YouTube user/rocket scientist Ben Krasnow put up an amazing demonstration of how a hybrid rocket works, complete with a clear acrylic motor that lets you see the action. It’s an example of a hybrid rocket design, in which two fuels of various states — usually a solid fuel along with a liquid or gas — are mixed in the rocket’s combustion chamber. As opposed to a purely liquid or solid rocket design, a hybrid gives more control over fuel flow. Plus, unlike a solid rocket, the rocket can be shut off.Krasnow’s rocket is actually self-destructive: He pumps oxygen through a drilled acrylic tube and lights it with burning cotton, and once the rocket gets hot enough the acrylic itself catches fire and burns. It’s really an amazing piece of work.Follow Derek Mead on Twitter: @derektmead.
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