US20130305685A1 - Novel Ionic Micropropellants Based on N2O for Space Propulsion - Google Patents

Novel Ionic Micropropellants Based on N2O for Space Propulsion Download PDF

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US20130305685A1
US20130305685A1 US13/751,774 US201313751774A US2013305685A1 US 20130305685 A1 US20130305685 A1 US 20130305685A1 US 201313751774 A US201313751774 A US 201313751774A US 2013305685 A1 US2013305685 A1 US 2013305685A1
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triazolium
monopropellant
fuel
nitrate
methyl
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Nicolas Pelletier
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Centre National dEtudes Spatiales CNES
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C06—EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES
    • C06B—EXPLOSIVES OR THERMIC COMPOSITIONS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS EXPLOSIVES
    • C06B43/00—Compositions characterised by explosive or thermic constituents not provided for in groups C06B25/00 - C06B41/00
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C06—EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES
    • C06D—MEANS FOR GENERATING SMOKE OR MIST; GAS-ATTACK COMPOSITIONS; GENERATION OF GAS FOR BLASTING OR PROPULSION (CHEMICAL PART)
    • C06D5/00—Generation of pressure gas, e.g. for blasting cartridges, starting cartridges, rockets
    • C06D5/08—Generation of pressure gas, e.g. for blasting cartridges, starting cartridges, rockets by reaction of two or more liquids

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to micropropellants and micropropellant mixtures.
  • Chemical propulsion of satellites is generally ensured by the decomposition or combustion of propellants thereby producing gases at very high temperature and very high pressure.
  • the propellants may be of the monopropellant or bipropellant type.
  • bipropellants require the storage of two chemical compounds (an oxidizer and a fuel) in separate tanks, and therefore imply a complex architecture.
  • the nitrogen peroxide (NTO)/monomethylhydrazine (MMH) bipropellant is presently the oxidizer/reducing agent combination of choice.
  • hydrazine and of its methylated derivatives have significant risks in terms of manufacturing, handling and operations because of their sensitivity to impurities and, to a lesser degree, to temperature and of their extreme toxicity. These constraints generate unwieldy operating procedures and high application costs.
  • hydrazine presently appears on the list of compounds listed by REACh (European Chemical Regulation), because of its dangerous nature (carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic, persistent, bio-accumulable or toxic substance). In fact, a gradual potential ban on hydrazine and then on its derivatives is foreseen and its substitution may be required in the close future.
  • Patent application WO0050363 describes a formulation based on the dinitramide anion (N(NO 2 ) 2 ⁇ ) associated with an energetic cation—preferentially ammonium (NH 4 + ), hydrazinium (N 2 H 5 + ) or hydroxylammonium (OHNH 3 + ), ammonium being preferred—the formed salt being dissolved in a reducing solution, either aqueous or not.
  • the liquid reducing agent may thus be used as a solvent or be in equilibrium with a fraction of water so as to form a liquid ionic energetic solution.
  • the reducing agent may notably be selected from alcohols, amines, aldehydes or ketones, large polarity being sought in order to favor solubility of the energetic salt.
  • a formulation has received particular attention for its thermal stability upon storage: LMP-103S (60-65% ADN, 15-20% methanol, 3-6% ammonia and balance of water), demonstrating a theoretical Isp of 252 s.
  • Patent applications WO01/51433 and WO2009/062183 teach as liquid monopropellants, mixtures of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) as an oxidizer and of hydrocarbons as a fuel, such as propane (C 3 H 8 ) or ethane (C 2 H 6 ), ethylene (C 2 H 4 ), acetylene (C 2 H 2 ).
  • N 2 O nitrous oxide
  • hydrocarbons such as propane (C 3 H 8 ) or ethane (C 2 H 6 ), ethylene (C 2 H 4 ), acetylene (C 2 H 2 ).
  • the selection of nitrous oxide as an oxidizer is motivated by its very good oxidizing power and by its volatility providing the possibility of self-pressurization of the tank.
  • the highly volatile hydrocarbons used lead, in the temperature interval used, to a gas phase containing both nitrous oxide and the hydrocarbon.
  • This gas mixture is sensitive and has high detonation risks in response to thermal or mechanical stimuli.
  • the formed binary mixture N 2 O/hydrocarbon has a high saturation vapor pressure (38 bars at 10° C.
