Timeline for Why don't rockets use propane?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
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| Aug 30, 2019 at 7:50 | comment | added | ikrase | I wonder if this is concerning taxation. In the USA this is not common, though propane is common for fueling generators, forklifts, and other power equipment (especially power equipment that operates indoors). It looks like in the USA the market price by volume of propane and gasoline is similar. When I see people discussing the conversion of generators to propane, the usual assumption is that the cost will be moderately greater, but the shelf-life and cleanliness is worth the cost. | |
| Aug 28, 2019 at 11:00 | comment | added | SF. | @ikrase Current data for Poland, where conversion of cars to LPG is very common - and the motivation is universally the costs. 4,75PLN/l for E95 gasoline, 1,74PLN/l for LPG. Gasoline gives about 125-130% the milleage per liter, for 270% the price. I don't believe the global situation is so vastly different these proportions would reverse. | |
| Aug 27, 2019 at 6:27 | comment | added | ikrase | I don't think it's actually cheaper. The argument I see used to justify it for terrestrial ICEs is that commercial grade propane in a commercial propane fuel system for an ICE lasts almost indefinitely, but typical commercial gasoline typically suffers several degradation mechanisms at once (hygroscopicity, evaporation of volatile fractions, oxidation, chemical reactions that cause gumminess, etc) that make a "fuel-and-forget" ICE a (literal) non-starter after more than a few months. As to VS methane, propane can be compressed into liquid in a sorta lightweight tank. | |
| Aug 21, 2019 at 12:47 | comment | added | SF. | @ikrase: These are advantages over kerosene, but not methane. And the property that led to it being preferred over gasoline for terrestrial engine applications is that it's cheaper. | |
| Aug 21, 2019 at 8:19 | comment | added | ikrase | It seems like propane might have the advantage of not freezing so easily. I also wonder if it is more stable over long durations -- that property has lead to it being preferred over gasoline for terrestrial engine applications. This might be worthwhile for tiny RCS systems or the like that don't depend so strongly on high dV. | |
| Mar 2, 2017 at 11:48 | vote | accept | Dat Ha | ||
| Mar 1, 2017 at 23:19 | history | answered | SF. | CC BY-SA 3.0 |