CubeSat Green Propellants AM Tanks: Efficient Designs, Propellant Management, and Chemical Compatibility

The propellant storage compartments (propellant tanks) are one of the parts that have undergone noted evolution in the design nature (mainly the shape and the structural properties) as well as the development process. To achieve high system performance for a given propulsion system, inert mass reduction as well as efficient volume utilization can be considered as the main attributes to concern the designer. Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques on the other hand have played a major role in the recent years in altering the propulsion system design process to achieve higher overall propulsion performance due to the technical advantages of AM in reducing mass, enhancing heat transfer through enabling complex geometries and using high performance alloys. With new chances of increasing propulsion performance come new challenges on using AM propellant tanks, and chemical compatibility with green propellants is one. This paper tends to highlight main chemical properties of HNP225, AF-M315E, and LMP-103S green EIL monopropellants and material compatibility data with main materials used in some AM processes.