Experimental Reheat - EXR
A student-built propulsion program pushing the
limits of airbreathing combustion.
EXR (Experimental Reheat) is a propulsion R&D initiative within the Georgia Tech Supersonics Club (GTSC), focused on the design, fabrication, and ground testing of a student-built microturbine afterburner and its supporting test infrastructure. EXR is positioned to become the first undergraduate-led effort in the world to design, manufacture, and test a functional afterburner integrated with a turbojet engine. Beyond a technical milestone, EXR is a launchpad for students aiming to contribute to the future of airbreathing propulsion systems across industry and research.
First Iteration Afterburner
"EXR-1"
EXR-1 is the first prototype within the EXR initiative, serving as a modular, ground-tested afterburner designed for rapid iteration and experimentation. It uses K-1 Kerosene fuel and features a 5-inch inner diameter stainless steel chamber, extending 2.5 feet in length. Key technologies include a V-gutter bluff body flameholder, variable geometry nozzle, and a flexible injector mounting scheme. The system is purpose-built to enable frequent flameholder and fuel injection design changes, allowing the team to iterate quickly on combustion performance and flame stability.
EXACT (Experimental Airbreathing Combustion Test Stand) is a mobile, trailer-mounted ground test stand developed to host EXR-1 and its turbojet engine. The stand is built with modularity and transportability in mind, supporting testing both with and without the afterburner attached. EXACT includes a pump-fed fuel system, an NI CompactRIO (cRIO) control and data acquisition system, and an integrated nitrogen fire suppression setup. In its non-afterburning configuration, EXACT also serves as a testbed for engine performance modeling, nozzle development, and vehicle integration studies by providing high-fidelity thrust and flow data across a range of conditions.
Experimental Airbreathing Combustion Test Stand
"EXACT"