BACKGROUND

Currently, space transportation industry is dominated by two propulsion technologies: the liquid propellant engine and the solid propellant engine. Both of these technologies have their own advantages but they come with tradeoffs and drawbacks. They are far from ideal propulsion systems.

A third propulsion technology exists, called hybrid. Hybrid Rocket Engines have the potential of featuring the advantages of both liquid and solid propulsion technologies. They could become the best propulsion technology for space transportation in the near future!

The Cornelian dilemma of space propulsion. Hybrid Propulsion for Space wants to create the best of propulsion technologies using Hybrid Rocket Engine.

HYBRID ROCKET ENGINE

A HRE consists in using one liquid propellant (usually the oxidizer) and one solid propellant (usually the fuel). The liquid oxidizer is stored into a tank and feeds the combustion chamber which contains the solid fuel grain.

Using HRE, thrust can be modulated by controlling the oxidizer flow rate. Similarly, the engine can be shut down and reignited. Standard HRE have similar specific impulse than common kerolox engine. Solid fuel grain eases the use of metallic additives which can lead to propulsion systems featuring greater specific impulse than H2/O2. HRE is easy to develop and cheap to manufacture due to the low complexity and number of parts. It is also safe to operate. Even in case of failure, the propellants cannot be mixed to undergo violent explosion. This engine is robust and less sensitive to operational condition.

OUR INNOVATION

Hybrid Rocket Engines face from a technological barriers: at large size (required by high thrust applications such as orbital rockets) classical HREs suffer from low solid fuel regression rate and inefficient combustion. In large HRE combustion chambers, the solid fuel does not receive enough energy from the flame and does not vaporizes fast enough for the thrust requirements. Besides, the gaseous reactants of the combustion do not mix properly resulting in incomplete combustion and inefficient engine.

At Hybrid Propulsion for Space, we are developing a breakthrough technology to unlock the technological hurdle. By providing to the space industry, ready-to-use high thrust HRE, we are removing all the barriers between the benefits and advantages of this new propulsion technology and space launchers sector.