Claims
- 1. A method of producing ammonia free deuterium and nitrogen or hydrogen and nitrogen at a temperature required for immediate use in a DF or HF laser which uses F atoms as the fuel, said method comprising:
- (i) providing a catalyst bed containing alumina pellets on which an active catalyst metal selected from iridium, nickel, niobium, and molybdenium has been deposited;
- (ii) equiping said catalyst bed with a means for heating and a means for maintaining a temperature between about 500.degree. C. and about 900.degree. C. said means including a hypergolic reaction produced from reacting a fuel selected from the group consisting of hydrazine, methylhydrazine, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, and blends of the same with an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of inhibited red fuming nitric acid, dinitrogen tetroxide, chlorine trifluoride and chlorine pentafluoride;
- (iii) heating and maintaining said catalyst bed at a temperature between about 500.degree. C. and about 900.degree. C. from said hypergolic reaction to yield a reaction temperature from about 3000.degree. K. and to about 4,000.degree. K. as determined from mixing said selected fuel and said selected oxidizer in a predetermined ratio of oxidizer to fuel from about 57 weight percent to about 75 weight percent oxidizer to about 25 weight percent fuel to about 43 weight percent fuel; and,
- (iv) admitting a compound selected from deuteroammonia, deuterohydrazine, hydrazine, and ammonia to said catalyst bed to effect decomposition to yield a mixture of said deuterium and nitrogen or a mixture of said hydrogen and nitrogen as determined by said compound selected.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said compound selected and admitted to said catalyst bed to effect decomposition is hydrazine which yields a mixture in ratio of about 2 moles of hydrogen and of about 1 mole of nitrogen.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said compound selected and admitted to said catalyst bed to effect decomposition is ammonia which yields a mixture in ratio of about 3 moles of hydrogen and of about 1 mole of nitrogen.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said compound selected and admitted to said catalyst bed to effect decomposition is deuterohydrazine which yields a mixture in ratio of about 2 moles of deuterium and of about 1 mole of nitrogen.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said compound selected and admitted to said catalyst bed to effect decomposition is deuteroammonia which yields a mixture in ratio of about 3 moles of deuterium and of about 1 mole of nitrogen.
DEDICATORY CLAUSE
The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalties thereon.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Martignoni et al., "The Thermal and Catalytic Decomposition of Ammonia andydrazine", Report No. Rk-Tr-70-2 (1-1970). |