Varun Nagaraj
Grade 10
The purpose of this experiment was to ascertain if different fins for model rockets impact their stability, apogee, and drag in order to provide an optimal design for new rockets. This experiment addresses a current gap, a lack of research into the physical components of rockets. Using the OpenRocket software, three different model rockets were designed. These were then built physically and were launched multiple times, both physically and in simulations, to collect data. Then, the data were analyzed to find the differences between the performances of each of the fins and determine which fins maximized the efficiency of the rocket. Overall, the data showed fairly consistent results with clear differences in the experimental and control groups. In the data from simulated launches, the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed statistically significant results with p values below 0.0001, meaning that the null hypothesis is rejected and that the experimental hypothesis is supported. The null hypothesis is rejected due to the higher reliability of the data from the simulated data set. This shows that there is a significant difference in the performance of the three fin models and that the control group’s fins can be used to optimize the performance of rockets today.
Mentors:
- Mrs. Allison Hennings – IMSA/RISE Instructor
- Mr. Gary Kawabata (B.S.) – Tripoli Rocketry Association
- Dr. Sachin Gogate (Ph.D.) – Pratt & Whitney
- Dr. Vivek Krishnan (Ph.D.) – 3M Co.
