Advanced Oxidizers for Hybrid Propulsion

ORBITEC proposes to develop a high-performance, non-toxic, storable oxidizer to replace current storable oxidizers for hybrid rocket motor propulsion systems. The proposed candidate oxidizers have higher energy and oxygen content, greater density, lower volatility, and less corrosivity than the nitrogen oxides and nitric acid. In Phase I, physical properties and performance of the specific identified compounds will be determined to provide data for ranking the candidate fuels. Theoretical performance with selected fuels will be calculated and compared to baseline performance using SOTA oxidizers. The system-level benefits of propulsion systems using the new oxidizers will be quantified by comparison to existing systems. Hot-fire test plans for Phase II will be developed and initial synthesis of several candidate compounds will begin toward the end of the Phase I period.