System Study of Slush Propellants for Future European Launch Vehicles
2018
Usually cryogenic propellants in launch vehicles are
stored at the normal boiling point, but the density
can be increased by subcooling the propellant. In its
most extreme form, this results in a mixture of solid
and liquid propellant: the slush propellants. First, the
possibility of employing slush fuels within the upper
stages of prospective European launchers (Ariane 6
and Vega-E) is evaluated. Three methods of
implementation are discussed and compared. In
addition, their effect on possible future European
launchers with a reusable Vertical Takeoff and
Vertical Landing (VTVL) first stage are also
investigated. While the application to existing
designs only yields small improvements, results for
the Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV) show that the
total mass of the launcher for the same payload
could be reduced by up to 23 %. While not all
complications of densified propellants are solved at
this point in time, the potential for the improvement
of future launch systems is substantial enough to
warrant future investigation.
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