  • An object of the present invention may be therefore a monopropellant based on nitrous oxide not having the disadvantages stated hereinbefore, and notably the instability.
  • the problem related to the sensitivity of the mixture has been solved by generating a monopropellant in which the fuel in its isolated form is an energetic salt. Its putting into solution in nitrous oxide generates an ionic liquid phase. Because of its reduced saturation vapor pressure, the fuel is bound in the liquid phase, so that the vapor phase co-existing with the liquid exclusively contains nitrous oxide.
  • the specific gravity of the thereby formed monopropellants is high by providing the salt, thereby guaranteeing high energy density.
  • the applied salts have formation enthalpies and structures such that their association with nitrous oxide provides theoretical ISPs comprised between 300 s and 350 s depending on the candidates.
  • the present invention therefore provides a monopropellant formed by a mixture comprising: nitrous oxide (N 2 O) as an oxidizer, at least partly in liquid form, and a fuel as a salt in the liquid phase of N 2 O.
  • N 2 O nitrous oxide
  • nitrous oxide is in liquid form. It may partly be in the form of a gas.
  • N 2 O in liquid form may be particularly advantageous in that it allows solubilization of the fuel and thus plays the role of a solvent. Nitrous oxide is then in solution with the liquid fuel phase.
  • the liquid phase of N 2 O is then in a mixture with the fuel.
  • the oxidizing and combustible species are in a same phase.
  • pressurization gas is meant a neutral gas—i.e. not being intended to participate in the chemical reaction—used in the tanks for pressurizing the monopropellants and allowing their discharge into the fluidic lines towards the thrusters.
  • the system associated with this operating mode is then said to be “with positive expulsion”.
  • Helium (He) and dinitrogen (N 2 ) are the most common pressurization gases. Resorting to an additional gas induces certain drawbacks such as the loss of effective volume in the tank and the presence of trace amounts of gas in the monopropellant by absorption.
  • the fuel may be an ionic compound introduced into the liquid phase of the monopropellant.
  • the liquid phase may include:
  • a liquid containing ions among the solvent is called an ionic solution.
  • the salt is generally polar, is solid under standard temperature conditions and is soluble in N 2 O.
  • the salt is generally present in the form of a pure liquid at room temperature (RTIL: Room Temperature Ionic Liquid), has a melting temperature of less than ⁇ 20° C., and forms a binary mixture with N 2 O.
  • RTIL Room Temperature Ionic Liquid
  • the salt a solid under the standard condition, is dissolved in a solvent in order to form an ionic solution itself in a mixture with N 2 O present in liquid form.
  • the solvent is advantageously an energetic solvent, such as methanol for example.
  • the liquid phase contains this share of N 2 O in solution.
  • the fuel in liquid form gives the possibility of guaranteeing advanced stability of the monopropellant against thermo-mechanical stimuli, notably of detonative origin (impacts, adiabatic compression, etc) and electrostatic stimuli.
  • the fuel is such that it is compatible with N 2 O and of reduced volatility because of its ionic nature.
  • the fuel may be considered as non-volatile.
  • the fuel should be a species which reduces N 2 O but which may optionally include certain oxidizing groups.
  • the fuel is selected from the salts of energetic compounds.
  • energetic compounds molecules or combinations of molecules having high energy density and matter density. This is expressed by a positive and high standard formation enthalpy, which may attain several thousands of kJ.kg ⁇ 1 —typically 2,000 to 3,000 kJ.kg ⁇ 1 —and by a high specific gravity, generally greater than 1,000 kg.m ⁇ 3 . This is then referred to as HEDMs (High Energy Density Materials). Certain HEDMs demonstrate uncommon performances but have limits of use because of their instability (uncontrolled release of energy) and are classified in the category of explosive materials. This is notably the case of the derivatives of pentazole. Further, an additional feature specific to space propulsion relates to the molar mass of the products from the combustion of these energetic compounds. The latter mass has to be as low as possible—generally less than 30 g.mol ⁇ 1 —in order to guarantee a high flame temperature/molar mass ratio
  • the fuel also called “a reducing agent” is any combination of a linear or heterocyclic cation and of a linear or heterocyclic anion meeting the criteria presented hereinbefore.
  • the anion and/or the cation generally comprise one or several nitrogen-containing and/or unsaturated energetic groups such as amino, azido, cyano, propargyl, tripropargyl and guanidyl groups.
