Novel Gellants for Optimized Fuel Gels

Gelled propellants are generally safer to handle, have reduced flammability, and lower spill susceptibility compared to traditional liquid fuels. However, they are more difficult to atomize and combust, and the presence of the gelling agent can cause aloss of specific impulse. EERGC Corporation in cooperation with subcontractor TRW, a leader in gel propellant technology, proposes to identify promising particulate gallants for use in MHZ and/or DMAZ bipropellant fuels and to optimize them with respectto chemical stability, gel stability and properties, rheology, combustion performance and cost. The Phase II program will continue the screening and experimental evaluation of candidate gellants and gel formulations, ultimately establishing the most viablefor detailed study. The selected fuel gel will undergo (1) rheological characterization over a broad range of shear rate and temperature, (2) scale-up of the production process with quantitative assessment via a statistical characterization of performanceon four quality control tests (density, syneresis, yield stress, and viscosity at 12,000 s-1), and (3) engine testing to establish combustion performance. A preliminary cost study will also be performed. These experiments will establish the viability ofthe new fuel gel for operation in bipropellant systems with existing IRFNA oxidizer gels.The gel fuels to be developed in this proposed SBIR project will be suitable for integration into Common Missile and modernized Hellfire program applications. This isapplicable to a number of missile systems such as TOW, Javelin, Hellfire, and potentially Stinger-type systems. In addition, gel propellants' potential for enhanced safety and control make them appealing for NASA launch vehicles, spacecraft, andsatellites as well as future commercial spaceflight applications.