Questions tagged [combustion]
The burning process, especially of propellants, or as it otherwise relates to spacecraft or missions in space.
64 questions
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Were top-ranked launch propulsion technologies, TBCC and RBCC, already flight-proven in 2012 when the NASA Space Technology report was published?
The publication, "NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities: Restoring NASA's Technological Edge and Paving the Way for a New Era in Space (2012)" states that NASA's top technical ...
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6votes
1answer
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Is combustion turbulent inside of a rocket engine?
Combustion in a rocket engine is made of diffusion flames in almost all cases. These tend to be turbulent. Rockets which "scream" do so because of the collapse of opposing flame fronts into ...
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How does a liquid rocket engine prevent the combustion from going back in? [duplicate]
To my knowledge, the liquid engines usually utilize a turbopump to gush fuel into the combustion chamber. Later that fuel is mixed and injected in a mist form through the injector to be ignited. ...
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3votes
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Other than rockets, have internal combustion engines run in space?
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Cryogenic_Evolved_Stage The Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES) .. proposed (using) a lightweight internal combustion engine to use hydrogen ...
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Atlas V RD-180 Analysis
I was tasked with researching certain properties of the RD-180 engine. I am finding contradictory information, or I am unable to find it at all. I am looking for the following information Mixture ...
14votes
2answers
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Could a deadly fire start within a spacesuit?
At the end of S02E08 of the TV show "For All Mankind", a cosmonaut is shot on the moon and a fire erupts within his suit. My understanding is that the pressure of pure oxygen within a ...
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3votes
1answer
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Which are more efficient: oxidizer-rich or fuel rich rocket engines?
Several internet articles claim that the high Isp of the Soviet RD-180 engine (as used in the Atlas III and V launch vehicles) was (at least partially) due to the fact the RD-180 ran oxidizer-rich, ...
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Do full flow rocket engines still use injectors? If so, how? How exactly are the oxidizer and fuel sent into the combustion chamber?
I'm learning about rocket engines and full flow engines, and I'm a little confused about what goes on in the combustion chamber. It was my understanding that injectors were pretty much necessary to ...
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What is the cause of soot in the plume of the Raptor engine?
Though the Raptor engine burns quite clean, it was clear from some early test flights that it did produce some visible soot: There have been differing explanations for the exact cause of/source of ...
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Has combustion chamber water injection been used in RP1 rocket engine design?
Goddard’s rocket, the V2 rocket and Redstone all used water in their Alcohol fuel for combustion temperature control. To the best of my knowledge, water has not been used in RP1 fueled rockets for ...
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Preventing backfire in rocket engines [duplicate]
In a rocket engine - specifically the SOLID FUEL ones, the "combustion chamber" burns the propellant, creates hot exhaust gases, which pass through the diverging nozzle and create thrust. In ...
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Discrepancy in local Mach behavior between CEA and other sources
I'm exploring some designs using the NASA CEA (Chemical Equilibrium with Applications) code and I ran into a discrepancy between CEA predicted values for local Mach number at the exit plane and values ...
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Tory Bruno mentioned "unsolvable combustion instability" of "large methane engines". What, why, how?
Relevant tweet, an hour ago: https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1405210138189864960?s=19 a Tweeted Question: Why wasn't methane used in the 2000s, when it was readily available unlike the time ...
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If building a liquid propellant rocket engine, with bi propellants, how does the dimensions of my Combustion chamber, affect the efficiency?
If building a liquid propellant rocket engine, with bi propellants, how does the dimensions of my Combustion chamber, affect the efficiency ? but also what is the best C* dimensions for an earth sea ...
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Closed oxygen cycle methane-burning internal combustion engine for Titan rover/helicopter? Works like a battery together with RTG that won't freeze?
@TildalWave's answer to Methane internal combustion engines for rovers on Mars and Moon. Feasibility? raises the possibility of using Titan's atmospheric methane for an energy source as long as you ...
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