Power Efficient Restart-Capable Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene-Based Arc Ignition for Hybrid Rocket Motors

Hybrid rocket ignition has historically involved either dangerous energetic materials or inefficient and failure-prone plasma sources. The vast majority of such systems cannot sup- port multiple restart cycles, thus limiting the applicability of hybrid rockets–especially for in-space propulsion. During research investigating its use as a fuel for hybrid rockets, it was discovered that Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic possesses unique electrical breakdown characteristics. During a properly designed breakdown event, application of a strong electric field induces a high-temperature arc along the surface of the ABS, concurrent with rapid production of hydrocarbon vapor. This behavior forms the basis of a novel ABS arc ignition system. Several such systems were designed, built and tested. Minimum conditions for successful operation were discovered, including minimum ignition pressure and electrical power requirements. Hands-off restart capability was demonstrated repeatedly. Finally, paths of inquiry for future research are outlined