Questions tagged [fuel-system]
The fuel-system tag has no usage guidance.
34
questions
3
votes
2
answers
677
views
Fueling the RS-25 Turbo pumps?
Is there any way to know the weight of Fuel / Oxidizer consumed by just the turbo pumps of the RS-25 rocket engine?
- 103
1
vote
2
answers
533
views
Has asparagus staging (fuel crossfeed) ever been studied by a space agency?
There are two known examples of fuel crossfeed: The Space Shuttle and the Atlas. The Space Shuttle had fuel lines running from the ET to the main engines. Meanwhile, the Atlas fed fuel from a main ...
- 3,125
40
votes
6
answers
9k
views
How much has fuel efficiency increased in rockets since the Apollo missions?
I have been talking with a friend of mine and the subject turned to modern rockets versus Apollo era rockets and fuel efficiency.
My friend stated that today’s rockets use half the fuel of the rockets ...
5
votes
2
answers
941
views
What novel tank designs and ideas are out there to prevent fuel in a rocket tank from "sloshing around"?
After seeing all the Starship failures, having something with a membrane keep things in place seems like an obvious solution. Bladder tanks and "balloons" have been discussed here: Why is an ...
- 517
4
votes
0
answers
62
views
Giving rocket propellants an opposite charge for perfect mixing?
One of the challenges in achieving theoretical efficiency is the mixing of both an oxidiser and fuel. This means separating both propellants from each other whilst pairing them with their counterpart. ...
- 822
2
votes
0
answers
54
views
Designing a catalyst for use in catalytically hypergolic fuel mixtures using nitrous oxide
The use of hydrogen peroxide with hydrocarbons such as RP1 has long been a popular choice, not least of all for its hypergolic properties when paired with a catalyst bed. This motor design, catalysing ...
- 822
12
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Why is an inflatable balloon inside a fuel tank not used to prevent fuel from "sloshing around"?
After seeing all the Starship failures, having something with a membrane keep things in place seems like an obvious solution. Has it been considered or tested - or do we simply lack a material that is ...
- 517
5
votes
3
answers
560
views
Have any rocket fuel systems actually been explosive, and could have detonated proper?
Never mind that this is the 18th question to have the rocket-explosion tag.
To the question "Would the Dragon escape pod have survived this event?" asked about the AMOS-6 mission, Elon Musk ...
- 149k
1
vote
1
answer
726
views
Can Starship use dedicated smaller auxiliary landing fuel tanks?
Would it be better for Starship to have a separate set of small fuel tanks dedicated to landing the ship, maybe controlled separately or plumbed differently.
6
votes
1
answer
325
views
What was the influence of the military in the decision to use kerosene as fuel for LOX?
When it comes to hydrocarbons almost all state owned space agencies use kerosene in combination with LOX in bi-propellant rockets. But many hydrocarbons (such as methane, ethane, propane, ethylene, ...
- 2,321
1
vote
0
answers
194
views
what is the ISP loss associated with pressure fed engines
Numerically, what is the approximate loss of overall system specific impulse associated with pressure-fed rocket engines, not only as a result of the low chamber pressure but also of the additional ...
- 822
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How much krypton is stored on a Starlink satellite?
How much krypton (fuel) is there for the krypton-powered ion thrusters on Starlink satellites and how long does it last?
- 101
3
votes
0
answers
128
views
Storage density of a Deuterium-Helium 3 fusion pellet
in a series I am working on I will be using a D-He3 fusion drive system (similar to the one in the expanse according to Project RHO). I am under the assumption that the fuel will be stored in a pellet ...
- 173
8
votes
1
answer
456
views
Has methylsilane (CH₆Si) ever been considered as fuel in rocketry?
Methylsilane CH6Si seems to have some useful properties for rocket fuel:
high hydrogen content, 6 atoms per molecule, 13% of overall mass;
high combustion energy, -2612 KJ/mol or 56.8 MJ/kg (better ...
- 2,321
4
votes
2
answers
351
views
Bio-Fuel for Rocket Science
In season 1 of the 2018 Lost In Space Series which aired on Netflix† the last Episode has the Robinson family using the by-products of living beings (faeces) as biofuel. If we were to use the same ...
- 482