Superheated Water Rocket Propulsion via Nuclear Photon Reactor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rocket vehicles have limited payload capacities due to the need to carry both fuel and oxidizer, with typical propellants like liquid hydrogen and oxygen being non-dense and requiring large tanks, leading to significant weight and drag issues.
Innovation Solution
A rocket propulsion system utilizing superheated water as propellant, powered by an on-board nuclear reactor generating electrical energy, which is then used in a photon reactor to produce electromagnetic radiation for superheating water, resulting in a higher impulse density and increased payload mass ratio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If conventional combustion fuel rockets use liquid hydrogen and oxygen as propellants, then thrust is produced through combustion, but the propellants are non-dense requiring large tanks causing drag and significant added weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and temperature parameters of water to create superheated water propellant at extremely high temperatures (above 374°C) and pressures (above 22.1 MPa). This parameter change enables water to achieve much higher energy density and impulse density compared to conventional liquid hydrogen/oxygen propellants, producing sufficient thrust while dramatically reducing propellant tank volume and vehicle weight
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical combustion system with a nuclear-powered thermal heating system. Instead of using chemical combustion of fuel and oxidizer, the system uses a nuclear reactor to generate heat that superheats water directly. This substitution eliminates the need for carrying both fuel and oxidizer, reducing weight while maintaining thrust capability through the high-energy superheated water propellant
2Power
If conventional rockets carry both fuel and oxidizer, then combustion can occur to produce thrust, but the payload fraction is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the oxidizer component from the propellant system entirely. By using superheated water as the sole propellant and a nuclear reactor as the heat source, the system removes the need to carry both fuel and oxidizer. This extraction of the oxidizer requirement dramatically increases payload fraction since the mass that would have been dedicated to oxidizer storage can now be allocated to payload
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes water serve multiple functions: it is both the propellant mass and the working fluid for heat transfer and phase change. The superheated water absorbs nuclear reactor heat, expands through the nozzle to produce thrust, and can be recycled after expansion. This multi-functionality of water eliminates the need for separate fuel and oxidizer systems, increasing payload fraction
3Power
If large tanks are used to store non-dense propellants, then sufficient propellant volume is available for thrust production, but drag and significant added weight for the tank itself occur
Solution Approach 1:
By changing water to its superheated state at extremely high temperatures and pressures, the patent achieves a propellant density increase of more than 1000 times compared to liquid water at standard conditions. This dramatic parameter change allows the same mass of propellant to occupy much smaller volume, enabling compact tank design that minimizes drag and structural weight while providing sufficient propellant for thrust production
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of superheated water propellant achieves an eight to ten times higher payload fraction compared to conventional combustion fuel rockets, with enhanced thrust and efficient water utilization through recycling and separation systems.
Implementation Method 1
a photon reactor including a photon generator configured to generate electromagnetic radiation to superheat water
Implementation Method 2
an on-board nuclear reactor
Implementation Method 3
an on-board electrical energy generator powered by thermal energy from the nuclear reactor. The on-board electrical energy generator may comprise, by way of example, a Rankine cycle
Implementation Method 4
The superheated water flows through an exit nozzle producing thrust
Implementation Method 5
the water is pre-heated using water to cool walls of the rocket engine walls and/or the photon reactor walls before super heating the water by the photon reactor
Implementation Method 6
superheated water is maintained under high pressure and flash boiled through a pressure drop producing steam
Data Source
AI summary
A rocket configured to employ superheated water as a propellant, includes a photon reactor including a photon generator configured to generate UV light to superheat water.