10-04-2007, 06:10 PM
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Incorrigible Kit Basher
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,888
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I've been mulling over a Dangerous Idea for the last few months. Now, let me preface this by saying that I have no intention of carrying out the following; I'm not adequately experienced in the necessary skills nor trained in the appropriate knowledge. But...
Tim Van Milligan explains very clearly why making your own propellant is not sensible. He points out the amount of research needed, and the cost of equipment to do that research, and then the cost of equipment to actually make the engines after you have figured them out. And, such experimentation is naturally dangerous.
So I'll take that as a given. But let's suppose that someone with the right knowledge were to spend some time and money working out a reasonably safe, reliable and predictable binary propellant. Such a propellant might consist of fuel in a paste form, and oxidizer as a powder. The developer would have to work out the optimum proportions of fuel to oxidizer, and design simple-to-use equipment for safely mixing the propellant and loading it into engine casings.
Naturally, a standardized engine casing (or a variety of casings of differing sizes) would be needed. The propellant should be able to burn reasonably well from the end, and thus not require a bored-out core. A delay charge could be made using a different fuel paste and an appropriate proportion of oxidizer, and likewise an ejection charge could be made the same way (though a powdered fuel/powdered oxidizer combination might be effective here also).
As the fuel(s) aren't explosive (and can't be mistaken for an explosive) when not mixed with oxidizer, it should be entirely legal to ship them anywhere without any hazardous material regulations applying. I'm not sure what sort of rules apply to shipping oxidizers (though I assume someone will tell me shortly).
Obviously, we are outside the bounds of "model rocketry" at this point, but I wonder if, given an appropriate safety code and a good, well-tested design, this sort of propellant might make "amateur rocketry" nearly as safe as "model rocketry" is now.
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