SBIR/STTR Research Award
Hafnium-Carbide-Lined Thrusters for Chlorine-Pentafluoride Propellant Systems
Award amount
$68,647Program and phase
SBIR · Phase IAward year
1994Award details
- Awarding agency
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Branch
- Not reported
- Recipient company
- REFRACTORY COMPOSITES, INC.
- Proposal award date
- Not reported
- Contract end date
- Not reported
- UEI
- Not reported
- Solicitation number
- Not reported
- Topic code
- Not reported
Research abstract
The ClF5 Hydrazine propellant system holds out the promise of dramatic impulse improvement over MMH-N2O4 conventional storage bipropellants. Engine testing to date has shown that carbon/carbon thrust chambers suffer relatively high throat erosion rates (1/2-1 mil/second). For NASA missions such as Moon and possibly Mars missions, as well as deep space probes, ClF5-Hydrazine longer life thrusters are needed. Hafnium carbide composite thrusters are the leading candidates to reduce throat erosion to acceptable levels.
Technology keywords
Not reported