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Recent developments in ceramic microthrusters and the potential applications with green propellants: a review

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Abstract

Conventional chemical propellants such as hydrazine and ammonium perchlorate have been used within the realm of contemporary space propulsion devices and are well established owing to their rich heritage. However, their limitations such as toxicity, difficulty in operational handling and environmental impacts have raised concerns. In view of these limitations, the significance of green propellants such as hydroxylammonium nitrate, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and ammonium dinitramide has become more pronounced. In this paper, recent developments in ceramic microthrusters and the associated ceramic microfabrication techniques are reviewed. The characteristics of green propellants are examined, followed by the evaluation of previous attempts to incorporate green propellants into ceramic microthrusters. This has further unveiled the possibilities of green and clean space missions in the future.

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Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi (MY) (Grant No. E-Science code: 04-02-12-SF0198).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Malaysia

    Kalaimani Markandan & Jit Kai Chin

  2. School of Engineering and Physical Science, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia

    Kean How Cheah

  3. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Malaysia

    Michelle T. T. Tan

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  1. Kalaimani Markandan
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Correspondence to Kean How Cheah.

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Markandan, K., Chin, J.K., Cheah, K.H. et al. Recent developments in ceramic microthrusters and the potential applications with green propellants: a review. Clean Techn Environ Policy 20, 1941–1950 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-018-1582-7

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