A talented team of engineering students from Defense Housing Authority Suffa University (DSU) has brought a breakthrough by creating Pakistan’s first ever rocket powered by hybrid fuel. The nature of the project is unique as it uses optimized fuel mix as a power source.
The rocket has been named as ‘Raheel1’ meaning Voyager. The framework of the rocket took six months to complete costing Rs. 50,000 which is trivial when compared to its alternates. It has been tested three times in a month with the last testing being the most successful.
DSU’s rocketry program is the second such project in Asia and the first one in Pakistan. Other than DSU, only India is working on this technology in Asia. DSU is among the top 20 universities in the world doing extensive research in this field.
The talented team
Pakistani students if guided by right mentors could turn into great success stories. Dr. Bilal Ahmed Siddiqui, being the deputy-head of mechanical engineering department, is one such genius. He has been working on this idea for more than a year now. His team includes two mechanical engineering final-year students, Waqas Aslam and Khizar Siddiqui. Their team is called DSU Star Busters.
Dr. Siddiqui, who has a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and a PhD in robotics, stated:
“I always wanted to do something to help in aerospace engineering”
On the other hand, Mahrukh Mumtaz Hussain, the mechanical lab engineer expressed her views by stating:
“Raheel 1 is now in testing phase and the students are noting the after-time lapse and other factors”
The structure of Raheel1
The hybrid rocket weighs around 5 kilogram with an aluminum structure set on a fixed stand and a load sensor. It has an oxygen fuel tank which once connects to the nozzle; hybrid rocket becomes ready to ignite. The inside coating of Raheel1 is made up of graphite and can work on higher temperatures.
Dr. Bilal while talking about the structure added:
“We have used candle wax inside the rocket that can also be replaced with leather or rubber”
Moreover, he said that wax could be reused after cooling down but rubber and leather are harmful for the environment.
The power of the rocket’s fire was checked for five seconds in which it produced a force of above 50 kilograms. Dr. Bilal also explained:
“A liquid oxygen fuel tank, containing six liters of fuel, is used to support the rocket”
Going forward
DSU plans to take this research further by using the same formula in other areas. The team contemplates to make the fastest car in Asia having a top speed of 500 km per hour.
Hybrid fuel reduces the volume of the fuel, which is a major issue in rocket design, thus increasing its utility. In addition, hybrid fuels are made by making a combination of different fuels in optimum quantities that reduces pollution.
Such projects are the need of the hour when the world is heading towards global warming. Locally speaking, let’s see if research in hybrid fuels could facilitate the government to curtail our energy crisis.
Let us and the readers know if you have anything to add to this story.
Source: Express Tribune
