TECHNOLOGIES FOR PRODUCING LIQUEFIED METHANE AS A COMPONENT OF ROCKET FUEL

Abstract

Further development of rocket-and-space, aviation and other special equipment can be based on the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG), including pure liquefied methane (LM). This cryogenic fuel is characterized by relative safety; on its basis it is possible to provide such technical and tactical indicators of aircraft that are unattainable when using traditional fuels. Cryogenic systems for liquefying natural gas developed by PJSC Cryogenmash with extraction of liquid methane by condensation and stage separation methods, as well as rectification, are considered in the paper. The calculations show that the choice of the technology for extracting liquid methane from LNG is implemented depending on the requirements for LM as a fuel component of liquid rocket engines. The method of low-temperature condensation with stage separation provides a reduction in the concentration of low-boiling impurities (nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, helium). The method based on rectification allows reducing the content in LM not only of low-boiling impurities, but also of high-boiling impurities.