Two of the programs at the NASA Lewis Research Center investigating advanced systems for future space missions are the Metallized Propellant Program and the Advanced Concepts Program. Each program includes both experimental and theoretical studies of future propellants and the associated vehicle impacts and significant payload benefits for many types of space transportation. These programs are described

Palaszewski, Bryan A.

English

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NASA Technical Memorandum _!_03771 .........
/,4/-,,2 cD
Advanced Chemical Propulsion at NASA .....
Lewis: Metallized and High Energy
Density Propellants ....... ..........
" (NASA-TM-IO_771) A_VANC_O CHEMICal N9I-I9175 __:_
PROPULSION AT NASA LEWIS: MrTALLITED AND
HIGH ENERGY DENSITY PROPELLANTS (NASA) 7 p
CSCL 2iI Uncles
: G3/20 0001017
Bryan A. Palaszewski
Lewis Research Center
Cleveland, Ohio
Prepared for the
High Energy Density Materials Contractors' Meeting
sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 24-27, 1991
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19910009862 2020-03-19T18:49:59+00:00Z

ADVANCED CHEMICAL PROPULSION AT NASA LEWIS:
METALLIZEDAND HIGH ENERGY DENSITY PROPELLANTS
Bryan Palaszewski
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lewis Research Center
Cleveland, OH
ABSTRACT
Two of the programs at the NASA Lewis Research Center
investigating advanced systems for future space missions are the
Metallized Propellant Program and the Advanced Concepts Program.
Each program includes both experimental and theoretical studies of
future propellants and the associated vehicle impacts and
significant payload benefits for many types of space
transportation.
METALLIZED PROPELLANT PROGRAM
The technologies for using metal additives to increase engine
specific impulse (Isp) and propellant density are being developed.
Metallized propellants can be customized to increase I,p and reduce
the tankage mass and the dry mass of the propulsion system to
increase the vehicle performance. Typically, aluminum particles
are suspended in a gelled fuel: hydrogen, RP-I, or monomethyl
hydrazine. Over the last year, a series of vehicle systems analyses
and experimental programs were conducted to identify the best
applications for metallized propellants and demonstrate the
technologies of propellant formulation and combustion.
Vehicle and System Performance Studies
Piloted missions to Mars and the Moon can derive several benefits
from using metallized propellants instead of traditional chemical
propellants. Using metallized OJHJAI, a piloted Mars mission can
deliver 20 to 33 percent additional payload to the surface (Ref.
i). Propellants such as NTO/MMH/AI and O2/MMH/AI can provide Earth-
and space-storable options for a Mars ascent stage of a manned Mars
mission. The higher boiling point of these propellants minimizes
or eliminates propellant boiloff losses. The mass penalty for using
these propellants over O2/H 2 is minimal. The storability advantage
of these metallized propellants is gained with only 3 to 5 percent
additional mass in LEO (Ref. i).
On lunar cargo missions using O2/HjAI instead of O_H2, the added
payload delivered is only a modest 2 to 3 percent (Ref. 2). This
option does not demonstrate a large gain for metallized
propellants, but the lunar mission might be used as a testbed for
future more ambitious Mars missions.
1
For upper stages propelling robotic planetary missions, metallized
O_H_AI and NTO/MMH/AI have very significant potential, especially
for high-energy fast planetary missions (Ref. 3). On an outer
planet flyby, metallized propellants for an STS-C compatible upper
stage can deliver 28 percent more injected mass onto a planetary
trajectory (with an injection energy (C3) of 150 km2/s_. For a
Jupiter orbiter mission, an upper stage using NTO/MMH/AI can
deliver 97 percent more injected mass than NTO/MMH (at a C3 of 80
km2/s 2) .
Other high-density propellants for the Advanced Launch System were
also analyzed (Ref. 4). Using metallized hydrocarbon propellants,
significant increases in density and I,p over non-metallized fuels
are possible. With JP-10/AI and RJ-5/AI, the I,p increases are 5.9
and 4.9 ib_-s/ib_, respectively.
Experimental Program
The spray characteristics of gelled propellants are being analyzed
with cold flows of propellant simulants. The metallized fuel
