Propellant - Revision history

RichardWSmith: ZSWR: Uranium is not that expensive, but do you want highly enriched fuel running around?

2024-06-06T02:38:52Z

ZSWR: Uranium is not that expensive, but do you want highly enriched fuel running around?

RichardWSmith: /* Nuclear or Solar Electric propulsion (NEP or SEP) */ Formatting

2024-06-06T02:34:43Z

Nuclear or Solar Electric propulsion (NEP or SEP): Formatting

RichardWSmith: /* Zubrin Salt Water Rocket */ Formatting

2024-06-06T02:33:23Z

Zubrin Salt Water Rocket: Formatting

RichardWSmith: Moved stuff about Argon and Xenon out of ZSWR section.

2024-06-06T02:32:13Z

Moved stuff about Argon and Xenon out of ZSWR section.

Michel Lamontagne: /* Other types of propulsion */

2024-06-05T13:18:00Z

Other types of propulsion

Michel Lamontagne: /* Other types of propulsion */

2024-06-05T13:16:16Z

Other types of propulsion

Michel Lamontagne: /* Nuclear or Solar Electric propulsion */

2024-06-05T13:07:59Z

Nuclear or Solar Electric propulsion

Michel Lamontagne: /* Zubrin Salt Water Rocket */

2024-06-05T13:05:23Z

Zubrin Salt Water Rocket

Michel Lamontagne: /* Other types of propulsion */

2024-06-05T12:53:08Z

Other types of propulsion

Michel Lamontagne: /* Other types of propulsion */

2024-06-05T12:51:47Z

Other types of propulsion

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 This sort of rocket engine has never been built, but is the most efficient design conceived for producing rocket thrust.
-Uranium salts can be quite expensive, this can be another consideration when examining propulsion methods and possible propellants.
+Uranium is inexpensive, but highly enriched uranium is more expensive and has many legal barriers.  Thus it is unlikely to be used on civilian craft, but rather it would be used for the highest performance military vessels.
 ==Other types of propulsion==

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ==Nuclear or Solar Electric propulsion (NEP or SEP)==
-For [[Ion thruster|Ion thrusters]], an easily ionized gas is preferred.  Vaporized liquid metals are good candidates.  As for nuclear rockets, the lower the molar mass the higher the exhaust velocity.  However, as electric engines work on ionized gases, the ionization energy of the propellant adds complexity to the engine and favors elements that are easy to ionize.  The nobles gases, such as [[Argon]], [[Neon]] [[Krypton]] and [[Xenon]] are all usable, with Xenon achieving the best propulsion properties for many missions.  However, it is also far more common than Xenon, and much less expensive, so it is used is some low cost satellites such as the Starlink system, despite the lower performance.   For example, Argon is less effective than Xenon in ion thrusters.
+For [[Ion thruster|Ion thrusters]], an easily ionized gas is preferred.  Vaporized liquid metals are good candidates.  As for nuclear rockets, the lower the molar mass the higher the exhaust velocity.  However, as electric engines work on ionized gases, the ionization energy of the propellant adds complexity to the engine and favors elements that are easy to ionize.
 Argon is readily available both on Earth and on Mars.  this makes it a good candidate for propulsion with Insitu production by extraction from the Martian atmosphere.

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 ==Zubrin Salt Water Rocket==
 In this design, salt water is stored as both fuel and reaction mass.  Rather than normal salts, the salts are highly enriched Uranium (near weapons grade) which are stored in small tanks lined with neutron absorbers.  This mass will be sub-critical.
 When you wish to fire the rocket, the salt water is pumped into a region where a significant amount of salt water is surrounded by neutron reflectors.  The salt water is now critical and heats up flashing to steam.
 The radioactive salt water steam then goes thru a rocket nozzle and produces thrust.  The expansion of water to steam greatly improves the thrust.
 This is more than 7 times more efficient than a NERVA rocket, but it exhausts highly radioactive uranium salts, so it is not suitable for firing near a biosphere.
 This sort of rocket engine has never been built, but is the most efficient design conceived for producing rocket thrust.
 Uranium salts can be quite expensive, this can be another consideration when examining propulsion methods and possible propellants.
 ==Other types of propulsion==

