[AR] acetylene (was Re: DARPA responsive launch challenge)
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2018 11:57:07 -0400 (EDT)
On Mon, 23 Apr 2018, Uwe Klein wrote:
Acetylene for regular use is stored in lowish pressure
cylinders solved in acetone "soaked" into a kieselgur filling...
is it possible/has it been tried to use the Acetylene/Acetone solution as
fuel ( should require pressurization at all times )?
Not impossible, but a bit tricky. The porous tank filler is not just to
help keep the acetone under control -- it also avoids having any major
open volume filled with acetylene gas, which left to itself is dangerously
explosive at the usual storage pressures (15 bar or so). You could
presumably use diaphragm or piston tanks instead, to avoid having any
ullage space above the liquid.
I'm not sure it would be worth dealing with the hazards, though. My
recollection is that the solution is only about 1/3 acetylene by mass (at
15 bar -- much less at 1 bar). The acetone would be an unimpressive fuel,
probably slightly inferior to isopropyl alcohol.
Henry
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