Hypergolic hydrocarbon fuels

• US 8,894,782 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wiley Companies
• Original Assignee: Wiley Organics Inc.
• Inventors: Dobbins, Thomas A., Wiley, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): FELTON, AILEEN BAKER
• Application Number:
  US10/365,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20140209224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,304 Days
• Field of Search: 585/14, 149/1, 149/109.6
• US Class Current: 149/1
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 43/00 Compositions characterised by explosive or thermic constituents not provided for in groups C06B25/00 - C06B41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 47/00 Compositions in which the components are separately stored until the moment of burning or explosion, e.g. "Sprengel"-type explosives; Suspensions of solid component in a normally non-explosive liquid phase, including a thickened aqueous phase
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 47/04 a component containing a nitrogen oxide or acid thereof

Abstract

Reduced toxicity fuels containing hydrocarbons having both strained rings and internal, conjugated triple bonds are disclosed. The fuels described herein are hypergolic with nitrogen tetroxide and/or inhibited red fuming nitric acid.

Claims

1. A fuel composition comprising a conventional fuel and a compound represented by the formula (I):

2. The fuel composition of claim 1 wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of 1-methyl-4-cyclopropyl-butadi-yne and 1-ethyl-4-cyclopropyl-butadi-yne.

3. The fuel composition of claim 1 wherein R¹ and R² are the same or different and represent a cycloalkyl group having from 3 to 4 carbon atoms.

4. The fuel composition of claim 3 wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-dicyclopropyl-1,3-butadiyne, 1-cyclobutyl-4-cyclopropyl-1,3-butadiyne, and 1,4-dicyclobutyl-1,3-butadi-yne.

5. The fuel composition of claim 1 wherein said conventional fuel is selected from the group consisting of saturated hydrocarbons, unsaturated hydrocarbons, alcohols, organoamines, hydrazines and mixtures thereof.

6. The fuel composition of claim 5 wherein said fuel is selected from the group consisting of kerosene and exo-tetrahydro-dicyclopentadiene.

22. The fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the fuel composition comprises from about 40 percent to about 80 percent by weight of the compound represented by formula (I).

23. The fuel composition of claim 22 wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-dicyclopropyl-1,3-butadiyne, 1-cyclobutyl-4-cyclopropyl-1,3-butadiyne, and 1,4-dicyclobutyl-1,3-butadi-yne.

24. The fuel composition of claim 23 wherein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of kerosene and exo-tetrahydro-dicyclopentadiene.

7. A propellant comprising a fuel composition and an oxidizer wherein said fuel composition comprises a compound represented by the formula (I):

8. The propellant of claim 7 wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of 1-methyl-4-cyclopropyl-butadi-yne and 1-ethyl-4-cyclopropyl-butadi-yne.

9. The propellant of claim 7 where R¹ and R² are the same or different and represent a cycloalkyl group having from 3 to 4 carbon atoms.

10. The propellant of claim 9 wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-dicyclopropyl-1,3-butadiyne, 1-cyclobutyl-4-cyclopropyl-1,3-butadiyne and 1,4-dicyclobutyl-1,3-butadi-yne.

11. The propellant of claim 7 wherein said fuel composition further comprises a fuel selected from the group consisting of saturated hydrocarbons, unsaturated hydrocarbons, alcohols, organoamines, hydrazines and combinations thereof.

12. The propellant of claim 11 wherein said fuel composition further comprises a fuel selected from the group consisting of hexane, heptane, octane, decane, gasoline, kerosene, ethylene, propylene, butadiene, methanol, ethanol, propanol, and combinations thereof.

13. The propellant of claim 7 wherein said propellant has an oxidizer-to-fuel ratio in the range of about 2:

1 to 10;

1.

14. The propellant of claim 7 wherein said fuel composition comprises from about 40 percent to 100 percent by weight of the compound represented by formula (I).

15. A method for producing a propellant comprising contacting a fuel with an oxidizer wherein said fuel comprises a compound represented by the formula (I):

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of:

1-methyl-4-cyclopropyl-butadi-yne and 1-ethyl-4-cyclopropyl-butadi-yne.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein R¹ and R² are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having from 3 to 4 carbon atoms.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said compound is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-dicyclopropyl-1,3-butadiyne, 1-cyclobutyl-4-cyclopropyl-1,3-butadiyne, and 1,4-dicyclobutyl-1,3-butadi-yne.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said fuel further comprises a fuel selected from the group consisting of saturated hydrocarbons, unsaturated hydrocarbons, alcohols, organoamines, hydrazines and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said fuel comprises about 40 percent to 100 percent by weight of the compound represented by formula (I).

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said propellant has an oxidizer-to-fuel ratio in the range of about 2:

1 to 10;

1.