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ==Nuclear or Solar Electric propulsion (NEP or SEP)==
-For [[Ion thruster|Ion thrusters]], an easily ionized gas is preferred.  Vaporized liquid metals are good candidates.  As for nuclear rockets, the lower the molar mass the higher the exhaust velocity.  However, as electric engines work on ionized gases, the ionization energy of the propellant adds complexity to the engine and favors elements that are easy to ionize.  The nobles gases, such as [[Argon]], [[Neon]] [[Krypton]] and [[Xenon]] are all usable, with Xenon achieving the best propulsion properties for many missions.
+For [[Ion thruster|Ion thrusters]], an easily ionized gas is preferred.  Vaporized liquid metals are good candidates.  As for nuclear rockets, the lower the molar mass the higher the exhaust velocity.  However, as electric engines work on ionized gases, the ionization energy of the propellant adds complexity to the engine and favors elements that are easy to ionize.  The nobles gases, such as [[Argon]], [[Neon]] [[Krypton]] and [[Xenon]] are all usable, with Xenon achieving the best propulsion properties for many missions.  However, it is also far more common than Xenon, and much less expensive, so it is used is some low cost satellites such as the Starlink system, despite the lower performance.   For example, Argon is less effective than Xenon in ion thrusters.
 Argon is readily available both on Earth and on Mars.  this makes it a good candidate for propulsion with Insitu production by extraction from the Martian atmosphere.
 ==Zubrin Salt Water Rocket==
-In this design, salt water is stored as both fuel and reaction mass.  Rather than normal salts, the salts are highly enriched Uranium (near weapons grade) which are stored in small tanks lined with neutron absorbers.  This mass will be sub-critical.  When you wish to fire the rocket, the salt water is pumped into a region where a significant amount of salt water is surrounded by neutron reflectors.  The salt water is now critical and heats up flashing to steam.
+In this design, salt water is stored as both fuel and reaction mass.  Rather than normal salts, the salts are highly enriched Uranium (near weapons grade) which are stored in small tanks lined with neutron absorbers.  This mass will be sub-critical.
 The radioactive salt water steam then goes thru a rocket nozzle and produces thrust.  The expansion of water to steam greatly improves the thrust.
-This is more than 7 times more efficient than a NERVA rocket, but it exhausts highly radioactive uranium salts, so it is not suitable for firing near a biosphere.  It has never been built, but is the most efficient design conceived for producing rocket thrust.
+This is more than 7 times more efficient than a NERVA rocket, but it exhausts highly radioactive uranium salts, so it is not suitable for firing near a biosphere.
-Uranium salts can be quite expensive, this can be another consideration when examining propulsion methods and possible propellants.  For example, Argon is less effective than Xenon in ion thrusters.  However, it is also far more common than Xenon, and much less expensive, so it is used is some low cost satellites such as the Starlink system, despite the lower performance.
+This sort of rocket engine has never been built, but is the most efficient design conceived for producing rocket thrust.
 ==Other types of propulsion==

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 ==Other types of propulsion==
-*A [[laser ablation rocket]] will tend to use a prope3llant made from a combination of [[metal]] and [[plastic]] (due to their optical properties).  The energy source is external.
+*A [[laser ablation rocket]] will tend to use a propellant made from a combination of [[metal]] and [[plastic]] (due to their optical properties).  The energy source is external.
 *A cold gas thruster will use compressed gas to feed small thrusters used for maneuvering.  The propellant is usually nitrogen.  The energy source is in the initial compression of the gas.
 *A steam powered rocket uses the expansion of water into steam to provide thrust.  Water is the only propellant involved.   The energy source can be a nuclear reactor or solar concentrators.

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 *[[Mass driver]]s can use magnetic fields to project a propellant susceptible to magnetic fields at high velocities, with no heating or ionization. The energy source can be a nuclear reactor or solar power.  Alternatively, a mass driver can be used to capture high velocity mass sent from another mass driver.  The second form of mass driver can sidestep the rocket equation and can be seen as a form of externally powered and externally supplied propulsion.
 *[[Mass driver]]s can be installed on planets, Moon or asteroids and send out payloads using no propellant, but only energy.  These also sidestep the rocket equation.
 ==Propellant production on Mars==