Dual-Use Al-Li Alloy Fuel for Solid Fuel Ramjets and Space Launch Platforms

Extending the range of missile and firing systems is at the core of the United States Army’s top modernization priority, Long Range Precision Fires (“LRPF”). Adranos, Inc. (“Adranos”) has made a substantial advancement towards accomplishing LRPF goals with its high-performance solid rocket propellant called ALITEC. ALITEC utilizes an aluminum-lithium alloy (“Al-Li”) fuel that provides far greater combustion efficiencies than traditional aluminum-based fuels. Al-Li is a dual-use technology that can have a substantial impact not only on the Army’s LRPF goals but also on commercial space launch applications. In March 2019, Adranos was crowned as the grand-prize winner of xTechSearch 1.0 after demonstrating in a live sounding rocket flight test (see Fig. 1) that ALITEC’s capabilities could increase the range of an MGM-140 ATACMS (“ATACMS”) by nearly 40% and the payload capacity of a Minotaur IV launch vehicle by 45%. To continue the work commenced in xTechSearch 1.0, the purpose of this proposal is to specifically pursue LRPF goals by demonstrating an even greater range increase Al-Li could provide as an additive in a solid fuel ramjet.