HYDROCARBON FUELS FOR HYPERSONIC VEHICLES (U).
Abstract
The incentive of using fuels with greater density and better handling characteristics than hydrogen is important. Hydrocarbons have limited cooling capability; but additional heat sink capacity may be realized by allowing the hydrocarbon fuel to undergo a phase change, thus absorbing the latent heat of vaporization, and then allowing the gaseous fuel to react endothermically and to form combustible products. Endothermic reaction requires heat addition and the reaction products furnish additional cooling by absorbind sensible heat. Endothermic reactions can be classified as either thermal or catalytic. Thermal reactions are simplest in application, but have the two disadvantages of low reaction rates at temperatures below 1200F and of relatively low heats of reaction in comparison to catalytic reactions. For this reason, the catalytic endothermic reaction has received the most effort. Catalytic studies thus far have shown that the group of hydrocarbons with the greatest reactivity are the naphthenes. Laboratory investigations have indicated that the methylcyclohexane (MCH)/platinum on alumina system has a total heat sink capacity of approximately 2000 British Thermal Units (BTU)/pound of fuel at 1340F at a volumetric flow rate of 100 cubic feet/hour of fuel/cubic foot of catalyst and at a pressure of 10 atmospheres. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 29, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0642764
Entities
People
- Alan E. Zengel
- Herbert R. Lander
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory