N-SEP Propulsion

Many years of research and “lessons learned” have developed an extensive knowledge base that has allowed the design of a New Generation of composite solid propellants. Key factors lead to the development of these New Generation propellants are:

1. the internal ballistic properties of the combusting propellant grain are intimately linked to and determined by the microscopic structure and reaction chemistry of the propellant;
2. although the specific impulse (a thermodynamic property) is dependent on the chemical identities of the fuel(s) and oxidizer(s), the burn rates (a kinetic property) are dependent on the sub-surface, surface, and near surface reaction rates and reaction Q-values of the principal energetic components used in the Formulation;
3. the manufacturing process should be Green, and capable of processing a wide variety of oxidizers, high energy, low molecular weight, fuels, catalysts, and combustion modifiers in a standardized manner;
4. the process must be scalable to commercial levels, while still being able to accurately and reproducibly create a micro-scale composite structure (N-SEPs – Nano-structured Energetic Particles), with accurate and reproducible nano-scale features.

The internal features of the N-SEP must provide a controlled, safe, contained environment for separation of highly reactive components, while also providing a mechanism for deterministic triggering of reactions. N-SEP production based on scalable, Supercritical Fluids based, Green technology has already been successfully demonstrated in the laboratory which is capable of meeting all technology requirements needed to manufacture a New Generation of solid rocket propellants that will significantly outperform current composite propellant technology, as well as be safer, tailorable and cost effective.