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Improved Specific Impulse Rocket Engines



 
 
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Old December 12th 03, 06:00 AM
Henry Spencer
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Default Improved Specific Impulse Rocket Engines

In article ,
Bob Martin wrote:
The highest chemical engine Isp I've seen is about 520-530... it was done
using a three-propellant engine (of which one propellant was fluorine).


Clark says 541s was demonstrated (with a high-expansion nozzle) using
fluorine-lithium-hydrogen, with the Li and F stoichiometric and about 25%
hydrogen (which is just reaction mass, it doesn't get involved in the
chemistry) by weight.

Jeff Greason once did some numbers on launchers using that combination,
and concluded that even if you ignore all the practical problems, the
*vehicle* performance is always inferior to straight LOX/LH2. The vehicle
performance penalties of using LH2, e.g. the mass of the huge hydrogen
tanks, completely overwhelm the Isp advantage.
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MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec | Henry Spencer
pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well. |
 




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