Team Members & Role:

Leia Payano- Team Lead

Noah Clark- Analysis Lead

Adam Abacherli- Design Lead

Ivan Lukashev- Fabrication Lead

Hebah Alsadah- Evaluation Lead

Abstract:

Current O-rings are unable to withstand ultra-high temperatures for long periods of time which prevents their use within a rocket booster. This is important because current rocket boosters are limited in their size and operation time with current O-rings on the market. With the creation of our O-ring, rocket boosters can be sealed without the use of thermal diffusion assemblies, and with higher confidence the seal will survive over longer periods. The problem has not been solved with existing technology because of the material limitations and construction process. The carbon fiber tow can withstand temperatures over double the operating temperature of a rocket booster without the presence of oxygen, meaning it must be used in very high-pressure environments with very efficient burns. The interlocking methods currently used cause inconsistencies and localized weak points that may result in failure. The machinery required to effectively fabricate such rings is very expensive and has a limited range of ability, due to carbon fiber’s tendency to fray and shear. The team’s approach to addressing this issue was by first finding out the optimal braid geometry and the number of layers. The optimal braid structure is a braided core with 2 braided layers atop it and 8 strands per layer. This was concluded through calculated analysis, yarn prototype tensile testing, and pressure vessel testing. The next step was to construct the O-ring out of carbon fiber. This was done with the help of Quabbin Wire, who produced an unbraided core with an 8 bobbin layer on top containing 4 picks per inch. This prototype was limited by Quabbin Wire’s manufacturing capabilities.