[AR] Re: RP-1 versus ethanol for a student rocket?
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2020 18:19:02 -0400 (EDT)
On Wed, 14 Oct 2020, Tyler Adkison wrote:
Interesting. I've done some tests with kerosene in an ablative chamber
where we used K1 lamp grade, which was perfectly satisfactory for our
application and easy to source from a local hardware store.
The only reason to care about RP-1, or equivalents like Exxsol D-40, is if
you want to *cool* with them. That's the entire reason RP-1 exists --
it's a kerosene that reliably won't do anything undesirable if you run it
through a hot metal heat exchanger before injecting it. Suitability for
use in an ablative engine is basically irrelevant when the original poster
clearly wants to do regenerative cooling. (It's hard to imagine a fuel
that *wouldn't* work in an ablative chamber. Well, okay, maybe atomic
hydrogen would run a little too hot for it... :-) )
Henry
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