Any new methods to increase regression rate of fuel other than using complex grain geometry, different injection techniques and addition of additives?
One promising method is to use a fuel with a fast burning rate such as paraffin wax; however, additional performance increases to the fuel regression rate are necessary to make the fuel a viable candidate to replace current launch propulsion systems. The addition of energetic and/or nano-sized particles is one way to increase mass-burning rates of the solid fuels and increase the overall performance of the hybrid rocket motor.
Several paraffin-based fuel grains with various energetic additives (e.g., lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) have been cast in an attempt to improve regression rates
A concept was developed and tested to enhance the performance and regression rate
of hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), a commonly used hybrid rocket fuel.
Abstract: This invention comprises a new process for developing high regression rate propellants for application to hybrid rockets and solid fuel ramjets. The process involves the use of a criterion to identify propellants which form an unstable liquid layer on the melting surface of the propellant. Entrainment of droplets from the unstable liquid-gas interface can substantially increase propellant mass transfer leading to much higher surface regression rates over those that can be achieved with conventional hybrid propellants. The main reason is that entrainment is not limited by heat transfer to the propellant from the combustion zone. The process has been used to identify a new class of non-cryogenic hybrid fuels whose regression rate characteristics can be tailored for a given mission. The fuel can be used as the basis for a simpler hybrid rocket design with reduced cost, reduced complexity and increased performance.
Ref: High regression rate hybrid rocket propellants and method of selecting
US 6880326 B2
www.google.co.in/patents/US6880326
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