Rocket Fuel

Prof. Dr. -Ing. Wolfgang Spyra Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany The demilitarization and conversion of military properties wor- wide has been a topic of growing importance since the end of the Cold War. The slowing of the arms race brought on by weapons treaties and relaxed tensions between NATO and Warsaw Pact nations caused sto- piles of conventional weapons to become superfluous. The need to process and dispose of such weapons began more quickly in NATO countries. This demilitarization process began shortly after the reunification of Germany and was largely completed by the mid to late 1990’s. The remaining process, no small task in itself, of converting lands formerly used by the military into safe and environmentally acceptable landscapes may continue for decades to come. Due to a lack of resources and technology, the process of demilitarization in the former Warsaw Pact countries has launched more slowly. In 2002 both Georgia and Moldova finished projects which destroyed their stocks of liquid ballistic missile components. Both these projects were carried out through the cooperative support of trans-national organizations, private contractors, and research institutions. The Republic of Azerbaijan now finds itself at the beginning of its demilitarization process. Stored at the country’s military depots are over 2000 tons of missile fuels, oxidizer, and chemical additives. This hazardous waste is kept in tanks intended only for temporary transport and storage.

Rocket Propulsion has come of age. Although its potentialities and capabilities in many areas have been recognized for centuries, it is only in recent years that scientists have had the materials and the manufacturing techniques at their command so they could control and direct the tremendous forces available. Space exploration and manned flights by astronauts have brought the science of rocketry to the attention of the general public. It has also stimulated the interest of students at all levels of advancement in the technical details of space flight. Rocket Propellant Technologies is written for serious students of astronautics. This volume reviews briefly the history of rocketry and the fundamental principles connected with rocket propulsion. Types of propellants, the chemical reactions involved, and the techniques used in manufacturing are explained. The merits of solid and liquid fuels are enumerated. Exotic propellants of the future are discussed, with reasons why their development is essential. Finally, the safety aspects of manufacturing and testing rocket propellants are given in detail. The Amateur Rocket Association under whose guidance this series has been prepared, serves as a focal point for many related activities, bringing new ideas to the attention of its members and offering suggestions for future lines of research.

Aerospace Engineering/Mechanical Engineering The definitive text on rocket propulsion-now completely revised to reflect rapid advancements in the field For more than fifty years, this seminal text has been regarded as the single most authoritative sourcebook on rocket propulsion technology. More comprehensive and coherently organized than any other book on the subject, Rocket Propulsion Elements guides readers evenhandedly through the complex factors that shape propulsion, with both theory and practical design considerations. With more than a third of the text and illustrations either completely new or extensively revised, this latest edition includes current information on engine structures, nozzle theory, gas properties, thrust chambers, launch vehicles, and more. With a detailed table of contents breaking down each chapter into subsections-as well as an expanded index of key words-the Seventh Edition efficiently steers readers quickly to the information they need. Other highlights include: * Separate chapters on liquid, solid, and hybrid propulsion systems and a new chapter on thrust chambers including the new aerospike nozzle * Comprehensive coverage of rocket propulsion technology, with applications to space flight, satellite flight, and guided and unguided missiles * Problem-solving examples and exercises relevant to actual design situations * More than 340 illustrations, including photographs, tables, and graphs * Coherent, up-to-date chapter on electrical propulsion balancing fundamentals with practical aspects and applications For professional engineers in the aerospace and defense industries as well as undergraduate and graduate students in mechanical and aerospace engineering, this time-honored resource is indispensable for its scope of coverage and utility.

Germany’s air ministry was quick to grasp the potential of the jet engine as early as 1938 and by 1939 several German aircraft manufacturers were already working on fighter designs that would utilize this new form of propulsion. Rocket engines too were seen as the way of the future and companies were commissioned to design fighters around them. As the Second World War began, the urgent need to bring these advanced new types into production saw a host of innovative aircraft designs being produced which would eventually result in Messerschmitt’s Me 262 jet fighter and the Me 163 rocket-propelled interceptor. And as the war progressed, efforts were increasingly made to find better ways of utilizing jet, rocket and latterly ramjet engines in fighter aircraft. Aviation companies from across Germany set their finest minds to the task and produced some of the most radical aircraft designs the world had ever seen. They proposed rotating wing ramjet fighters, arrowhead-shaped rammers, rocket-firing bat-winged gun platforms, sleek speed machines, tailless flying wings, tiny mini fighters and a host of others ranging from deadly looking advanced fighters to downright dangerous vertical launch interceptors. Secret Projects of the Luftwaffe Volume 1: Jet Fighters 1939-1945 by Dan Sharp, based on original research using German wartime documents, offers the most complete and authoritative account yet of these fascinating designs through previously unseen photographs, illustrations and period documentation from archives around the world.

Some theoreticians contemplate and formulate the physics of tachyons, which are hypothetical particles, that would always travel faster than light but which could never slow down to the speed of light just as they anticipate sublight speed massive particles never being able to achieve light speed. So my theoretical work on the physics and kinematics of light-speed massive systems sets me apart from general trends in the theoretical field of relativistic astronautics. This book is a continuation of how and why we may be able to, at some future time, travel at the speed of light.

This book includes numerous calculations for the many specific examples included within. I have included the many calculated examples to provide the reader with immediate justifications for the numerous concepts described. This was not done to belittle or talk down to the reader but rather to give the reader a clear sense of the plausibility for the propulsion methods and performance capabilities thereof. Interstellar travel at the many specific highly relativistic velocities contemplated in this bookand, in some cases, extreme vehicle massesis still a very controversial subject but nonetheless a highly mathematicalized and intelligible subject. My hope and intention is to thus clearly inspire and show the reader the plausibility of the concepts by providing the reader with proper evidence through his or her simple inspection of the formulas and values included in the computations. Some speculative physics is included, which is based on commonly presented theoretical constructs.

The exciting discoveries of recent space explorations are described in this book which deals with rockets, space probes, and space stations. The scientific exploration of our solar system and beyond is described. Each of the twelve teaching units in this book is introduced by a color transparency (print books) or PowerPoint slide (eBooks) that emphasizes the basic concept of the unit and presents questions for discussion. Reproducible student pages provide reinforcement and follow-up activities. The teaching guide offers descriptions of the basic concepts to be presented, background information, suggestions for enrichment activities, and a complete answer key.

Entertaining and informative, the newly updated Britannica Student Encyclopedia helps children gain a better understanding of their world. Updated for 2012, more than 2,250 captivating articles cover everything from Barack Obama to video games. Children are sure to immerse themselves in 2,700 photos, charts, and tables that help explain concepts and subjects, as well as 1,200 maps and flags from across the globe. Britannica Student is curriculum correlated and a recent winner of the 2008 Teachers Choice Award and 2010 AEP Distinguished achievement award.

In this popular science book, Graham Swinerd explains, without the use of mathematics and in an informal way, aerodynamic and astrodynamic flight for non-technical readers who are interested in spaceflight and spacecraft.