This is one huge jump in efficiency and will certainly be quickly
adopted. No other details are available so there is little to add.
The cost is also compelling and I must reasonably consider this fuel
as hotter than straight hydrogen which is unexpected. It may even be
stable although that may be a challenge.
Yes this is an important development if it lives up to this billing.
I am sure the chemical dynamics will be intriguing.
This will also be welcome to the many present rocket developers. We
now have a way to reach high altitude and high speed as an
airbreather and then switching over to a super hot last stage into
space is good news. Sooner or later, we are going to throw tonnage
into space.
Russia develops new
rocket fuel
by Staff Writers
Moscow (Voice of Russia) Jan 07, 2013
Specialists from
Russian scientific-production association Energomash have developed a
state-of-the-art high-efficient fuel, news reports said on Thursday.
According to
Energomash chief executive Vladimir Solntsev, the Atsetam fuel
will help increase the efficiency of rocket engines by at least one
third in the future.
He said that in
particular, the new fuel may be used in upper-stage rocket
engines.
Additional Copy
Experts from Russian
manufacturer NPO Energomash “V.P. Glushko” and RSC Applied
Chemistry have developed a state-of-the-art high-performance rocket
fuel, working on a completely novel mixture of acetylene and ammonia
called Atsetam.“A mixture of acetylene and ammonia is 20 times
cheaper than hydrogen, as a kilogram of hydrogen costs about 2,000
rubles ($67) and a kilo of Atsetam is maximum of 100 rubles ($3.35),”
explained Energomash’s Director of Innovative Technology, Anatoly
Likhvantsev.
At the beginning of
December 2012, Energomash obtained the first experimental batch of
Atsetam, confirming the findings of previous theoretical studies. The
batch also proved the effectiveness of the technology developed for
the fuel’s production. The new Atsetam fuel is not only cheaper
than hydrogen but it can also be easily stored and transported,
whereas hydrogen requires special storage and transportation
conditions.
Energomash has
also started developing an engine to work with the new
mixture. The engine will be assembled on the basis of the RD-161,
originally designed to work with oxygen and kerosene. The
development will not require major structural changes to existing
rocket motors since the physical properties of Atsetam do not differ
much from kerosene.
Although the exact
engine’s parameters will be determined during upcoming tests that
are scheduled to last until 2016, Energomash chief executive Vladimir
Solntsev is persuaded that the Atsetam fuel will help increase the
efficiency of rocket engines by at least 30% in the future.
Energomash is carrying
out work on processing and certifying Atsetam as a prospective rocket
fuel application at its own expense, partially supported by the
Skolkovo Innovation Centre. In 2013-2014, Energomash plans to
develop a technology for generating industrial quantities of Atsetam.
It also plans to develop a test bed and carry out firing tests of the
new oxygen-Atsetam liquid propellant engine prototype.
If all goes well in
the test and certification phase, and depending on funding, the first
launch with the new engine will occur in 2017-2018.
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