Method for Predicting Hypergolic Mixture Flammability Limits
Abstract
This report is in support of the Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology(IHPRPT)Demonstration Program, which provides a technology roadmap for demonstrating significant enhancements in mission capabilities, cost efficiencies, and operability for various future propulsion needs. The scope of this project is to demonstrate that it is feasible to numerically construct diagrams of flammability limits for energetic ionic liquid (IL) fuel/oxidizer combinations, which will significantly aid AFRL/RQRP in its ability to identify hypergolic propellants and predict their ignition delay times, prior to carrying out any synthetic or empirical screening activities. The execution of the proposed modeling and simulation (M and S)study early in the life-cycle of the IL propellant development program provides a mitigation strategy to reduce the risk of failure for the insertion of IL fuel technology into the small satellite market as AFRL/RQRP continues to meet IHPRPT goals. This report is divided into three parts. The first is devoted to the proposal of a thermodynamic method able to discuss a priori the hypergolic abilities of a fuel/oxidant system and its flammability limits. This method is shown to be valid for non ionic liquid/oxidant systems and is then extended to ionic liquid/oxidant systems. It is somehow difficult to prove that this method is accurate in terms of limits just because there is a lack in experimental data for ionic liquid/oxidant systems. The second is devoted to a fundamental understanding of what happens in the liquid phase, in the gas phase, at the liquid/liquid interface and at the gas/liquid interface during hypergolic ignition and the interactions of all these phases.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1026177
Entities
People
- Laurent Catoire