Additives to Increase Fuel Heat Sink Capacity

Hypersonic air-breathing vehicles will travel at high speeds and must endure high heat loads. A higher speed capability or lower surface temperature can be obtained by increasing the heat sink capability of the fuel through endothermic cracking reactions. TDA Research has identified fuel additives that increase the rate of these reactions and therefore deliver the same endotherm at lower fuel temperatures.
Presented at the AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference (41st) held in Tucson, AZ on 10-13 July; see paper AIAA-2005-3916 for text. The original document contains color images.