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A feasibility study on using inkjet technology, micropumps, and MEMs as fuel injectors for bipropellant rocket engines

A feasibility study on using inkjet technology, micropumps, and MEMs as fuel injectors for bipropellant rocket engines
A feasibility study on using inkjet technology, micropumps, and MEMs as fuel injectors for bipropellant rocket engines
Control over drop size distributions, injection rates, and geometrical distribution of fuel and oxidizer sprays in bi-propellant rocket engines has the potential to produce more efficient, more stable, less polluting rocket engines. This control also offers the potential of an engine that can be throttled, working efficiently over a wide range of output thrusts. Inkjet printing technologies, MEMS fuel atomizers, and piezoelectric injectors similar in concept to those used in diesel engines are considered for their potential to yield a new, more active injection scheme for a rocket engine. Inkjets are found to be unable to pump at sufficient pressures, and have possibly dangerous failure modes. Active injection is found to be feasible if high pressure drop along the injector plate are used. A conceptual design is presented and its basic behavior assessed.
inkjet, injector, liquid, rocket, motor, droplet size, diesel
Glynne-Jones, Peter
6ca3fcbc-14db-4af9-83e2-cf7c8b91ef0d
Coletti, Michele
2b74d4a0-0afd-4d17-aff6-70b27b531151
White, Neil M.
c7be4c26-e419-4e5c-9420-09fc02e2ac9c
Gabriel, Stephen
ac76976d-74fd-40a0-808d-c9f68a38f259
Bramanti, Cristina
76a2649a-90ab-48fa-b84f-3d63a0c00d37
Glynne-Jones, Peter
6ca3fcbc-14db-4af9-83e2-cf7c8b91ef0d
Coletti, Michele
2b74d4a0-0afd-4d17-aff6-70b27b531151
White, Neil M.
c7be4c26-e419-4e5c-9420-09fc02e2ac9c
Gabriel, Stephen
ac76976d-74fd-40a0-808d-c9f68a38f259
Bramanti, Cristina
76a2649a-90ab-48fa-b84f-3d63a0c00d37

Glynne-Jones, Peter, Coletti, Michele, White, Neil M., Gabriel, Stephen and Bramanti, Cristina (2008) A feasibility study on using inkjet technology, micropumps, and MEMs as fuel injectors for bipropellant rocket engines. 44th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, Hartford, United States. 21 - 23 Jul 2008.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Control over drop size distributions, injection rates, and geometrical distribution of fuel and oxidizer sprays in bi-propellant rocket engines has the potential to produce more efficient, more stable, less polluting rocket engines. This control also offers the potential of an engine that can be throttled, working efficiently over a wide range of output thrusts. Inkjet printing technologies, MEMS fuel atomizers, and piezoelectric injectors similar in concept to those used in diesel engines are considered for their potential to yield a new, more active injection scheme for a rocket engine. Inkjets are found to be unable to pump at sufficient pressures, and have possibly dangerous failure modes. Active injection is found to be feasible if high pressure drop along the injector plate are used. A conceptual design is presented and its basic behavior assessed.

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More information

Published date: 21 July 2008
Venue - Dates: 44th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, Hartford, United States, 2008-07-21 - 2008-07-23
Keywords: inkjet, injector, liquid, rocket, motor, droplet size, diesel
Organisations: Electronics & Computer Science, Astronautics Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 64436
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/64436
PURE UUID: d9eaca32-d80b-4534-b0f4-f33c5a0dc4b3
ORCID for Peter Glynne-Jones: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5684-3953
ORCID for Neil M. White: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1532-6452

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 07 Jan 2009
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:10

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Contributors

Author: Michele Coletti
Author: Neil M. White ORCID iD
Author: Stephen Gabriel
Author: Cristina Bramanti

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