are
firings of my LR-101. The engine in the video was simple S glass and
polyester resin. Refrasil and epoxy would be better
and of course phenolic is king.
For a regen why not just copy the LR-101? All engineering is done and it
works great. Yes the ISP is low but because Rocketdyne wasn't concerned
about that only reliability. My video also has LR-101 firings in it too.
Another engine that's bigger is the single chamber LR-11, LOx/Ethanol. The
inner wall is allowed the aforementioned compressive loading by an
expansion joint built into the outer wall.Inner wall is pure nickel. I have
one for sale currently on eBay.
https://youtu.be/xUqRiSG1atk
Ken Mason
On Sun, Aug 9, 2020 at 10:21 PM Jonathan Adams <jonadams2002@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
How would one, particularly on an amateur scale go about manufacturing the
thrust chamber for a small liquid-propellant rocket engine?
I was wondering this because it seems like a difficult component to
manufacture, as a longer combustion chamber would be difficult to machine
via CNC turning or a similar process due to complications with removing
shrapnel from inside the chamber as it is being machined.
