It puts more energy into the propellant, raising the Isp.
Straight LOX-NH3 has an Isp of only 354 s under the same conditions.
Not enough for SSTO.
Being able to burn straight LOX-NH3 is useful to
provide high initial thrust, though, or to provide thrust with reasonable
Isp for part of the trajectory when laser power isn’t available.
Jordin Kare
On Jun 7, 2017, at 6:06 AM, John Dom <johndom@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
X-15 engines burned LOX-NH3(L). Why crack the NH3 at all?
John
-----Original Message-----
From: arocket-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:arocket-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Jordin Kare
Sent: donderdag 1 juni 2017 22:15
To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [AR] Re: methane to methanol
How about a density of 0.868 kg/l and 410-420 sec. vacuum Isp (@100:1
expansion)?
You can do that with LOX-ammonia and some laser power to heat the ammonia
and turn it into H2 and N2.
Takes about 1/4 the laser power of a pure laser rocket. I talked about it
at the last Space Access meeting:
the Liquid Oxygen - Laser Cracked Ammonia Thruster (LOLCAT :-))
Jordin
