Analysis Of Rocket Fins

The shape of the fin is designed to produce a stable rocket system. These are used to produce a constant streamline flow and the stability differs for different types of fin shapes. The different types of fin shapes, namely trapezoidal fins, clipped delta fins, rectangular fins and parallelogram fins (4 in number symmetrically placed around the rocket rear) are analyzed in the wind tunnel experimentally and analytically using FLUENT with meshing done in GAMBIT. Fins are usually made of balsa wood or plastic, and located at the rear of the rocket. The rocket fins mounted on the body are analyzed at four different angles of attack, namely zero degree, 5degrees, 10degrees and 15degrees. The speed chosen for analysis is subsonic speed of 20m/s as per the facilities available in the college. The design of different types of fins using symmetric airfoil is made. Then the pressure distribution for the different fin shapes are analyzed experimentally using wind tunnel and the coefficient of pressure plots for each fin at the different angles of attack is plotted. The results are then compared with the results obtained analytically in FLUENT under boundary conditions similar as in the wind tunnel.