Development of Integrated Fuel Cell Aboard Spacecraft, Operable under Ultra Low Temperature, Combined with Propulsion System

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The hydrazine based freeze-resistant liquid propellants were studied in the effort to decrease the dry mass of the propulsion system for spacecraft. This research is also related to the integration between the propulsion system and the fuel cell electrical power supply system which adopts the same combination of fuel and oxidizer. The temperature control device is usually equipped to preserve hydrazine in liquid phase because of its freezing point of approximately 275K. Lowering of the freezing point of hypergolic propellants will contribute to the minimization of the mass for the propulsion system. A hydroxylamine water solution was suggested as a candidate in this research. Hydroxylamine has a high chemical potential and is also a carbon-free material.Based on the above results, the fuel cell reaction was tested. First, the fuel with the m.p. less than -40℃ was prepared, and the fuel was electrochemically reacted with oxidant. From the results, We confirmed that the fuel could be used for the fuel cell.