Novel Ionic Micropropellants Based on N2O for Space Propulsion

Abstract

Novel monopropellants are provided. The monopropellants are based on N 2 O, to their preparation method and their uses for space propulsion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A monopropellant comprising a mixture comprising:
 nitrous oxide (N 2 O) as an oxidizer, at least partly in liquid form, and   a fuel in the form of a salt in the liquid N 2 O phase.   
     
     
         2 . The monopropellant according to  claim 1 , wherein the nitrous oxide is partly in the form of a gas. 
     
     
         3 . The monopropellant according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid phase includes:
 (i) fuel in the form of a solid salt when the fuel is isolated at room temperature and solubilized in N 2 O at least partly present in liquid form, or   (ii) a molten salt of the fuel in a binary mixture with N 2 O at least partly present in liquid form, or   (iii) an ionic solution of the fuel dissolved in an organic or ionic energetic solvent, in a binary mixture with N 2 O at least present in liquid form.   
     
     
         4 . The monopropellant according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel is a salt of an energetic organic compound. 
     
     
         5 . The monopropellant according to  claim 1 , such that the fuel is a salt of a nitrogen-containing derivative. 
     
     
         6 . The monopropellant according to  claim 1 , wherein the cation of the salt is selected from the group consisting of:
 linear cations;   saturated heterocyclic cations; and   heterocyclic cations.   
     
     
         7 . The monopropellant according to  claim 6 , wherein the cation is selected from the group consisting of ammonium, imidazolium, triazolium, tetrazolium ions and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The monopropellant according to  claim 1 , wherein an anion of the salt is selected from the group consisting of:
 linear anions; and   unsaturated heterocyclic anions.   
     
     
         9 . The monopropellant according to  claim 8 , wherein the anion is selected from the group consisting of azide, nitrate, dinitramide, dicyanamide, imidazolate and tetrazolate ions and their derivatives. 
     
     
         10 . The monopropellant according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of:
 ammonium azide (AA),   tetrabutylammonium azide,   triazolium nitrotetrazolate,   azidotriazolium nitrotetrazolate,   ammonium dinitramide (ADN),   hydroxylammonium azide (HAA),   hydrazinium azide(HA),   1-(2-butynyl)-3-methyl-imidazolium azide   hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN),   hydrazinium nitroformate (HNF),   ammonium nitrate (AN),   hydrazinium nitrate (HN),   triethanolammonium nitrate (TEAN),   hydroxylammonium dinitramide (HADN),   ammonium dicyanamide,   imidazolium dicyanamide,   1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide,   1-butyl-2,3-dimethylamidazolium acetate,   1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium acetate, dicyanamide,   1-ethanol-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide,   N-tributyl-N-methylammonium dicyanamide,   1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium dicyanamide,   1,2,4-triazolium 4,5-dinitro-imidazolate   1-methyl-1,2,4-triazolium 4,5-dinitro-imidazolate,   3-azido-1,2,4-triazolium 4,5-dinitro-imidazolate,   1-methyl-3-azido-1,2,4-triazolium 4,5-dinitro-imidazolate,   4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium 4,5-dinitro-imidazolate,   1,2,4-triazolium 5-nitro-tetrazolate,   1-methyl-1,2,4-triazolium 5-nitro-tetrazolate,   3-azido-1,2,4-triazolium 5-nitro-tetrazolate,   1-methyl-3-azido-1,2,4-triazolium 5-nitro-tetrazolate,   4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium 5-nitro-tetrazolate,   1-amino -4,5-dimethyltetrazolium nitrate,   2-amino-4,5-dimethyltetrazolium nitrate,   1,5-diamino-4-methyltetrazolium nitrate,   1,5-diamino-4-methyltetrazolium dinitramide,   1,5-diamino-4-methyltetrazolium azide and   1,5-diamino-4-methyl-tetrazolium dinitramide.   
     
     
         11 . The method for preparing a monopropellant according to  claim 1  comprising the step of:
 mixing the fuel and N 2 O in a closed enclosure. 
 
     
     
         12 . A space propulsion method comprising the step of:
 using a monopropellant according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         13 . The propulsion method according to  claim 12 , further comprising the step of combusting the monopropellant by controlled ignition. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising a device for pressurizing the monopropellant in a tank. 
     
     
         15 . The monopropellant according to  claim 6  wherein the linear cations are selected from the group consisting of ammonium, hydroxyl ammonium, hydrazinium ions and their derivatives, the saturated heterocyclic cations are selected from the group consisting of piperidinium, piperazinium cations and their derivatives, and the heterocyclic cations are either aromatic or not aromatic and are selected from the group consisting of azinium, azolium, diazolium, triazolium and tetrazolium, pyridinium, pyrrolium, isoxazolium, pyrazolium, oxazolium, pyrazolium, imidazolium, oxadiazolium, triazolium, oxatriazolium, tetrazolium, pyrrolidium, triazinium, pyridazinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, piperidinium, 1,2,3- or 1,2,4-triazolium, 1,4,5- or 2,4,5-tetrazolium, as well as their -inium and -idinium analogues, and their derivatives. 
     
     
         16 . The monopropellant according to  claim 8 , wherein the linear anions are selected from the group consisting of azide, nitrate, nitramide, dinitramide, nitroformate, nitrite, acetate, cyanamide and dicyanamide ions and the unsaturated heterocyclic anions are selected from the group consisting of azolates, diazolate, triazolate and tetrazolate and their derivatives. 
     
     
         17 . The monopropellant according to  claim 16  wherein the azolate is pyrrolate, the diazolate is pyrazolate or imidazolate, the triazolate is 1,2,3- or 1,2,4-triazolate, and the tetrazolate is nitrotetrazolate.