SBIR-STTR Award

Fuel applications for scramjet powered flight greater than Mach 8 require the overall injection, mixing, and combustion process to complete in a very short period of time. Although hydrocarbons have very good fuel density, they are not capable of combusting within the time available. Hydrogen is the ideal fuel for scramjet operation greater than Mach 8, but the fuel density and storage requirements have limited its application. Unlike the space shuttle application for hydrogen fuel where cryogenic cooling and very large tank size is an acceptable solution, the scramjet application is restricted severely by volumetric constraints and practical defense applications incorporating cryogenic cooling are not practical. The solution needs to address packaging conformability not necessitating cylindrical tanks by default. The proposed team recognizes the unique requirements for the development of H2 compounds that can conform to any tank geometry and provide long shelf life without the need for additional support hardware. To this end, the team proposes a phase changing solid with a potential yield of ~19% by weight hydrogen content that can be adapted to missile defense applications that will solve the storability issues and excessive support hardware typically associated with the use of hydrogen fuel systems.

Keywords:
Airbreathing Missile, Scramjet, Hydrogen Fuel, Non-Cryogenic, Storable Fuel, Insensitive Munition

Fuel applications for scramjet powered flight greater than Mach 8 require the injection, mixing and combustion process to complete in a very short period of time. The one limiting factor restricting the speed at which a scramjet can operate relates directly to the time it takes for the fuel and air to mix and burn. Using hydrogen as the fuel source brings this time to a minimum. Due to the low density and storability issues associated with high pressure gas and cryogenic liquid many government programs have limited the operational speed to circumvent the issue. The Team recognizes the unique requirements for the development of H2 compounds that can conform to any tank geometry and provide long shelf life without the need for additional support hardware. To this end, the team proposes a phase changing solid with a potential yield of 19% by weight hydrogen content that can be adapted to missile defense applications that will solve the storability issues and excessive support hardware typically associated with the use of hydrogen fuel systems.

Keywords:
Scramjet, Hypersonic, Hydrogen, Air-Breathing, Interceptor, Combustion