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Why is liquid hydrogen used as rocket fuel instead of hydrogen gas?
In combination with an oxidizer such as liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen yields the highest specific impulse, or efficiency in relation to the amount of propellant consumed, of any known rocket propellant. Moreover, liquid hydrogen can leak through minute pores in welded seams.
How is hydrogen gas turned into a liquid?
A state-of-theart technique for storing maximum hydrogen in a restricted volume is to convert hydrogen gas to liquid hydrogen by cooling it to a very low temperature. Hydrogen turns into a liquid when it is cooled to a temperature below -252,87 °C.
How is hydrogen used in rocket fuel?
The liquid hydrogen and oxygen are released into an engine where they begin to combine to make water. Just like the solid fuel, the water vapor creates energy and steam. The steam is released to make the rocket go upwards.
Why is hydrogen used as a fuel?
Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells to generate power using a chemical reaction rather than combustion, producing only water and heat as byproducts. It can be used in cars, in houses, for portable power, and in many more applications.
Can water be used to fuel a rocket?
Water into rocket fuel? Surely you cannot fuel a rocket with water; liquid-fuel rockets use liquid oxygen and either kerosene or liquid hydrogen. Ah … oxygen and hydrogen. So what’s the science behind making rocket fuel from moon-water and asteroid-ice?
Why is hydrogen not used in rocket engines?
In other words, the molecular mass of hydrogen and oxygen reaction products is the least. Hydrogen is not used in all rockets, and those which use it, use it for only the upper stages as this fuel is most efficient at higher altitudes. The only rocket engine known to use hydrogen in first stage from the launch was the Space Shuttle.
How can we make hydrogen fuel from water?
The answer, as in outer space propulsion, could involve using surplus electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This produces a storable, transportable commodity in the form of hydrogen fuel. When the energy is needed, it can be released by recombining it with oxygen from the atmosphere.
What is liquid hydrogen fuel?
Today, liquid hydrogen is the signature fuel of the American space program and is used by other countries in the business of launching satellites.