  • the fuel is generally a nitrogen-containing derivative, in the form of a salt.
  • the anion and/or the cation of said salt may contain one or several nitrogen atoms.
  • Said cation may be selected from nitrogen-containing derivatives such as aliphatic, cyclic or aromatic, quaternary amines.
  • Said cation may notably be selected from:
  • said cation may be selected from ammonium, imidazolium, triazolium, tetrazolium ions and their derivatives.
  • ion derivatives refers to compounds having a nitrogen atom in the form of said ion.
  • the -inium and -idinium analogs of the unsaturated heterocyclic compounds above refer to corresponding partly saturated (-inium) and saturated (-idinium) analogs resulting from a respectively complete partial hydrogenation, such as for example pyrrolium as a partly unsaturated analog and pyrrolidinium as a saturated analog of pyrrolium.
  • ammonium derivatives mention may notably be made of substituted ammoniums, such as ethylenediammonium, ethanolammonium, propylammonium, monopropargylammonium, tripropargylammonium, tetraethylammoniun, N-tributyl-N-methylammonium, N-trimethyl-N-butylammonium, N-trimethyl-N-hexylammonium, N-trimethyl-N-propylammonium.
  • substituted ammoniums such as ethylenediammonium, ethanolammonium, propylammonium, monopropargylammonium, tripropargylammonium, tetraethylammoniun, N-tributyl-N-methylammonium, N-trimethyl-N-butylammonium, N-trimethyl-N-hexylammonium, N-trimethyl-N-propylammonium.
  • pyrrolium derivatives mention may for example be made of pyrroliums notably substituted with an alkyl group, such as N-methylpyrrolium.
  • imidazolium derivatives mention may be made of imidazoliums notably substituted with one or several alkyl and/or hydroxyalkyl groups, such as 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylamidazolium, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium, 1-ethanol-3-methylimidazolium, 1-ethyl-3methylimidazolium, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium, methylimidazolium, 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-propyl-2,3-dimethyl-imidazolium.
  • alkyl and/or hydroxyalkyl groups such as 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylamidazolium, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium, 1-ethanol-3-methylimidazolium, 1-ethyl-3methylimidazolium, 1-hexyl-3-methylimid
  • pyrrolidinium derivatives mention may be made of substituted pyrrolidiniums, notably with one or more alkyl groups, such as 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium, 1-ethyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium, N-propyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium.
  • piperidinium derivatives mention may be made of piperidiniums substituted with one or more alkyl groups, such as 1-methyl-l-propylpiperidinium.
  • triazolium derivatives mention may be made of 1-methyl-1,2,4-triazolium, 3-azido-1,2,4-triazolium, 1-methyl-3-azido-1,2,4-triazolium, 4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium.
  • tetrazolium derivatives mention may be made of 1-amino-4,5-dimethyltetrazolium, 2-amino-4,5-dimethyltetrazolium, 1,5-diamino-4-methyltetrazolium.
  • R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6, either identical or different, represent independently a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl group; CN; an alkyl substituted with CN; NRR′; azido-(—N 3 ); nitro; propargyl; tripropargyl and guanidyl; wherein RR′ represents independently a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group.
  • the anion of the fuel may be any anion having a negative charge either with nitrogen or not. It may, for example, be selected from
  • alkyl group saturated hydrocarbon radicals with a linear or branched chain, with one 1 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 5 carbon atoms. Mention may notably be made, when they are linear, of the methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, dodecyl, hexadecyl, and octadecyl radicals.
  • the anion is, for example, selected from azide, nitrate, dinitramide, dicyanamide, imidazolate and tetrazolate ions and their derivatives.
  • the salts according to the invention when they are not available commercially may be obtained by applying or adapting known methods, notably according to the methods described by Keskin et al., J. of Supercritical Fluids 43(2007) 150-180, notably by coupling of its constituents, by metathesis or by an acid-base reaction.
  • the sought salt may notably be prepared from the compound in neutral form by salification for example by adding the acid including the desired anion; or from another ionic compound by exchange of ions, on a column for example, or by transsalification in the presence of an acid including the desired anion, or further by metathesis.
  • nitrate, dinitramide, azide salts may advantageously be prepared by metathesis in the presence of silver nitrate, dinitramide, azide salts from the corresponding halides.
