Abstract
Conventional chemical propellants such as hydrazine and ammonium perchlorate have been used within the realm of contemporary space propulsion devices and are well established owing to their rich heritage. However, their limitations such as toxicity, difficulty in operational handling and environmental impacts have raised concerns. In view of these limitations, the significance of green propellants such as hydroxylammonium nitrate, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ammonium dinitramide has become more pronounced. In this paper, recent developments in ceramic microthrusters and the associated ceramic microfabrication techniques are reviewed. The characteristics of green propellants are examined, followed by the evaluation of previous attempts to incorporate green propellants into ceramic microthrusters. This has further unveiled the possibilities of green and clean space missions in the future.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1941-1950 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Ammonium dinitramide (ADN)
- Ceramics
- Green propulsion
- Hydrogen peroxide (HO)
- Hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN)
- Microthrusters
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Engineering
- Environmental Chemistry
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law