Rocket Engine Feasibility Study for the JAXA Future Transportation Reference System

Abstract

Bioethanol is a suitable candidate as a reusable rocket engine fuel because it is carbon neutral and environmentally friendly. Based on the JAXA future transportation reference system, the feasibility of a gas generator cycle fueled by bioethanol was examined in this paper. The result is considered to be a general design guideline of an ethanol-fueled rocket engine. A combustion pressure of 7 MPa, an expansion ratio of 25, a turbine efficiency of 0.6 and a pump efficiency of 0.7 enabled the engine to satisfy the required specifications with an Isp efficiency of 0.96. In addition, a flow experiment of bioethanol under high temperature and high pressure was conducted. Resulting from the EPMA analysis, the presence of sulfur and coking was recognized on the copper-alloy tube.