Michael Dinwiddie - HALE Rocket Group

From March-June of 2023, I worked to assist grad students with CAD Modeling and FEA and CFM Analyses for the Oregon State University H.A.L.E. initiative: a contest to send a liquid fueled rocket to space! OSU is home to one of only two such engines in the country. My specific role was within the ENGAGE sub-program, which allowed lower-division students to participate in the project.

During my 20-week tenure in the program, I worked with twelve other peers for two hours each week to assist in designing a launch vehicle that was lightweight, durable and robust enough to fulfil its mission. I led a research initiative to apply a sintering process with composite carbon-fiber 3D printing to create a low cost, high strength material with completely isotropic properties.

Additionally, my work focused on the design, tolerance, and dimensional analysis of our 1/4th scale rocket prototype. I ensured parts fit together even after thermal contraction from manufacturing processes were considered, and continued to fit together in the face of scale launch forces from acceleration and aerodynamics. I designed our electronics payload bay and a motor mount for our 1/4 scale rocket, while working with other subteam members to ensure a streamlined assembly process.

Our team finished the project with a 1/4 scale electronics package capable of collecting data about the rocket's pitch, roll, and yaw conditions in real-time. Additionally, we presented our novel approach to using 3D printing in high-stress, high heat scenarios. Our project facilitated growth and experience in:

Computational Fluid Modeling (CFM) in Siemens NX,
Serial communication with peripherals over I2C and SPI using Arduino
Managing the challenges of large-scale (50+ members in the program) team coordination.

My Roles & Responsibilities:

Rocket Fin CFM ANalysis

I Learned Siemens NX/Flow over 10 weeks to optimize airflow, minimize shear stress on fins, and validate launch trajectory.

After getting a handle on the simulation process, I presented a 30-minute tutorial on the software so others on the team could run similar analyses on other components.

Rapid composite Materials

Using an original production protocol I developed (inspired by lost-wax casting methods), I Increased prototype turnaround for our team nearly 500% when compared to traditional composite construction methods- while retaining 60% axial strength for our 1/2 scale rocket.

Flight Controller

Careful consideration of design criteria allowed our team to specify and purchase the appropriate microcontroller for our mission.

I checked to make sure the rocket could carry our payload by hand, validating my dynamics with OpenRocket simulation software.