simulant is gelled water and the simulated "oxidizer" is nitrogen.
A laser sheet illuminates the spray and helps identify the
structure of the thixotropic gellant flow. By understanding the
differences between the gelled and the non-gelled simulants will
help understand mixing in the combustion chamber and potentially
find ways to improve combustion efficiency.
Batches of RP-I/AI are now readily producible in large (gallon)
quantities. The rheological properties of small batches of RP-I/AI
have been characterized by Aerojet and TRW (Refs. 5 and 6) and
there are no longer any barriers to scaling up production of this
metallized fuel to that needed for space missions.
Experimental hot-firings of a subscale 02/RP-I/AI engine are
continuing at NASA Lewis (Ref. 7). A calorimeter chamber is being
fabricated to determine the heat fluxes to the combustion chamber
and nozzle. These experiments will aid the development of a
combustion model for metallized propellants.
Cryogenic gellants for metallized fuels are being formulated and
demonstrated at TRW, Inc. Fuels such as propane, methane and
hydrogen may be important for future NASA launch vehicle and space
transfer systems. Using silica-based gellants, hexane and propane
have been gelled with and without added aluminum. The ultimate goal
of this work is to gel hydrogen with a 60-percent aluminum loading
(by mass).
University Research Program
The Pennsylvania State University is continuing their aluminum
combustion research (Ref. 8). In this part of the program, the
velocity and diameter of aluminum oxide agglomerations are measured
using a laser sizing system and velocimeter. Approaches to reducing
the formation and promoting the breakup of these agglomerations
are of great importance to metallized propellant engine
performance. Particle agglomerates reduce the predicted specific
impulse of the rocket engine because of two-phase flow losses.
Breakup of these agglomerations will minimize these losses.
ADVANCEDCONCEPTSFOR CHEMICAL PROPULSION
In the Advanced Concepts Program at NASA Lewis, high energy density
propellants are being studied. Both theoretical and experimental
work is directed toward understanding methods of storing atomic
hydrogen at high densities for launch vehicle and upper stage
propulsion. At densities of 15 percent of atomic hydrogen (by mass)
in solid hydrogen, a specific impulse of 750 ibf-s/Ibm is possible.
At this performance level, an atomic hydrogen launch vehicle can
provide a 52- to 58-percent Gross Lift-Off Weight (GLOW) reduction
over the Advanced Launch System using O2/H 2 propulsion (Ref. 9).
Additional vehicle, feed system and performance studies are
underway to define the methods of using atomic hydrogen in an
operational propulsion system.
University Research Program
The University of Iowa has completed a study of the specific
impulse and energy density of over thirty high energy density
materials, such as C 5 and Li3H (Ref. i0). An important result of
this survey was that many potential propellant materials exist with
specific impulses between 500 and 600 Ibf-s/Ib m. Several newly-
considered materials may produce performance levels near i000 ibf-
s/ib_.
Experiments studying the potential storage density of atomic
hydrogen are underway at the University of Hawaii. The experiments
include measurements of the thermal and optical energy release
during atomic hydrogen recombination. Computer modelling of atomic
hydrogen in a solid molecular hydrogen storage medium is also
underway.
Other planned activities are the study of high field magnets for
the long-term storage of atomic hydrogen and other free-radical
propellants. Additional experimental work at the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory will further analyze the energy distribution
of atomic hydrogen recombinations.
CONCLUSIONS
Metallized propellant technology is a near-term option for
potentially improving chemical propulsion performance. Significant
payload increases are predicted and greater safety is enabled with
gelled metallized propellants. Promising developments in propellant
formulation, combustion research and system analysis will be
critical to the future technology readiness of metallized
propellants.
Extensive additional technology development work is certainly
required to bring high energy density propellants to fruition. Both
