An Integrated Design Competition Using Model Rockets

The principle objective of this design competition is to provide upper-level students with an opportunity to integrate the use of engineering measurements and analytical modeling techniques to accurately predict a priori the performance of a miniature rocket system. A secondary objective is to provide these students an opportunity practice and improve communication, leadership, and technical skills while grouped in small competing teams. Each engineering team is challenged to predict the performance of a miniature rocket by developing an analytical model of the rocket trajectory using engineering principles and laboratory measurements. The student teams also participate in the hands-on activity of building and launching the prototype rocket system. This prototype is ultimately used to test the predictions of the analytical model. It is launched for the first, and last, time as the concluding event of this design competition. To add realism to the activity, the student teams are given imitation money that is used to buy the materials (e.g. the rocket) and services (e.g. wind tunnel time). Points are awarded based on the analytical model, the results from the component testing, the aesthetics of the rocket, the weight of the finished rocket, the costs of the project, and finally, the performance of the r ocket. This design competition provides the students with an open-ended design problem that emphasized the importance of employing the engineering design process in the development of a functioning prototype.