Advanced Solid Fuels for Hybrid Propulsion: the Research Activity in Europe

摘要

This paper presents the logic structure and the main purposes of the Operative Research Project on Hybrid Engine in Europe with particular attention to the involved experimental activity. In the framework of this program, new fuel formulations are analyzed to raise the regression fate required in some typical propulsion applications envisaged for a hybrid rocket system. A series of static firing tests have been carried out, in a subset of a wider test matrix, on a lab-scale hybrid engine to bridge the gap between the results from a small-scale burner and the ones which will be achieved from larger-scale engine demonstrators still to be developed. Gaseous oxygen and two different fuel compositions have been tested to assess the improvement in the regression rate deriving from HTPB fuels with additives. Pure HTPB as a baseline fuel and HTPB with nano-sized aluminum and magnesium hydride have been tested. The preliminary results are discussed.