Motors for model rockets and high-powered rockets (together, consumer rockets) are classified by total impulse into a set of letter-designated ranges, from A up to O.
The total impulse is the integral of the thrust over burn time.
:<math> P_{T} = \int\limits_{0}^{t}F_{thrust}(t^{\prime})dt^{\prime} = F_{ave}t. </math>
Where <math>t</math> is the burn time in seconds, <math> F_{thrust} </math> is the instantaneous thrust in newtons, <math> F_{ave} </math> is average thrust in newtons, and <math> P_{T} </math> is the total impulse in newton seconds.
Class A is from 1.26 newton-seconds (conversion factor 4.448 N per lb. force) to 2.5 N·s, and each class is then double the total impulse of the preceding class, with Class B being 2.51 to 5.00 N·s. The letter (M) would represent the total impulse of between 5,120.01 and 10,240.00 N·s of impulse. Motors E and below are considered low power rocket motors. Motors between F and G are considered mid-power, while motors H and above being high-powered rocket motors. Motors which would be classified beyond O are in the realm of amateur rocketry (in this context, the term amateur refers to the rocketeer's independence from an established commercial or government organization). Professional organizations use the nomenclature of average thrust and burning time.
Rocket motor codes
The designation for a specific motor looks like C6-3. In this example, the letter (C) represents the total impulse range of the motor, the number (6) before the dash represents the average thrust in newtons, and the number (3) after the dash represents the delay in seconds from propelling charge burnout to the firing of the ejection charge (a gas generator composition, usually black powder, designed to deploy the recovery system). A C6-3 motor would have between 5.01 and 10 N·s of impulse, produce 6 N average thrust, and fire an ejection charge 3 seconds after burnout.
An attempt was made by motor manufacturers in 1982 to further clarify the motor code by writing the total impulse in newton-seconds before the code. This allowed the burn duration to be computed from the provided numbers. Additionally, the motor code was followed by a letter designation denoting the type of propellant. The propellant designations are manufacturer specific. This standard is still not fully adopted, with some manufacturers adopting parts or all of the additional nomenclature.
Motor impulse by class
{| class="wikitable"
! align=left| Class<br/> (Base 26)
!| Total Impulse<br/> (N·s)
!| Total Impulse<br/> (lbf·s)
!| Aerospace Vehicle <br/> or Rocket(s)
!| US Requirements
|- align="right"
|| Micro || 0–0.3125|| 0–0.07|| ||
|- align="right"
|| 1/4A || 0.3126–0.625|| 0.071–0.14|| ||
|- align="right"
|| 1/2A || 0.626–1.25|| 0.141–0.28|| ||
|- align="right"
|| A || 1.26–2.50|| 0.281–0.56|| ||
|- align="right"
|| B || 2.51–5.00|| 0.561–1.12|| ||
|- align="right"
|| C || 5.01–10.0|| 1.121–2.25|| ||
|- align="right"
|| D || 10.01–20.0|| 2.251–4.5|| ||
|- align="right"
|| E || 20.01–40.0|| 4.51–8.99|| Most Water Bottle Rockets||
|- align="right"
|| F || 40.01–80.0|| 8.991–18.0|| Highest impulse Estes rockets||
|- align="right"
|| G || 80.01–160|| 18.01–36.0|| || Largest model rocket motor according to TRA and NAR.
|- align="right"
|| H || 160.01–320|| 36.01–71.9|| || Level 1 Certification required for purchase, available from Tripoli or NAR. <br/>Under 125g propellant is Federal Aviation Administration exempt.
|- align="right"
|| I || 320.01–640|| 71.9–144|| ||
|-align="right"
|| J || 640.01–1,280|| 144.01–288|| ||Level 2 Certification required for purchase, available from Tripoli or NAR.
|- align="right"
|| K || 1,280.01–2,560|| 288.01–576||||
|- align="right"
|| L || 2,560.01–5,120|| 576.01–1,151|| ||
|- align="right"
|| M || 5,120.01–10,240|| 1,151.01–2,302|||| Level 3 Certification required for purchase, available from Tripoli or NAR.
