Design and Characterization of an Altitude Chamber for Chemical Rocket Engines

This thesis focuses on the development of reduced pressure testing capabilities at Zucrow Laboratories. A two-stage ejector on loan from NASA Marshall is used in series with a supersonic diffuser to allow for the testing of up to100 lb_f rocket engines at equivalent altitudes of up to 100,000 ft. The objective of this research is to implement a one-dimensional (1-D) model which accurately predicts the performance of the two-stage ejector in real time, informing the maximum thrust and simulated altitude capabilities within the altitude chamber located in room 134A of ZL3 during experimental testing.