Halcyon

Engine

TXE-2 (Havoc) is TREL's Flight Engine and is one of the most advanced and complex engines in collegiate rocketry. Powered by high pressure RP-1 and LOx, Havoc surpasses many of its peers, taking the throne as the highest thrust regeneratively cooled, 3D printed rocket engine in the history of collegiate rocketry.

Details

1. Kerolox engine
2. Regeneratively cooled
3. Additively manufactured / 3D printed
4. Nominally 3500 lb of thrust
5. ~ 60s burn duration
6. Pressure fed engine cycle

TVC

Thrust Vector Control (TVC), is a system in Halcyon allows us to adjust the rocket's trajectory during its upward ascent, ensuring our rocket stays on its path to the Karman Line.

TVC is comprised of a system of rings that are attached to our engine to rotate it around. Each ring is connected to a linear actuator that pushes and pulls on the ring.

We test the TVC system using a custom stand which simulates the 3500 lbs of force exerted by the engine in various directions, simulating a hotfire.

Structures

The structures team is responsible for producing nearly 70% of the rocket’s hardware by volume! The team uses carbon fiber to produce the bulk of the rocket’s airframe, which is mainly comprised of 6 panel skirts and 3 COPV’s (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels).

Halcyon’s fluid lines and electronics are also routed on the outside of the rocket, underneath a composite raceway that is bonded to the tanks and airframes.

Panel Skirts

1. Carbon fiber facesheets
2. 8 - 30 inches in length
3. Connect Halcyon's fuel and pressure tanks

Payload

Payload's mission is two-fold. First to prove that we can rapidly inflate and deflate a balloon during descent. This mission will pave the way for our eventual goal: to reach neutral buoyancy at a desired altitude. The second mission is to collect UV data from the mesosphere. This mission will prepare us to design a future payload to carry a 3U-sized biological sample to apogee.

Stages

1. Drogue Chute - 50km
2. Balloon Depoloys - 15km
3. Main Chute - 5km