Future Throttle Valve

Abstract

The Michigan Aeronautical Science Association (MASA) has commissioned a group to design, build, and test a throttle valve that will be used in conjunction with other new technologies to give future rockets the ability to throttle their thrust, resulting in increased efficiency and altitude. The device must meet performance specifications required for integration with the full vehicle, safely operate with cryogenic liquid oxygen, allow for fairly deep throttle capabilities, be robust to a flight-like load environment, and be limited in mass such that there is a benefit to the new system architecture the valve is being designed to function in.