by matt walker » Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:14 pm
I think the subtle shape changes aren't worth messing with unless you have instruments and are trying to fine tune very small improvements, otherwise you will never know if you are making things better or worse, and the fiddly details will be a pain for no real benefit. That's my opinion, but messing with new designs is really fun so I would be right there with you if you ignore what I wrote above and do some crazy shapes!
The cones will be awesome fuel for a rocket, the hopper will be tough but not insurmountable. I don't have any experience with trying though, so don't have much to add, other than I know you probably realize the intention of these things is to burn super hot for a short time and charge up a mass. If I were you I would operate under that theory and see how the cones do without a long burn cycle. I imagine in practice you may not want a hopper at all once you get going. I would guess that if you end up desiring a long burn, you might find it's better to just switch to a different fuel format when you want the slower burn. Just some thoughts.