|- align="right"
|| N || 10,240.01–20,480|| 2,302.01–4,604||High Steaks<br />Hyperion Junior||
|- align="right"
|| O || 20,480.01–40,960|| 4,604.01–9,208||Cosmic Research's Bondar rocket ||Highest Class 2 rocket under FAA.
|- align="right"
|| P || 40,960–81,920|| 9,210–18,400||UCLA Rocket Project's Grand Larceny
NZRA - The Nike - Flight 1
YRT-ARTAM-II-Launch 1
|- align="right"
|| Q || 81,920–163,840|| 18,400–36,800|| NZRA - The Nike - Flight 2
|
|- align="right"
|| R || 163,840–327,680|| 36,800–73,700||USCRPL's Traveler IVNZRA - The Nike - Flight 3
|
|- align="right"
|| S || 327,680–655,360|| 73,700–147,000||WAC Corporal<br/> CSXT GoFast|| Largest motor used by amateurs.
|-
|colspan=5|The following classifies professional propulsion systems using amateur motor codes, which are not used in industry.
|- align="right"
|| T || 655 k–1,311 k<!-- 1,310,720 -->|| 147,000–295,000||ALSOR (Air Launched Sounding Rocket) || 200,000 lbf-s (889,600 N·s) is the limit for FAA definition of an "amateur" rocket
|- align="right"
|| U || 1,311 k–2,621 k<!-- 2,621,440 -->|| 295,000–589,000|| Apollo launch escape rocket||
|- align="right"
|| V || 2,621 k–5,243 k<!-- 5,242,880 -->|| 589,000–1,180,000|| Bloodhound SSC hybrid rocket||
|- align="right"
|| W || 5,243 k–10,486 k<!-- 10,485,760 -->|| 1,180,000–2,360,000|| SS-520 || Smallest orbital rocket
|- align="right"
|| X || 10,486 k–20,972 k<!-- 20,971,520 -->|| 2,360,000–4,710,000|| Lambda 4S that individuals obtain a Low Explosives Users Permit (LEUP) to possess and use high-powered motors. On February 11, 2000, Tripoli Rocketry Association and the National Association of Rocketry filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia claiming that the BATF applied "onerous and prohibitive civil regulations" against sport rocketry hobbyists due to the Bureau's improper designation of ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP) as an explosive. APCP is used in most high-power rocket motors. The commentary by BATFE staff in response to objections to adding new enforcement against hobby rocket motors is quite instructive. In 2009, the court ruled in favor of the hobby organizations and ordered the BATF to remove APCP and other slow burning materials from its list of regulated explosives. That judgment established 1 meter per second burning rate ("ATFE’s own burn rate threshold for deflagration
is 1000 millimeters (or one meter) per second." Tripoli Rocketry Ass’n, 437 F.3d at 81–82) as the threshold for a material on the BATFE list of explosive materials.
Vendors
The largest vendor of model rocket motors in the world is Estes Industries. The largest vendors of high-power rocket motors in the world are Cesaroni Technology Inc. and RCS Rocket Motor Components, Inc.
The very first model rocket motor certified was by Model Missiles Inc. (Orville Carslile). Circa 1958. The very first high-power rocket motor certified was by U.S. Rockets (Jerry Irvine). Circa 1985. The very first APCP propellant model rocket motor made was by Rocket Development Corporation (Irv Wait). Circa 1970.
The largest vendor of professional solid rockets in the world is Orbital ATK.
See also
- Jetex (Aerodynamic lift)
- High-power rocketry
- Model rocket
- Solid-propellant rocket
References
External links
- National Association of Rocketry (NAR) - Model Rocketry and High-Powered Rocketry Certifications
- Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA) - High-power rocketry Certifications
- Canadian Association of Rocketry (CARWeb) - Model Rocketry and High-Powered Rocketry Certifications in Canada
- United Kingdom Rocketry Association - High-power rocketry Certifications