I'm one of the two Co-Leads for the Darcy Space rocket (NOX/IPA, 120km apogee). I wear pretty much every hat someone could for rocketry, so I'm wherever my team needs me to be.
Where I got my start. I've moved away from this role recently, but I got some cool hardware out the door when I worked with our Avionics team.
Being ruthlessly mass efficient is mandatory for Darcy Space. Every part we make needs to be as light as possible and tightly integrated into the vehicle.
I'm very new to fluids, but it's an enjoyable challenge.
Capacitive Level Sensors
Built for LOX/Kerosene tanks as a part of the Daedalus ground test equipment
Built, tested, and iterated on a sensor within a semester
Learned the basics of sensor design and how to interface with fluid systems
Battery Management System (BMS)
Designed a new BMS for Darcy Space that delievered 60W of power to all avionics systems
Did schematic design and began PCB layout before handing project off to new member
Stiffness Modifications
Darcy II, a Darcy Space precursor, was lost to aero effects on its 2nd launch, so Darcy Space is undergoing modifications to increase vehicle stiffness
Redesigning our airframe-fuel tank connection for increased stiffness
Designed new couplers and fincan/boattail modifications to increase stiffness
Worked with flight dynamics team to predict roll coupling/other aero effects and implement preventative measures
Redid tank calculation spreadsheet to verify margins
Nitrous Oxide and IPA injectors
Analyzed two phase flow inside of a nitrous oxide swirl injector using non homogenous non equilibrium models
Ensured that injector hit mdot and supported C*/L* requirements
Analyzed swirl angle performance of injectors with internal mixing and traded designs based on performance
Led PDR for injector assembly on Darcy Space and was responsible for all injector analysis and design
Designed impinging and scrintle injector designs to provide de-risk options, and supported those components to a CDR level of analysis.
Did structural simulations of injector designs under vehicle shear loading
In December 2023, I was a part of the launch team for the highest-performance liquid rocket built and recovered by college students. We reached 30kft , set a Dollar-Per-Foot record, and wandered the desert for a few hours in search of Darcy and our reward for finding her: plates of sizzling hot Fajitas.
I was a part of the pad safe crew that handled the last checkouts prior to bunker retreat and safed the pad immediately after the bunker calls ended. Prior to launch, I integrated/de-integrated the rocket for testing and ran a few coldflows, etc. I also built the fincan along with some other members.