Articulating Canard Fin System for a High-Power Model Rocket
Problem statement
In the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) Spaceport America Cup, teams aim to achieve an apogee (peak altitude) as close to 10,000 feet AGL (above ground level) as possible. Most teams design and build rockets around flight simulations that cannot perfectly emulate actual launch conditions, such as coefficient of drag, fin alignment, and wind. UW-Madison’s competition rocket team, Badger Ballistics, would like a way to aerodynamically control a high-power model rocket to achieve the apogee target more accurately. Active aerodynamic control systems have been built by Santa Clara University and VOS Visions to correct aerodynamic instabilities during takeoff [1] and to orient a rocket vertically during flight [2] but neither system was designed with air brake functionality in mind. An articulating canard (aft side) fin system that can perform active aerodynamic control will be designed, built, and tested over the course of the academic year. The development of a system with this capability along with the public release of engineering documentation could significantly advance academic research done on sounding rockets. Using a combination of high-torque servo motors and PID control algorithms, the articulating canard fin system will maintain vertical orientation throughout flight and provide air brake functionality to achieve the target apogee more accurately. The system will be designed for a 4-inch diameter test rocket to research the viability of such a system for a full-scale competition rocket.
[1] Guerrero, Valeria Avila; Barranco, Angel; and Conde, Daniel, “Active Control Stabilization of High Power Rocket” (2018). Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses. 81.
[2] Jarvis, Jim, “Vertical Orientation System (VOS2)” Overview of System Operation” (2023). VOS Visions LLC Technical Papers. Version 4, February 5.
Team members
Josephine Matyszewski – leader
Gabe Bohlmann – communicator
Ben Pethan – accountant
Lucas Schmelzer – admin
Client
Badger Ballistics
Student Organization