Decahydronaphthalene as an endothermic fuel for hypersonic vehicles
AssigneeReaction Systems, LLC
InventorsBradley Dean Hitch, David Thomas Wickham, Jeffrey Robert Engel, Jacquelyn Brett Lewis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Endothermic fuel compositions comprising 50% or more by volume decahydronaphthalene, including cis-decahydronaphthalene, trans-decahydronaphthalene or a mixture thereof, for use as endothermic fuels in hypersonic vehicles and particularly for use in dual-mode ramjet or supersonic combustion ramjet air breathing engines. Methods for operating a ramjet or scram jet engine wherein the endothermic fuel is used for cooling the combustor and for combustion in the combustor.
Claims28
A fuel composition useful as an endothermic fuel in supersonic or hypersonic vehicles which comprises 50% or more by volume of a mixture of the cis and trans isomers of decahydronaphthalene, wherein the molar ratio of cis to trans isomers ranges from 10 to 0.1 and which contains less than 5% by volume of branched hydrocarbons, linear hydrocarbons or a mixture of branched and linear hydrocarbons.
The fuel composition of clam 1, which comprises 0.01 to 3% by volume tetrahydronaphthalene or 0.01 to 3% by volume naphthalene.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.