Page 4
Co'Jiege Station, Texas
Thursday, August 17, 1961
THE BATTALION
Is Solid Or Liquid Rocket Fuel Rest?
By JACK STILLMAN
Associated Press
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Which
method of propelling a rocket is
better, with liquid or solid fuel?
Ask this question of an expert
and he will tell you: It depends
on what your rocket is supposed
to do.
Dr. Wernher von Braun, director
of the Marshall Space Flight Cen
ter, says the Russians use liquid
propulsion in their biggest space
mission s—including the recent
man-in-space flights. The Saturn
space booster, the 1 ^-million-
pound thrust vehicle that is the
free world’s largest. space vehicle,
also uses a liquid system.
But in space vehicles of the
future, says von Braun, liquid and
solid systems likely will be com
bined, and some vehicles might
use nuclear and electronic propul
sion systems as well.
“In my opinion, there will be
in the foreseeable future important
places in the science of rocketry
for both liquid and solid boosters,”
von Braun said.
“Undoubtedly the future will
see more and more a mixture of
propellant in multi-stage rockets
—liquid, solid, nuclear and electric.
We are conducting research jn all
of these areas and intend to use
each to the maximum practicable
extent.”
The solid propellant rockets are
descendants of ancient Chinese
rockets. When Francis Scott Key
wrote about the rockets’ red glare,
he was writing about solid-fuel
rockets.
Rocket men refer to propellants
as fuel is a general sense, since
all chemical propellants are com
posed of two constituents—a fuel
and an oxidizer.
Getting a giant booster off the
ground without it blowing up is
not like shooting a firecracker.
One scientist said that should a
rocket the size of the Saturn
booster blow up, it would wreak
untold havoc for many miles.
Solid propellants, which look
something like hard rubber, have
built-in oxidizers and are ready
to go at the touch of a spark.
Those working on the Saturn sys
tem frankly admit they would not
relish working with such a booster
filled with solid fuel.
“If it went off accidentally, you
wouldn’t have a chance,” said one.
“But that goes for a liquid motor,
too, although the chances of a
liquid engine exploding are con
siderably less.”
The solid rocket comes already
loaded, since the solid fuel first
is liquified and then must be
cooked to its hardened state. This
must be done at the factory.
Thrust Is a Factor
The advantage of solid rockets
for military use is obvious. They
are ready to go at a moment’s
notice.
But solid propellants are unable
to produce the thrust that liquid
propellants produce. The power
of a propellant is determined by
its “specific impulse.” A pound
of solid propellant would produce
only about 75 or 80 per cent of
the thrust obtained from the same
amount of liquid propellant.
The second major drawback is
that the entire casing of a solid
fuel rocket is subjected to the full
pressure of the combustion cham
ber. This is because the flame
burns inside the entire length of
the casing.
There are several arguments in
favor of Jiquid propellants. They
give a higher thrust; they are
safer; they are easier to control
during flight, and they are easier
to make.
In a liquid propellant rocket,
the fuel is stored in tanks at mod
est pressure. Pumps force the
fuel into the high pressure com
bustion chamber of the rocket
chamber shortly before firing.
But liquid propellants have
drawbacks, too. There are hun
dreds of nozzles, valves, pumps,
regulators and other parts neces
sary to control the flow of the
liquid. If they all work properly,
that’s one thing. But when one
goes wrong, chances of a failure
are high.
Looking To the Future
A nuclear rocket would be simi
lar to conventional chemical rock
ets except that the fuel would be
heated in a reactor rather than
burned in the nozzle. This would
mean a lighter rocket, since the
fuel tanks or solid-fuel casings
would not be needed.
The nuclear rocket also would
have a higher specific impulse.
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College Station Highway G and Sulphur Springs Road Quaniity Rights Reserved
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D. E. Cleveland
. . . Past President’s Award
Paper Wins First
For Cleveland
A paper, “Driver Tension and
Rural Intersection Illumination”
by Donald E. Cleveland has been
selected as first choice in the com
petition for the Past Presidents’
. Award of the Institute of Traffic
J Engineers.
Cleveland is assistant research
engineer, highway design and
traffic engineering section, Texas
Transportation Institute, Texas
A&M. He will present the paper
at the 31st annual meeting of the
Railroad^ Consent
To Combine Tracks
For Underpass
The railroads through College
Station have consented to combine
their tracks for the building of
the underpass at the junction of
FM 60 and EM 2164. These plans
will be sent to the Interstate Com
merce Commission for approval.
According to C. B. Thames, Dis
trict high engineer, the project
could be ready to contract in the
spring of 1962.
The city of College Station will
furnish the right-of-way. The
highway department will pay 80
per cent and the railroads 20 per
cent of the remaining cost.
Two years ago, the plan was
to build an underpass for the two
tracks. The addition of 51 feet,
gained by using only the west
track, will cause a revamping of
the highway intersection plans.
'PsiittZed :
BOSTON, LOS ANGELES
LONDON
Interesting
* Accurate
Complete
International Hews Coverage
The Christian Science Monitor
One Norway St., Boston 15, Mass.
Send your newspaper for the time
checked. Enclosed find my check or
money order. □ 1 year $22.
□ 6 months $11 0 3 months $5.50
Name
Address
City
Zone
State
Institute to be held August 24 in
Washington, D.C.
He is a graduate of Massachu
setts Institute of Technology, BS
degree in civil engineering, major
in transportation engineering,
1949 and the master’s degree in
civil engineering, Yale University,
1959. He is also the holder of
a certificate in highway traffic
studies, Bureau of Highway Traf
fic, Yale University.
Cleveland came to A&M in 1959.
Prior to that he was research as
sistant, Bureau of Highway Tjsf-
fic, Yale University, 1950-51; en
listed instructor, The Engineer
School, Fort Belvoir, Va.,. 1951-52;
traffic engineer (lieutenant), of
fice chief of transportation, Wash
ington, D. C., 1952-53; traffic en
gineer and chief traffic engineer,
Ramp Buildings, Corp., New York,
1954-56; research associate, Bo
real of Highway Traffic, Yale
University, 1956-59.
He is a member of many scien
tific and professional organiza
tions and the author of numerous
publications on traffic.
Aggie Born Same
Time, Same Place
As His Father
Were you born on the same date
that your father was born?
This is easy, according to Man
uel Camacho, a 19-year-old A<0
student from Colombia,
Manuel, and his father, Don
Andres, weren’t only born on the
same date, but they were born in
the same room, in the same hos
pital, and both were delivered h!'
the same doctor. '
Both father anr son were bom
in Cali, Colombia, on April 19, in
room 319, General Hospital, aid
in both occasions Dr. Mauricio
Salas was the obstetrician.
Says Manuel, “All I hope no*
is that my son follows the exam
ple set by his father and grand
father.”
Look your best at
formal affairs
Look your best on gala occa
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to perfection by us. Your
“audience” will applaud! TrJ
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Campus
Cleaners
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