Biofuel Rocket Engine Gets Test Run

[msantos]

Rocket engine that burns commercially available biodiesel

Irene Klotz - Discovery News - Feb. 18, 2009

Bio fuels in space? Why not ? -- Ed.

The U.S. aerospace industry is officially onboard the biofuel bandwagon, with the test fire of a small rocket engine that burns commercially available biodiesel.

California-based Flometrics did the honors and discovered the Rocketdyne LR-101 engine produced nearly the same amount of thrust burning biodiesel as it did chugging through a kerosene-based conventional rocket fuel.

"We found it was very comparable," said company chief executive Steve Harrington.

Flometrics is now assembling components for an actual launch, targeted for later this month. Harrington is hoping the demonstration will spark interest in renewable fuels from NASA and the Air Force. … [Read More]

[fuzzy]

Bio fuels in space? Why not ? -- Ed.

It seems more like a PR stunt than anything else.

The rocket equation is such that the fuel mass required to do anything is an exponential function of delta-V. For delta-V larger than the exhaust velocity, which includes putting things into earth orbit, small reductions in engine efficiency get very expensive very quickly.

Rockets should use the most efficient fuels available. If biofuels rate even a little bit short, then leave them down here on the ground where we have more than enough demand to put the entire supply to good use without the exponential rocket equation penalties.

-- Dean

[vtec-e]

Ah yeah but it should have good low end torque.....


ollie

[xcel]

Hi Dean:

___I would not have known you are a rocket scientist too Thanks for the explanations as they make complete sense.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[fuzzy]

Originally Posted by xcel

Hi Dean:

___I would not have known you are a rocket scientist too Thanks for the explanations as they make complete sense. ...

I was never a real rocket scientist, but did play one on Usenet. As a budding science nerd during the Apollo era, the whole space program was fascinating. Engineering took me elsewhere, but the interest never goes away. And I still swear at the shuttle and space stations programs for gobbling up the budget that could have done so many other things.

-- Dean

[vtec-e]

Originally Posted by fuzzy

I still swear at the shuttle and space stations programs for gobbling up the budget that could have done so many other things.

-- Dean

Agreed