HyFIVE-1: First Hot Fire Tests of STERN II Project
Our Hybrid Fuel Investigation and Verification Engine (HyFIVE) was tested for the first time on September 2nd, 2020. Since then, three cold flow tests and six hot fire tests were conducted. All engine hot fires had an operational time of 5 seconds and were successful. The goal of the tests was to evaluate different fuel parameters such as regression rate and combustion characteristics. Two different fuel compositions have already been evaluated and we are currently preparing the next tests to further enhance the fuel composition. In a future design stage, the engine will be used as propulsion unit of the demonstrator rocket. For this purpose, we will optimize combustion efficiency and thrust as well as using a lightweight combustion chamber casing. We would like to thank the DLR Institute of Space Propulsion in Lampoldshausen for their help and support even in this challenging times. Stay tuned for more test footage!