Design and modeling of solar-thermal propulsion system
- Ultramet, Pacoima, CA (United States)
A solar-thermal propulsion system has been designed and modeled. The key element of the design is the solar absorber, where the concentrated sunlight received from the solar concentrator is absorbed. Several designs were considered, with a cylindrical blackbody cavity being selected. In this design, the sunlight is focused through the aperture of a cylindrical cavity, the inner walls of which absorb the heat. On the other side of the inner wall is a high surface area open-cell foam that acts as a heat exchanger to transfer the heat from the wall to the working fluid (hydrogen). An outer wall contains the hot hydrogen, which is channeled through the foam along the length of the cavity until it is exhausted through the nozzle to provide thrust. Because the absorber is likely to encounter temperatures as high as 2,800 K, there are very few viable candidate materials of construction. Rhenium was selected because of its high temperature strength, stability in hot hydrogen, ductility, and ease of fabrication by chemical vapor deposition. In addition to the inner (hot) wall being composed of rhenium, the foam heat exchanger, outer wall, and nozzle will also be made of rhenium. Furthermore, the interior of the blackbody cavity will be coated with dendritic rhenium to give the surface a solar absorptivity of >0.98. Extensive modeling work has been done on this design, and preliminary optimization has been completed. These calculations predict a hydrogen exhaust temperature of 2,627 K. At this temperature, the net thrust will be {approx}2.2 N ({approx}0.5 lb{sub f}) and the specific impulse will be {approx}800 sec. On completion of the modeling and design work, a subscale prototype will be fabricated and tested at the Air Force Phillips Laboratory.
- OSTI ID:
- 109801
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950336-; ISBN 0-7918-1300-2; TRN: IM9543%%102
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Society of Mechanical Engineers/Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers/Japan Solar Energy Society international solar energy conference, Lahaina, HI (United States), 19-24 Mar 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Solar engineering 1995: Proceedings. Volume 2; Stine, W.B. [ed.] [California Polytechnic Univ., Pomona, CA (United States)]; Tanaka, Tadayoshi [ed.] [Electrotechnical Lab., Ibaraki (Japan)]; Claridge, D.E. [ed.] [Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)]; PB: 582 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Integrated solar upper stage alternate receiver
Conical solar absorber/thruster for space propulsion