| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 06.02-9505 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 000496 ) |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Additives to Increase Fuel Heat Sink Capacity |
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Recently, NASA has increased its emphasis on reducing the cost of reaching low Earth orbit. A key technology requirement is a single stage to orbit (SSTO) using a rocket based combined cycle (RBCC) engine. In the third stage, an air-breathing vehicle will travel at speeds from Mach 5 to Mach 10. Under these conditions, the vehicle requires cooling in excess of that provided by sensible fuel heating. Additional heat sink can be extracted from the fuel if it undergoes endothermic cracking reactions. However cracking requires high temperatures, which increase the heat exchanger weight. In Phase I TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) demonstrated that chemical initiators, which accelerate the rate of the thermal cracking reactions, significantly increase the fuel heat sink capacity at temperatures between 400 and 575?C. With normal heptane at 575?C, we found that the initiator increased the heat sink capacity between 400 and 575?C from 282 Btu/lb to 420 Btu/lb, an increase of 49%. We also found that the initiator increased the heat sink capacity of JP-7 between 400 and 550?C, from 333 to 411Btu/lb, an improvement of 23%. Finally, a kinetic analysis suggests that temperature required for 50% cracking with initiator would be 100?C lower than that required without initiator.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
In addition to the immediate application, cooling reusable launch vehicles, TDA?s initiator technology could also find use in the chemical refining industry. Ethylene, which is the largest volume building block for the petrochemical industry (U.S. production is worth $17 billion per year) is also produced by thermal cracking of heavier hydrocarbons. TDA?s initiator technology may allow the process to be carried out at significantly lower temperatures, which would lower costs and increase profit margin. The Olefins Technology Development Manager at Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) a major supplier of ethylene production technology has expressed interest in our initiator technology and has included a letter of support in the proposal.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
(Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Dr. David T. Wickham
TDA Research, Inc.
12345 W. 52nd Ave.
Wheat Ridge , CO 80033 - 1917
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
TDA Research, Inc.
12345 W. 52nd Ave.
Wheat Ridge , CO 80033 - 1917