Ignis started off in the spring of 2022 when Dynetics approached THRUST and asked us to design a microthruster for them as a part of a talent acquisition program. 4 teams of THRUST members submitted their unique designs to Dynetics, and when we went over all the designs the team realized that between the 4 of them we had everything we needed to start designing THRUST’s first liquid fuel engine. Immediately the teams got to work organizing a new project, a GOx-Ethanol coaxial swirl 334N rocket engine.
The Ignis project is split into 3 teams right now: the Injector, Plumbing, and Chamber to help focus design efforts. Though as we push the design forward we’re quickly approaching the need for more teams, such as a test team, who will be responsible for creating a waterflow bench to test our injector. So far, our team has been awarded $500 from NewSpace Chicago for the work we’ve done. The team is nearing its first design milestone, the Preliminary Design Review, and will be presenting the PDR later this year.
Here are some of the things you could learn if you become a part of the Ignis team:
- ANSYS Thermal, Mechanical, and CFD
- CAD
- Technical communication skills
- How to create P&IDs
- NASA CEA and RPA
Ignis is open to anyone who wants to help contribute.