  • the monopropellants according to the invention are such that the N 2 O/fuel ratio (by mass), known under the name of mixing ratio and often noted as O/F or OF (for Oxidizer/Fuel ratio) is generally comprised between 0.1 and 10, preferentially between 1 and 6.
  • a means for quantifying the performances of a propellant is formed by the specific impulse, often noted as ISP.
  • the specific impulse represents the duration during which the engine provides a thrust equal to the weight of consumed propellant. Thus, this is an indicator of the “soberness” and therefore of the energetic performance of a propellant.
  • the ISP is expressed in the following way:
  • Isp C * g 0 ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ( 2 ⁇ - 1 ) ⁇ ( 2 ⁇ + 1 ) ⁇ + 1 ⁇ - 1 ⁇ [ 1 - ( P e P c ) ⁇ - 1 ⁇ ]
  • C*, g 0 , ⁇ , P e and P c respectively represent the characteristic velocity of the gases ejected by the nozzle, the gravity at the relevant altitude, the average isentropic coefficient of the ejected gases, the ejection pressure and the pressure within the chamber.
  • R, T ad and M are the perfect gas universal constant, the adiabatic temperature within the chamber (a so-called “flame” temperature, if there is presence of combustion) and the average molar mass of the ejected gases, respectively.
  • M e is the Mach number of the flow in the ejection section of the nozzle and may be obtained by the following implicit relationship involving the expansion ratio of the nozzle:
  • ⁇ being the nozzle expansion ratio equal to the ratio between the ejection sections (A e ) and the sections of the sonic neck (A col ).
  • the present invention also provides a method for preparing the monopropellant according to the invention.
  • said method comprises a step for mixing the fuel and N 2 O.
  • This mixing may be achieved at room temperature, but in the case when a solid salt is used under the standard condition, the maximum solubility has to be considered at the minimum storage temperature of the monopropellant on orbit in order to get rid of any risk of saturation and recrystallization during flight. Therefore, during the synthesis of the monopropellant, this threshold should be observed.
  • the minimum temperature of use of the monopropellant on orbit is typically 0° C.
  • the monopropellant according to the invention may be stored while making sure that the maximum allowed storage temperature is not exceeded, in order not to exceed a certain saturation vapor pressure, the MEOP (Maximal Expected Operating Pressure, maximum pressure expected during operation) being comprised between 10 and 50 bars, typically between 20 and 40 bars.
  • the maximum storage temperature is generally comprised between 0° and 50° C.
  • the monopropellant should have sufficient stability so as to be stored on orbit for a duration of several years—typically 5 years, but possibly for up to 15 years. The stability should notably be expressed by the absence of phase separation (demixing, decantation, etc).
  • the present invention also provides a space propulsion method by means of the monopropellant according to the invention.
  • space propulsion is meant the propulsion of spacecraft such as launchers and satellites.
  • the monopropellant according to the invention is suitable for an operation with combustion.
  • combustion it is possible to do without a catalytic bed and therefore without a complex thruster structure.
  • the lifetime of the thrusters may be extended insofar that the catalyst presently is the limiting element due to phenomena such as deactivation of the catalyst by erosion, oxidation, sintering, etc.
  • the method according to the present invention therefore comprises the combustion of the monopropellant according to the invention.
  • Combustion is generally achieved by controlled ignition. This may be carried out according to customary technologies, for example, by means of a high energy spark plug.
  • the spark plug is generally positioned in the injection head, on arrival of the monopropellant into the combustion chamber, the thereby burnt gases being discharged through a nozzle placed at the opposite end of the combustion chamber.
  • the method according to the invention may also comprise the means for pressurizing the monopropellant in the tank.
  • present propellant systems called “catalytic monopropellants” with hydrazine operate for pressures in the tank of the order of 20 bars during early life (initial pressure) and 5 bars at the end of life. This pressure decreases upon emptying the monopropellant due to the expansion of the pressurization gas in the space freed by the propellant.
  • Certain systems provide regulation of the tank pressure in order to keep it constant over a certain portion of the mission of the satellite (optimization of the performances). Such is the case on a telecommunications platform, but this introduces a complex and costly piece of equipment.
  • tank pressure typically comprised between 25 and 40 bars in early life—in order to take into account the saturation vapor pressure of the mixture based on N 2 O.
