| |
CX2SA > SATDIG 28.08.09 00:25l 95 Lines 3184 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 63202-CX2SA
Read: GUEST
Subj: AMSAT-BB-digest V4 434
Path: IZ3LSV<IK2XDE<DB0RES<DK0WUE<7M3TJZ<CX2SA
Sent: 090827/2215Z @:CX2SA.LAV.URY.SA #:63202 [Minas] FBB7.00e $:63202-CX2SA
From: CX2SA@CX2SA.LAV.URY.SA
To : SATDIG@WW
Today's Topics:
1. Water as a rocket fuel (John Heath)
2. Re: Water as a rocket fuel (Bruce Bostwick)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:48:36 +0000 (GMT)
From: John Heath <g7hia@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] Water as a rocket fuel
To: Amsat <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Message-ID: <343054.63475.qm@xxxxxxxx.xxxx.xxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Thanks to Bob for starting an interesting thread.
On boeard electrolysis of water to produce? Hydrogen/Oxygen rocket fuel.
An most interesting paper on the subject at https://e-reports-
ext.llnl.gov/pdf/236614.pdf
It does work in space.
Could it get us from LEO to MEO?
Since Bob is a can do guy I will follow this one with great interest, way to
go Bob.
73 John G7HIA
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:55:19 -0500
From: Bruce Bostwick <lihan161051@xxxxxxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Water as a rocket fuel
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Message-ID: <1097CFC8-93D3-498E-B342-85FBE09B8000@xxxxxxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
On Aug 27, 2009, at 10:48 AM, John Heath wrote:
> On boeard electrolysis of water to produce Hydrogen/Oxygen rocket
> fuel.
>
> An most interesting paper on the subject at https://e-reports-
ext.llnl.gov/pdf/236614.pdf
> It does work in space.
Well, using a URFC for the electrolytic separation takes care of most
of the ullage and gas separation problems I mentioned in an earlier
post. (And having arrived at that solution independently, I'm
convinced it's a viable research path if nothing else. ;) It also has
the benefit of being able to turn the separated H2 and O2 back into
water and electrical power (minus losses, of course) if needed -- not
sure what additional support systems that would need, but it's a
tantalizing side benefit.
Storing the water still requires some means of eliminating unnecessary
headspace in the water tank to avoid the requirement for ullage -- I'm
still partial to the idea of a sylphon-type bellows inside a slightly
larger tank pressurized with helium or nitrogen -- to maintain water
flow into the FC.
And as before, these are *not* hypergolic fuels, so using them in
engines still requires exactly timed valve opening/closing rates and
synchronization between fuel/oxidizer valves and ignition on startup,
which are considerably more complex systems than the ones used to
control hypergolic engines and RCS thrusters. (All a hypergolic
engine has to do is open and close the fuel/oxidizer valves at the
right rates and relative timings.)
That being said, it's an intriguing idea. Regenerative fuel cell
based electrolysis is pretty interesting in and of itself. :)
------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Sent via amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
End of AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 4, Issue 434
****************************************
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