atomic hydrogen and other potential candidates are being analyzed.
Continuing studies and experiments will determine the feasibility
of using these compounds for useful propulsion.
4
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9)
lO)
REFERENCES
Palaszewski, B., "Metallized Propellants for the Human
Exploration of Mars," NASA Lewis Research Center, presented
at the Case for Mars IV Conference, Boulder, CO, June 4-8,
1990.
Palaszewski, B., "Lunar Missions Using Advanced Chemical
Propulsion: System Design Issues," NASA Lewis Research Center,
AIAA Paper 90-2431, presented at the 26th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE
Joint Propulsion Conference, Orlando, FL, July 16-18, 1990.
Palaszewski, B., "Advanced Launch Vehicle Upper Stages Using
Liquid Propulsion and Metallized Propellants," NASA Lewis
Research Center, presented at the 1990 JANNAF Propulsion
Meeting, Anaheim, CA, October 3-5, 1990.
Rapp, D., "High Energy Density Liquid Rocket Fuel Perform-
ance," Sverdrup Technology, Inc., presented at the 26th
AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Orlando, FL,
July 16-18, 1990.
VanderWall, E., et al., "Characterization of Gelled RP-I
Containing Aluminum," Aerojet TechSystems, presented at the
JANNAF Propellant Development and Characterization
Subcommittee Meeting, Laurel, MD, November 28-December i,
1989.
Chew, W., et al., "Propulsion Systems Hazard Evaluation an
Liquid/Gel Propulsion Component Development - Formulation and
Characterization of AI/RP-I Thixotropic Metallized Fuels," TRW
Inc., Final Report, Contract Number DAAH-01-86-C-0114, October
3, 1989.
Galecki, D., "Combustion and Ignition of Metallized
Propellants," NASA-Lewis Research Center, AIAA Paper 89-2883,
presented at the 25th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion
Conference, Monterey, CA, July 10-12, 1989.
Turns, S., et al,, "Secondary Atomization of Aluminum/RP-I
Liquid Rocket Slurry Fuels," presented at the Eastern Section:
The Combustion Institute - Fall Technical Meeting 1990,
Orlando, FL, December 3-5, 1990.
Palaszewski, B., "Atomic Hydrogen As A Launch Vehicle
Propellant," NASA Lewis Research Center, AIAA Paper 90-0715,
presented at the 28th Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, NV,
January 8-11, 1990.
Stwalley, W. C., Lyyra, A. M. and Zemke, W. T., "Survey of
High Energy Density Materials, University of Iowa,
presentation to NASA Lewis Research Center, March 20, 1990.
Report Documentation PageNalional Aeronautics and
Space Adminlstrabon
1. Report No, / 2. Government Accession No.
1NASA TM- 103771
4. Title and Subtitle
Advanced Chemical Propulsion at NASA Lewis: Metallized and High Energy
Density Propellants
7. Author(s)
Bryan A. Palaszewski
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lewis Research Center
Cleveland, Ohio 44135-3191
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546-0001
3. Recipient's Catalog No.
5. Report Date
6. Performing Organization Code
8. Performing Organization Report No.
E-6034
10. Work Unit No.
506-42
1t. Contract or Grant No.
13, Type of Report and Period Covered
Technical Memorandum
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Notes
Prepared for the High Energy Density Materials Contractors' Meeting sponsored by the Air Force Office of
Scientific Research, Albuquerque, New Mcxico, February 24-27, 1991. Responsible person, Bryan A.
Palaszewski, (216) 433-2439.
16.- Abstract
Two of the programs at the NASA Lewis Research Center investigating advanced systems R_r future space
missions are the Metallized Propellant Program and the Advanced Concepts Program. Each program includes
both experimental and theoretical studies of future propellants and the associated vehicle impacts and significant
payload benefits for many types of space transportation.
17. Key Words (Suggested by Author(s))
Metallized propellants
High energy density, propellants
Atomic hydrogen
19. Security Classif. (of this report)
Unclassified
18, Distribution Statement
Unclassified- Unlirnited
Subject Category 20
20. Security Classif. (of this page)
Unclassified
21. No. of pages
6
22. Price"
A02
NASAFORM1626OCT86 *For sale by the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161


Advanced chemical propulsion at NASA Lewis: Metallized and high energy density propellants

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