  • Pressurization may advantageously be achieved by the solution of N 2 O itself, given its volatility, so that resorting to an additional inert gas is no longer required. This results in a gain on the filling level of the tank as well as on the apparent specific gravity of the liquid-gas pair.
  • the pressurization means may be exclusively ensured by the filling of the propellant in the tank.
  • re-establishing equilibrium between the liquid and vapor phases by vaporization of a liquid N 2 O fraction is accompanied by a slight lowering of temperature (endothermic phenomenon), so that a slight decrease in pressure will be observed.
  • This phenomenon may be counter-balanced by exerting heating up of the tank via a thermal control (thermistors).
  • This “self-pressurization” phenomenon represents a major advantage since, similarly to pressure regulators on biliquid engines, it allows operation of the thrusters close to their optimum of performances.
  • phase equilibrium can no longer be achieved.
  • the tank then conventionally operates in “blow down” mode similarly to pressurization with an inert gas.
  • the method according to the invention may also comprise the early step for loading the monopropellant into the tank of the space craft.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates the solubility constraint as regards the optimum performances in the case of a monopropellant involving a solid salt under the standard condition (Example 1 or 3).
  • the tables hereafter give a few examples of energetic salts from among the ammonium, diazonium, triazolium and tetrazolium cations, some being provided with substitutive groups of the alkyl, azido or amino type.
  • the associated anions are taken from among dicyanamide, azide, imidazolate, tetrazolate, nitrate or further dinitramide, either substituted or not with the nitro group.
  • the atomic composition and a few of their properties are specified therein (melting point, thermal decomposition threshold, specific gravity of the salt under standard conditions, standard formation enthalpy).
  • 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium dicyanamide may be prepared by applying the methodology described by Asikkala et al. (Application of ionic liquids and microwave activation in selected organic reaction, Acta Univ Oul. A 502, 2008, page 134) by transsalification from 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride in the presence of sodium dicyanamide, the chloride being prepared by reaction between 1-chlorobutane and 1-methylimidazole.
  • 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium dicyanamide may be prepared by metathesis as described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,034,202, from 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bromide in the presence of silver dicyanamide.
  • the salts above may be prepared according to Singh et al. Structure bond 2007, 125:35-83.
  • the first case may be illustrated by the use of 1-(2-butynyl)-3-methyl-imidazolium azide, noted as [ByMIM] [N 3 ⁇ ].
  • This compound may be prepared from 1-(2-butynyl)-3-methyl-imidazolium bromide on an azide exchange resin according to Schneider et al. Inorganic Chemistry 2008, 47(9), 3617-3624. It may be put into the solution by direct dissolution in N 2 O. The following figure gives the structure of [ByMIM] [N 3 ⁇ ]:
  • the second case may be represented by the liquid-liquid binary mixture between 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium dicyanamide, noted as [BMIM] [N(CN) 2 ⁇ ] (marketed by Solvionic), and N 2 O.
  • BMIM 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium dicyanamide
  • the variation of the ISP with the mixing ratio is described in the table hereafter and FIG. 2 , under the same conditions as those specified in example 1.
  • [DAMT] [N(NO 2 ) 2 ] the third case may be illustrated by the ternary equilibrium between 1,5-diamino-4-methyl-tetrazolium dinitramide, noted as [DAMT] [N(NO 2 ) 2 ] synthesized according to Singh et al. Structure bond 2007, 125:35-83, pyrrolidine and N 2 O.
  • the structure of [DAMT] [N(NO 2 ) 2 ] is the following:
  • the salt according to the invention may be prepared, for example:
  • the specific impulse generated by the combustion of the monopropellant closely depends on the mixing ratio O/F between 1 e N 2 O and the fuel (“crystalline” salt dissolved or a liquid salt).
  • a curve may then be described by plotting the development of ISP versus O/F any other parameter being maintained constant (chamber pressure, initial temperature, expansion ratio ⁇ ).
  • An ISP maximum may then be identified as well as the corresponding optimum O/F.
  • the monopropellant has to be synthesized by observing this mixing ratio in order to provide the best propellant performances.
  • the solubility of the salt in N 2 O or in the solution combined with N 2 O limits the accessible O/F interval.
