Types of fuels used in rocket propusion

1. The Basics of Rocket Propulsion.
Part 1.
Wanambwa Zack Nicholas

2. • Spaceflight usually starts with a rocket launch.
• Once the craft is in space several methods of
propulsion exists, including Non-rocket orbital
propulsion methods like solar sails, magnetic
sails, plasma-bubble magnetic systems, and
using gravitational slingshot effects.
• Most crafts use propelant based rockets for
propulsion.

3. Phases Of Space Flight
• Launch Phase
• Cruise Phase
• Encounter Phase
• Extended Operations Phase
We shall concentrate on the launch phase.

4. Launch Phase
•A spacecraft starts its journey with a Rocket
launch.
•A typical rocket like the Saturn V pictured,
accelerates the craft to orbital velocity.
•In about 3 minutes they reach speeds of about
10km/s

5. Rocket Engine
• A rocket engine is a reaction engine that
generates thrust from the action of a highly
pressurised propelants coming out of a nozzle.
• Can be solid fueled or Liquid Fueled of Hybrid
fueled, (Mixture of Liquid and solid fuel)

6. Liquid Fueled

7. Liquid Fueled
• A fuel and oxydizer are pumped into a
combustion chamber.
• They burn creating a high-pressure and high-
velocity stream of hot gases.
• The gases flow through a nozzle that
accelerates them further (8,000 to 16,000
kph)

8. Examples of Fuels Used
• Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen - used in
the Space Shuttle main engines
• Gasoline and liquid oxygen - used in
Goddard's early rockets
• Kerosene and liquid oxygen - used on the first
stage of the large Saturn V boosters
• Alcohol and liquid oxygen - used in the
German V2 rockets

9. Advantages of Liquid fuel
1.You can control the amount of thrust by
regulating the flow of the fuel and oxidizer to
the combustion chamber.
2. You can stop and restart the engines by
simple stopping the flow of fuel and restarting
it.

10. Disadvantages of Liquid Fuels
1. Liquid systems are complicated and
expensive.
2. Liquid fuels are not very safe, since if you mix
too much of the components an explosion
could easily result. As a result, liquid
propulsion systems are generally not used in
situations where solid rocket boosters can
suffice

11. Solid Fueled
• Consists of
casing, nozzle, grain (pr
opellant charge),
and igniter.
• Propellant burns
producing exhaust gases
at high velocity

12. Solid Fuel
• Hot combustion
gases are forced out
of the hole.
• Simple example of a
solid fueled rocket is
fireworks.

13. Solid fueled
• Invented by
Chinese in 13th
century.
• Most prominently
used as booster for
the Space Shuttle
launch. (SRB)
• An SRB containing
over a million
pounds of fuel,
burns for about
two minutes.

14. Advantages of solid fuel
1.Simplicity. Since you are basically just putting
a match to a pile of highly flammable material,
Solid rocket boosters are very simple.
2. Low Cost. The Materials used to create the
fuel are relatively inexpensive.
3. Safety. Assuming that the fuel was produced
properly, there is no danger of explosion. It
will simply burn until it is gone, and then stop.

15. Disadvantages of solid Fuel
1.Thrust can not be controlled. Once lit, it burns
at a steady rate. You can not change this rate
without changing the composition of the fuel
used
2.Once ignited, the engine can not be stopped
or restarted. Any method that might possibly
halt the combustion of the fuel would be sure
to destroy the remaining fuel.