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Hydrogen isn't used in rockets much. It's actually not energy dense enough compared to more exotic fuels.
by thehappypm 5y ago
Hydrogen isn't used in rockets much. It's actually not energy dense enough compared to more exotic fuels.
- GuB-42 5y agoYou are right, but considering that many people think it is too dangerous to put hydrogen tanks in cars, I wonder what they are going to say about "exotic rocket fuels" :) For reference, here is a quote from the Ignition! book about Chlorine trifluoride. It is an oxidizer, not a fuel but you get the idea. > It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that’s the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water-with which it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals-steel, copper, aluminium, etc.-because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes.