Why not use lox - propane

I was just considering what would happen if we used lox and chilled
propane to launch the shuttle.

Of course this would be a major redesign, the ratios of the two tanks
would change, the engines would have to change, the structures would
experience higher loads etc.

But, the temperature gradient would be much less, the insulation would
probably not be needed, the loss in Isp would be made up by the gain in
density of the fuel. It might work better overall.

Zoltan

zoltan wrote:
I was just considering what would happen if we used lox and chilled
propane to launch the shuttle.

Of course this would be a major redesign, the ratios of the two tanks
would change, the engines would have to change, the structures would
experience higher loads etc.

But, the temperature gradient would be much less, the insulation would
probably not be needed, the loss in Isp would be made up by the gain in
density of the fuel. It might work better overall.

Zoltan

Far better yet; why not use h2o2/c3h4o or even h2o2/c12h26 ?
-
Brad Guth

On 3 Jul 2006 08:17:27 -0700, in a place far, far away, "zoltan"
made the phosphor on my monitor glow in such a way
as to indicate that:

I was just considering what would happen if we used lox and chilled
propane to launch the shuttle.

It wouldn't be a Shuttle. It would be a completely different vehicle
design.

In article .com,
zoltan wrote:
I was just considering what would happen if we used lox and chilled
propane to launch the shuttle.

It's not a ridiculous propellant choice for a new vehicle, but it's not
something you can retrofit into this one in any easy way. It would mean a
major redesign.

But, the temperature gradient would be much less...

Uh, which "gradient" is that?

...the insulation would probably not be needed...

No, it would still be necessary, for the same reason the current ET's LOX
tank is fully insulated: to prevent formation of a frost/ice layer on the
outside, pieces of which might damage the orbiter tiles during ascent.
(NASA had originally thought that it would not be necessary to insulate
most of the LOX tank, but they changed their minds when the tile-damage
problem became apparent during development.)
--
spsystems.net is temporarily off the air; | Henry Spencer
mail to henry at zoo.utoronto.ca instead. |

In article ,
(Henry Spencer) wrote:

But, the temperature gradient would be much less...

Uh, which "gradient" is that?

The one across the tank wall.

In article ,
richard schumacher wrote:
But, the temperature gradient would be much less...
Uh, which "gradient" is that?

The one across the tank wall.

Unfortunately, when the temperature outside is 300K or so, whether the
inside is at 90K or 20K doesn't change the gradient all that much.
--
spsystems.net is temporarily off the air; | Henry Spencer
mail to henry at zoo.utoronto.ca instead. |

"zoltan" wrote in message
oups.com...
I was just considering what would happen if we used lox and chilled
propane to launch the shuttle.

Of course this would be a major redesign, the ratios of the two tanks
would change, the engines would have to change, the structures would
experience higher loads etc.

But, the temperature gradient would be much less, the insulation would
probably not be needed, the loss in Isp would be made up by the gain in
density of the fuel. It might work better overall.

Zoltan


AirLaunch LLC is using it in their DARPA FALCON entrant. It should be
interesting to see their progress with the stuff.