[AR] mixed monoprops (was Re: DARPA responsive launch challenge)
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2018 14:51:02 -0400 (EDT)
On Sun, 22 Apr 2018, Henry Vanderbilt wrote:
Never say never, but the history of such things seems to be full of
liquid monprops that could be babied into behaving right up until that
essential final step of firing it in an engine. I am inclined to
consider any hot new monoprop candidate coming along as a long shot
(possibly a worthwhile one, but nevertheless) until proven otherwise.
"Since practical monopropellants of relatively high specific impulse are,
no doubt, much more hazardous than [nitromethane, which despite poor
performance has had major explosions], there is serious doubt that the
term 'monopropellant' is really more than an optimistic rocketryman's
terminology for a dangerous liquid high explosive."
-- M.A. Cook, "Explosion Hazards in Liquid Bipropellants", in
Vance&Duke, "Applied Cryogenic Engineering", 1962.
Henry
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