Hybrid rocket combustion and applications to space exploration missions
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- A major focus of the NASA Technology Roadmaps (2015) is the development of new propulsion systems for in-space and launch applications. Hybrid propulsion systems, which have fuel and oxidizer stored in different phases, present a favorable alternative to conventional propulsion systems for many exploration missions. Hybrid propulsion systems enjoy a high specific impulse, are throttle-able, able to be stopped and restarted, and benefit from flexibility in their packaging configuration. However, the adoption of hybrid rocket systems has historically been inhibited by performance issues stemming from the use of slow-burning fuels. Many of these performance issues can be resolved through the use of paraffin-based fuels. The overarching goal of this thesis work is to improve the understanding of paraffin-based hybrid rockets in order to facilitate their adoption as a viable in-space propulsion system over existing liquid and solid chemical propulsion systems. This goal has been divided into two focus areas. 1. Investigate the feasibility of using hybrid rocket motors for exploration missions in order to determine the class of mission(s) for which they are best suited. A general approach for first pass hybrid propulsion system design is presented. This approach is applied to two missions, a very small-scale Mars aerocapture demonstration mission and a Flagship class Europa flyby mission. A propulsion system using a hybrid rocket motor is found to be viable for both classes of mission with potential benefits over the baseline propulsion systems in terms of total mass, power, and cost. 2. Improve the understanding of the combustion processes inside classical and fast-burning hybrid rocket motors. This task is conducted in order to facilitate improved performance models of these systems and to better inform designers as they evaluate these systems for specific missions. The approach to this work utilizes a combustion visualization experiment and various optics to explore the mass transfer phenomena, boundary layer growth rates and the flame location above combusting fuels at conditions representative of those in a typical hybrid rocket motor. This thesis provides strong confirmation of the basic droplet formation and entrainment mechanism for fast burning fuels at operating conditions representative of those within a typical hybrid rocket motor. Imaging diagnostics are successfully used to quantify the location of the flame within the boundary layer for classical and high regression rate fuels at a range of operating conditions.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2015 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Jens, Elizabeth T |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. |
| Primary advisor | Cantwell, Brian |
| Thesis advisor | Cantwell, Brian |
| Thesis advisor | Close, Sigrid, 1971- |
| Thesis advisor | Hubbard, Scott, 1948- |
| Thesis advisor | Jameson, Antony, 1934- |
| Thesis advisor | Zilliac, Gregory G |
| Advisor | Close, Sigrid, 1971- |
| Advisor | Hubbard, Scott, 1948- |
| Advisor | Jameson, Antony, 1934- |
| Advisor | Zilliac, Gregory G |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Elizabeth T. Jens. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2015. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2015 by Elizabeth Therese Jens
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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