Chemist Andrea Sella combines dimethylhydrazine with dinotrogen tetroxide to show how hypergolic mixtures fire rockets into space.
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There are a few ways to use chemistry to power a rocket, but all involved an oxider and a fuel. And with no oxygen in space, what’s the best solution? Professor Andrea Sella from University College London discusses the solid state boosters of the space shuttle, the cryogenic liquid approach used in the 1970s, and demonstrates to dramatic effect the power that hypergolic reactions can provide.
Hypergolic mixtures spontaneously ignite, remove the need for a spark in space, and give a huge relative reaction. Andrea combines nitrogen dioxide and dimethylhydrazine to demonstrate how just a tiny amount of these substances can pack a powerful punch.
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🙂 I'm studying rocket science so that I can build my own rocket in my backyard first I need 28 million dollars to purchase a decommissioned rocket 🙂
Sorry but that music at the start is making me want to play terraria
Hypergolics are notoriously toxic and dangerous but thankfully they arent used in many launch vehicles today, they're more used on spacecrafts that really need to light up quick like the superdracos on the dragon capsule and mars lander vehicles. Fortunately, monopropellant like hydrazine is very effective as well while being safer.
Has anyone considered using some kind of "conventional" high voltage spark ignition system on today's rocket engines ?
This isn't even the wildest rocket chemistry, some nutters tried Flourine or even Chlorine Triflouride as the oxidizing agent. Compared to those, RFNA, like he's using here, is like milk. ClF3 especially is one of the most terrifying substances we've ever invented. For further information I heavily suggestion Ignition! An Informal Guide To Rocket Chemistry for some amazing tales of high-energy rocket fuel chemistry and some of the incidents that occurred.
How on earth is Senku going to make UDMH, 3500 years in the future?
why the morse code FJW?
Use 99% rubbing alcohol it will perform better
To me, the most frightening thing about this is the number of words this guy mispronounces.
That background music caught on to me, I mess w it.
Annoying background, like a phone busy signal. Could not listen.
soyuz
This video fails to mention that hypergolic fuels need pressure for ignition. Atmospheric pressure is 14.7psi.
I gave it a thumbs down only because of the annoying "music" playing while the speaker was talking. Apart from that, a very nice and interesting video.
Didnt the soviets initially propose to use hypergolic fuels for their supposed Soviet lunar crew flyby?
So glad NASA is investigating the use of less toxic Hypergolic fuels. I hope NASA is successful soon because we are going to be seeing a huge boom in the number of spacecraft that need hypergolic fuels in just a few years.
What idiot put a modem handshake sound into the sound bed for the video…. needs to be fired! Makes the otherwise good video horrid.
American explaining British discovered concepts, in British institution. Truly a display of the modern era, Britain too weak to stand up on its own.