Performance and endurance tests of a multipropellant resistojet for space station auxiliary propulsionThis paper presents the results of an effort to demonstrate the technology readiness of a long-life multipropellant resistojet for space station auxiliary propulsion. Experiments were performed to evaluate the compatibility of grain-stabilized platinum tubes at temperatures up to 1400 deg C in environments of CO2, CH4, NH3, H2O, and H2. All samples tested showed extrapolated lifetimes in excess of 10,000 hr based on 10 percent mass loss as end-of-life. However, samples tested in an ammonia atmosphere at 1400 deg C showed severe pitting, which raised concerns about the compatibility of grain-stabilized platinum with ammonia-containing atmospheres. Additional tests showed that reducing the metal temperature to about 900 deg C (+ or - 100 deg C) significantly reduced this adverse effect.
Document ID
19860057902
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Morren, W. E. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Whalen, M. V. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Sovey, J. S. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)