Conversion of Hydrocarbon Fuel in Elements of Thermal Protection of a Hypersonic Flight Vehicle

The problems of increasing the cooling capacity of hydrocarbon fuel by its thermochemical transformation in elements of thermal protection of a hypersonic flight vehicle and hydrogen production on board for providing stable burning in a scramjet are considered. A comparison of the chemical reactions of cracking and steam conversion of hydrocarbons, as regards the cooling capacity and amount of hydrogen in reaction products, is made. The process of steam conversion of methane in a thermochemical reactor and the factors influencing the conversion level of hydrocarbons are studied experimentally.