Imperial College London Researchers Develop Nano Rocket Engine Using Water as Fuel
Imperial College London researchers have successfully created a minuscule rocket engine that utilizes water as its fuel source. The engine, known as the Iridium Catalyzed Electrolysis CubeSat Thruster (ICE-Cube Thruster), operates using electrolysis, a process that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. These gases are then used to propel the rocket thrusters. The unique thruster has the potential to revolutionize propulsion systems for future rockets, providing a more efficient and practical solution. Despite its small size, the researchers believe that larger versions could be developed for use in spacecraft movement. What’s more, this technology could also be applied to Earth-based transportation, such as eco-friendly freshwater boats.
How Does the Nano Rocket Engine Work?
The ICE-Cube Thruster utilizes an electrolyzer, which operates on a 20-watt current, to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. These elements are then fed into a combustion chamber and nozzle, both less than 1mm long, to propel the engine forward. The accompanying photo shows the nano rocket thruster balanced on a person’s fingertip, with engravings resembling an arrow indicating the direction of movement when placed on water.
According to Interesting Engineering, the ICE-Cube Thruster has the potential to be a highly efficient and practical propulsion system, particularly as the number of space expeditions continues to increase. The website highlights the expected rise in spacecraft launches worldwide, with estimates suggesting triple the number of launches compared to 2016. Additionally, nanosatellites are becoming more commonplace due to their low power consumption, compact size, and use of eco-friendly propellants.
The nano rocket thruster’s use of water as a propellant offers several advantages. Water is readily available, non-toxic, and easy to store. Furthermore, hydrogen and oxygen are highly efficient chemical propellants, resulting in a “high level of performance” for the ICE-Cube Thruster. Additionally, this rocket engine requires only a fraction of the power needed by similar electric propulsion devices. The use of micro-electronics techniques enables scalability, high precision, and low cost in its design.
Other Alternative Energy Projects
Alongside the development of the nano rocket engine, there are several other projects exploring alternative energy sources. For example, the University of Eastern Finland has replaced graphite in electric vehicle batteries with silicon derived from eco-friendly barley husk ash. The University of California Riverside has developed a sand battery that utilizes pure silicon to produce energy three times more efficiently than graphite-based cells. IBM Research has also made breakthroughs in EV battery technology, creating batteries that use seawater instead of heavy metals, resulting in lower costs and improved environmental impact.
An exciting discovery from the University of Massachusetts involves generating electricity from humid air. Although not intended as a renewable energy solution, Professor Jun Yao and his team accidentally stumbled upon this concept while working on a simple humidity sensor. By creating an array of microscopic tubes or nanowires, the team found that airborne water passing through the tubes produced a small charge, creating a charge differential similar to a battery. Professor Yao believes this discovery could be scaled up to generate significant power.
Conclusion
The creation of the nano rocket thruster by Imperial College London demonstrates the potential of water as a viable propellant. By splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, this unique engine offers a highly efficient and practical propulsion system for rockets. The ICE-Cube Thruster could pave the way for larger versions like the ICE-200, which is slated to launch as part of the Lunar Pathfinder mission in 2024. With its wide availability, non-toxic nature, and low power consumption, water-based propulsion systems have the potential to revolutionize space exploration and even be adapted for terrestrial applications.
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