On Thu, 20 Feb 2003, Sander Pool wrote:
> I remember seeing this on TV or reading about it many years ago. The
> application was hydrogen storage for cars, not rockets. They demonstrated
> the safety by shooting holes in the tank with a high powered rifle.
The hydrides used for hydrogen storage for that (and in NiMH batteries)
are not what you'd want for one-shot use as shipping containers :-) for
hydrogen in space. They are optimized for being able to absorb and
release hydrogen many, many times. They are relatively heavy. Something
like LiBH4 (yes, it exists) is not reusable but is much lighter.
> Perhaps if metal hydride is too expensive we could use hydrogentated fats
> instead? Would be a great way to get rid of the junk :-)
The problem with hydrocarbons, more or less what those are, is that it's
hard to break them down completely and easily. Well-chosen metal hydrides
are willing to fall apart pretty much on command.
> BTW, I perhaps missed the part of the discussion where it was explained why
> we only need H2? Surely for a chemical rocket you need both O2 and H2.
More advanced rockets -- nuclear, electrothermal, etc. -- often run best
on straight H2. That's where that aspect of the discussion came from, if
memory serves.
Henry Spencer
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________
ERPS-list mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