  • the crystalline salts of interest either have to have great solubility at the specified minimum temperature (typically S(T min )>100 g.kg N 2 O ⁇ 1 ), or exhibit an ISP optimum with a high mixing ratio (typically 4 ⁇ O/F ⁇ 10).
  • the volatility of the nitrous oxide involves a specific method for preparing the monopropellant, during which the mixing of the salt and/or solvent and N 2 O mixture cannot be carried out in open air, but on the contrary in a closed enclosure.
  • An illustrative procedure is the following, starting with a clean and decontaminated enclosure:
  • the filling of the tank on a satellite may then be carried out by putting the storage cylinder in communication with the tank of the propulsion module and by drawing off the liquid phase.
  • the driving force allowing transfer of the monopropellant from the cylinder to the tank is directly ensured by self-pressurization of the monopropellant.
  • the use of an additional neutral gas may be contemplated for expelling the monopropellant from the storage cylinder.
  • the monopropellant ⁇ N 2 O+ionic fuel ⁇ stored in the pressurized tank is injected into the thruster via a customary fluidic line notably comprising a flow control valve, a so-called “engine valve”.
  • the monopropellant is drawn off at the tank with its liquid phase insofar that only this phase includes both oxidizer and fuel.
  • a drawing-off technique well adapted to the present innovation is the capillary network system (also known under the term of surface tension tank), well-known to one skilled in the art. Expulsion of the monopropellant through the fluidic line supplying the thrusters is ensured by the pressure generated by the N 2 O gas in equilibrium with the liquid solution. Only the liquid phase is then expelled.
  • the value of the mass flow rate of the monopropellant injected into the thruster(s) is dictated by the total pressure drop in the fluidic lines from the tank to the engine(s), in particular by the singular pressure drop of the injector (dictated by its design). As long as the monopropellant has not crossed the injection head, it remains in the liquid phase as long as it exists in this state in the tank.
  • the monopropellant passes through the injector located at the head of the engine (a so-called “front bottom”), the latter undergoes expansion. It then penetrates into the upstream portion of the combustion chamber and is led to undergoing a phase change.
  • the cause of the phase change differs according to the condition of the combustion chamber, more specifically its pressure and temperature level. If this is ignition, it may be assumed that the monopropellant penetrates into a “fresh” vacuum medium or close to a vacuum (this is referred to as a rarefied medium) insofar that the chamber communicates with the space vacuum via the nozzle.
  • the monopropellant will rapidly volatilize since its saturating vapor pressure will be clearly greater than the residual pressure within the combustion chamber. This phenomenon will be exacerbated if the monopropellant or the walls of the thruster are at a higher temperature.
  • the ignition phase consists of synchronizing the triggering of the spark plug with the arrival of the flow of the monopropellant in order to generate “mild” ignition (the contrary of a “hard start” involving a transient and violent pressure peak which may be damageable for the system). Guaranteeing quality ignition may also be achieved by producing a train of triggerings of the spark plug (electric arc bursts) at a relatively sustained frequency (a period of the order of a few tens of milliseconds to hundreds of milliseconds). The train of arcs may also be triggered with a slight phase advance on the injection in order to play the role of local preheating. Optimization of the ignition is thus based on the conjunction of optimized geometrical design and a sequence of triggerings.
  • the combustion is sustained after ignition as long as the flow of monopropellant is maintained (open engine valve) and therefore does not require any additional spark plug triggerings.
  • the energy released by the combustion of the monopropellant is sufficient for sustaining the reaction of the injected fresh species.
  • the combustion consists in a reaction between the main oxidizer, i.e. N 2 O, and the ionic fuel possibly comprising oxidizing groups (e.g. nitramides).
  • the reaction produces high pressure hot gases.
  • the combustion chamber is dimensioned so that thermodynamic equilibrium is reached before ejecting the burnt gases so as to attain maximum efficiency.
  • the gases are ejected through a nozzle provided with a converging portion, with a sonic neck and a diverging portion so as to initiate and accelerate the flow in order to generate optimum thrust.

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CN111925262A (zh) * 2020-08-19 2020-11-13 中国工程物理研究院化工材料研究所 基于金属氯化物的多组分低共融液体的制备方法
WO2022043327A1 (fr) * 2020-08-26 2022-03-03 LabOrbital GmbH Dispositif de production de gaz très chaud avec un carburant monergol ionique et allumage basse tension

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EP2620422A1 (fr) 2013-07-31
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