NationStates Jolt Archive

Ok, so as a part of my engineering design class, I have to design a vehicle. I descided to design a space plane (Shuttle that flies to the edge of the atmosphere rather than using rocket boosters.
A few things I need to know and havent found a source for (though I've looked.)
1: The weight of metal capable of withstanding light reentry (and type)
2: The weight of Rocket fuel, and it's efficiency (how many gallons per mile)
3: The weight of Jet fuel, and it's efficiency
4: The weight of jet engines, and their acceleration rate.

If anyone could help me find this information, I would be eternally grateful.

i recommend you consider using parafin as fuel. its what all the cool rocket guys are using.

Seems rather complicated for a High School class.

Cool, but complicated. I wish I could've done that in High School.

i recommend you consider using parafin as fuel. its what all the cool rocket guys are using.
*titters* You're my hero

Ok, so as a part of my engineering design class, I have to design a vehicle. I descided to design a space plane (Shuttle that flies to the edge of the atmosphere rather than using rocket boosters.
A few things I need to know and havent found a source for (though I've looked.)
1: The weight of metal capable of withstanding light reentry (and type)
2: The weight of Rocket fuel, and it's efficiency (how many gallons per mile)
3: The weight of Jet fuel, and it's efficiency
4: The weight of jet engines, and their acceleration rate.

If anyone could help me find this information, I would be eternally grateful.

Try your school or better yet the county library.

Thanks for the tip about Parafin. I'll look that up. I've tried google and I've tried the library, but all I find is detailed descriptions of how jet engines work, and how rockets work, and very little telling me what kind of fuel they have, how much it weighs, and how fast it's burned through. I need this so I can calculate the amount of weight my wings need to be able to lift.

Thanks for the tip about Parafin. I'll look that up. I've tried google and I've tried the library, but all I find is detailed descriptions of how jet engines work, and how rockets work, and very little telling me what kind of fuel they have, how much it weighs, and how fast it's burned through. I need this so I can calculate the amount of weight my wings need to be able to lift.

I'd be careful not to make your search too generic. As various applications will call for different fuels, you may not find a description of "jet fuel", but rather a range of fuels with varying characteristics.

I wouldn't use jet engines, most spaceplane designs use SCRAMJETs (Such as the X-43 scramjet testbed, google it)

Heres a good link to information on rocket fuels

http://www.braeunig.us/space/propel.htm

Not sure on jet fuel (Currently the U.S. uses the Kerosene based JP-8 I believe and it should be the same stuff they use in SCRAMJETs) But look up Methane Injecting Jets as well, they have better performance at altitude than conventional jets.

I wouldn't use jet engines, most spaceplane designs use SCRAMJETs (Such as the X-43 scramjet testbed, google it)

Heres a good link to information on rocket fuels

http://www.braeunig.us/space/propel.htm

Not sure on jet fuel (Currently the U.S. uses the Kerosene based JP-8 I believe and it should be the same stuff they use in SCRAMJETs) But look up Methane Injecting Jets as well, they have better performance at altitude than conventional jets.
Most scramjets that I know of that have worked (X-43 Hyper X) use liquid hydrogen, not kerosene, as far as I know.

That's interesting, I know that JP-8 was Kerosene based but I wasn't sure if it was used in Scramjets or not. I suppose it makes sense that it wouldn't be...

I found this:

Figure 2.1 Fuel Energy Content vs. Density
. white line . white line Typical Energy Content
white line
white line Typical Density
at 15ºC (60ºF) white line Gravimetric Volumetric
Fuel white line g/mL lb/U.S. gal white line MJ/kg Btu/lb white line MJ/L Btu/gal
Aviation Gasoline black line 0.715 5.97 black line 43.71 18,800 black line 31.00 112,500
Jet Fuel: black line black line black line
Wide-cut black line 0.762 6.36 black line 43.54 18,720 black line 33.18 119,000
Kerosene black line 0.810 6.76 black line 43.28 18,610 black line 35.06 125,800

Fuels differ in density, and therefore, in energy content per unit weight or unit volume. Less dense fuels, such as avgas, have a higher energy content per unit weight and a lower energy content per unit volume. The relationships are reversed for more dense fuels.

from here (http://www.chevron.com/products/prodserv/fuels/bulletin/aviationfuel/2_at_fuel_perf.shtm)
I'm not sure it's what you're looking for. I'm suprised that an engineering class didn't at least have a short unit on where to find this kind of information, seems sorta vital to the process...

EDIT: You might want to go to the site, that didn't copy all that legibly...

That is exactly what I needed! Thanks!
Now if anyone could help me find the weight of shuttle grade exterior paneling...