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least polluting rocket fuel



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 25th 06, 04:17 PM posted to sci.space.tech
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Default least polluting rocket fuel

Are there any rocket fuels -- existing or potential -- that are less
polluting than kerosene or hydrogen? If so, are any of them
economically feasible?

  #3  
Old January 27th 06, 02:05 PM posted to sci.space.tech
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Default least polluting rocket fuel

cold gas (nitrogen) is a non polluting but its Isp is probably not what you
are looking for. Why do you think that hydorgen is polluting? I would
think that the post combustion product was H2O.


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Are there any rocket fuels -- existing or potential -- that are less
polluting than kerosene or hydrogen? If so, are any of them
economically feasible?


  #4  
Old January 27th 06, 06:41 PM posted to sci.space.tech
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Default least polluting rocket fuel


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Are there any rocket fuels -- existing or potential -- that are less
polluting than kerosene or hydrogen? If so, are any of them
economically feasible?



Um, hydrogen isn't polluting. Rockets burning pure H2 and O2 generate
water.


  #6  
Old January 27th 06, 07:23 PM posted to sci.space.tech
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Default least polluting rocket fuel

I think it'd be hard to beat the hydrogen/oxygen propellant
combination. The exhaust is water.

Mike Miller

  #9  
Old January 28th 06, 03:23 AM posted to sci.space.tech
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Default least polluting rocket fuel

Yes, bioethanol and liquid oxygen. And yes, pretty feasible. You might
also be able to use some suitable vegetable oils to replace kerosene
with minimal modification to the engines. Doing it that way, you'd get
minimal pollution (a bit of nitrates produced during the burn, but not
too bad.)

Hydrogen is only less polluting if you make it in a non polluting way,
but hydrogen is actually commercially manufactured from methane; is
energy intensive and probably generates more CO2 than a rocket burning
kerosene would.

(Manufacturing hydrogen from electrolysis of water using nuclear power,
in principle is clean, but is never done on a large scale; the energy
required is prohibitive.)

 




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