Sustainable Hypersonic Fuel Practices to Limit Upper Atmosphere Hydrogen Buildup
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
In Person or Zoom Presentation
In-Person
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Faculty/Staff Department
Honors
Student Year and Major
Senior AE (Ames); Junior ME (Miceli)
Presentation Description/Abstract
Hypersonic weapon deployment is a rising cornerstone of defense on the world stage; however, testing and development have uncovered that hydrogen-based fuels widely pollute the atmosphere. This impact is exacerbated when the hypersonic trajectory spans specific latitude ranges and when high-altitude paths are used. Since the desire for hypersonic weapons stems from the need for highly accurate weapons to strike a target in a minimum period, altering altitude and latitude requirements is unlikely. However, the hypersonic propellants themselves are the root of the problem. Developing sustainable fuel types would significantly contribute to hypersonic weapons testing and deployment sustainability. A literature review of the availability of sustainable missile fuels, as well as their application to the field of hypersonic weaponry, is necessary in order to better develop sustainable methods for missile testing. Primarily, research and development of alternative fuels would promote the use of fuels that release less, or zero, hydrogen into the atmosphere. Fuels have already been discovered; however, risk and cost analysis make hydrogen-based fuels a more appealing option to defense contractors and developers. Additionally, these fuel cores may be machined to release less emissions into the atmosphere. Research and development of these methods would require significant investment by weapons systems developers.
Keywords
hypersonic, hydrogen, atmosphere, pollution, fuel, weapons
Sustainable Hypersonic Fuel Practices to Limit Upper Atmosphere Hydrogen Buildup
Hypersonic weapon deployment is a rising cornerstone of defense on the world stage; however, testing and development have uncovered that hydrogen-based fuels widely pollute the atmosphere. This impact is exacerbated when the hypersonic trajectory spans specific latitude ranges and when high-altitude paths are used. Since the desire for hypersonic weapons stems from the need for highly accurate weapons to strike a target in a minimum period, altering altitude and latitude requirements is unlikely. However, the hypersonic propellants themselves are the root of the problem. Developing sustainable fuel types would significantly contribute to hypersonic weapons testing and deployment sustainability. A literature review of the availability of sustainable missile fuels, as well as their application to the field of hypersonic weaponry, is necessary in order to better develop sustainable methods for missile testing. Primarily, research and development of alternative fuels would promote the use of fuels that release less, or zero, hydrogen into the atmosphere. Fuels have already been discovered; however, risk and cost analysis make hydrogen-based fuels a more appealing option to defense contractors and developers. Additionally, these fuel cores may be machined to release less emissions into the atmosphere. Research and development of these methods would require significant investment by weapons systems developers.