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In-situ Propellant Production and ERV Propulsion System

In-situ Propellant Production and ERV Propulsion System. Critical Design Review Adam Butt 2/27/01. Overview. In-situ Propellant Production Propellant Production Methods ERV Propulsion system Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) Tank sizing and positioning Engine selection Power and Reliability.

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In-situ Propellant Production and ERV Propulsion System

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  1. In-situ Propellant Production and ERV Propulsion System Critical Design Review Adam Butt 2/27/01

  2. Overview • In-situ Propellant Production • Propellant • Production Methods • ERV Propulsion system • Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) • Tank sizing and positioning • Engine selection • Power and Reliability

  3. In-situ Propellant Selection • Methanol has been chosen to the sole fuel to be produced in-situ • Reasons for the selection: • Does not require cryogenic storage • Higher density leads to smaller tanks • Greater yield per tonne of H2 than Methane • One tonne of H2 yields 5.3 tonnes of CH3OH and 5.7 tonnes of H2O, while only 2 tonnes of CH4 (and 4.5 tonnes of H2O) • Ease of using as rover propellant • The oxidizer to be produced in-situ will be O2

  4. Method of Production(Upper portion of picture from JPL – Advanced Propulsion Concepts Website) • Zirconia cell process CO2 CO + O2 • Liquid Hydrogen feedstock added to the separated CO, CO+3H2CH3OH+2H2O • Methanol stored, and water is electrolysized to cycle back hydrogen, and store oxygen • System Volume and mass under 50m3 and 1 tonne H2 O2 H2 Storage H2O Electrolysis H2O Catalyst Bed CO MethanolStorage CH3OH

  5. ERV Propulsion - SSTO • Advantages of a Single Stage To Orbit mission: • Lack of staging decreases complexity and increases overall mission success rate • Allows for the use of one liquid rocket engine to provide the entire DV required to return the astronauts to Earth

  6. Tank Sizing and Positioning (8) Methanol Tanks • Tanks are sized according to the constrained volumes, and geometries suitable for pressurization • All propellant necessary for launch off of Mars, and departure from orbit are contained in the same tanks, and are used by the same engine • Propellant mass evenly distributed about vehicle • Thrust vectoring possible (4) LOX Tanks F-1A Saturn V Engine

  7. Tank Sizing and Positioning • Assuming a CTV mass of 5 tonnes and an all up ERV weight around 50 tonnes, • Total mass of LOX is around 100tonnes • Total mass of methanol is around 65 tonnes

  8. Engine Selection • F-1A Saturn V Liquid Rocket Engine • Chosen for the large thrust requirements of around 9000kN • Existing technology that has been involved in many successful launches Picture from www.astronautix.com

  9. Power Requirements • Three conflicting power equations (or correlations) found: • Based on: Pe = [0.145(MT)1.238] kW, around 220kW would be necessary to produce all the propellant in 15 months • Based on NASA’s Sample Return Mission (which incorporates in-situ prop. Prod.), around 25% less power would be necessary, or 160kW • Based on an in-depth study from the University of Washington, in which they use more advanced processes to produce 200tonnes of propellant with 30kW, putting us around 22kW • No final decision made as of yet on which to use

  10. Failure Probabilities • Engine failure probability very low, due to a proven and tried technology • Large amounts of simulated testing going on right now for in-situ production, therefore failure probability will decrease a mission time draws near • More in-depth analysis into newly designed system to come

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