Research and Experimental Testing of Liquid-Injection Thrust Vector Control Actuator (LITVC)

Reaction Dynamics is a small-satellite launch vehicle company aiming to build a launch vehicle using a revolutionary type of rocket propulsion. Launch vehicles rely on a sophisticated Guidance, Navigation, and Control algorithm to precisely navigate and stabilize their vehicle during flight. The company requires an innovative method to accurately deflect the thrust force of the engines, and a previous literature review has led them to proceed with a Liquid-Injection Thrust Vector Control (LITVC) mechanism. Reaction Dynamics seeks to gain an understanding of the phenomena at hand and develop a small-scale prototype of the mechanism’s actuator. By using experiments to tune a mathematical model, the company requires the assistance of a full-time intern to research, design, implement and analyze hot-fire tests of the control actuator.

Faculty Supervisor:

James Forbes

Student:

Julien Otis-Laperrière

Partner:

Reaction Dynamics Lab

Discipline:

Engineering - other

Sector:

Aerospace and defense

University:

McGill University