Fast ignition and sustained combustion of ionic liquids

1. A catalyst-free method of igniting an ionic liquid, comprising:

mixing a liquid hypergol with a HAN-based ionic liquid to ignite the HAN-based ionic liquid in the absence of a catalyst;

injecting the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol into a combustion chamber;

discontinuing the injection of the liquid hypergol such that a stagnation plate thermally maintains the ignited the HAN-based ionic liquid.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol impinge upon a stagnation plate positioned at a top portion of the combustion chamber.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the stagnation plate comprises a wire mesh, a foam, a perforated plate, a solid plate, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein a flow path of the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol within the combustion chamber is perpendicular to a top surface of the stagnation plate.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising injecting the liquid hypergol into the combustion chamber to reignite the HAN-based ionic liquid if the stagnation plate fails to thermally maintain the ignition of the HAN-based ionic liquid.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein a flow path of the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol into the combustion chamber is transverse to a top surface of the combustion chamber.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein a flow path of the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol into the combustion chamber is perpendicular to a top surface of the stagnation plate.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the hypergol includes a compound selected from the group consisting of: nitronium, nitrosonium salts, hypohalite compounds, heavy metals and their salts, NO 2 BF 4 , NOBF 4 , NO 2 CIO 4 , NO 2 CIF 4 , I 2 O 5 , I 2 O 6 , I 2 O 7 , HOCI, HOBr, HOI, [NaOClÿNaOH], Fe, Cu, powdered Zn, Fe(NO 3 ) 3 , FeCl 3 , MnO 2 and KMnO 4 .

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the stagnation plate comprises a metal, a non-metal, a ceramic, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a mass flow ratio of the hypergol to the propellant injected into the combustion chamber ranges between 0 and 0.5.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid includes a fuel component.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid includes a fuel component and water in a ratio of about 64:8:28.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid includes AF-M315E monopropellant.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid hypergol includes an aqueous solution of iodine pentoxide.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising pressurizing the combustion chamber to at least 500 psi.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the fuel component includes triethenolammonium nitrate (TEAN) or tris(amoniethyl)amine trinitrate (TREN3).

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the liquid hypergol is a 50-50 wt % solution of iodine pentoxide and water.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the fuel component includes triethenolammonium nitrate (TEAN) or tris(amoniethyl)amine trinitrate (TREN3).

19. A catalyst-free method of igniting an ionic liquid, comprising:

mixing a liquid hypergol with a HAN-based ionic liquid to ignite the HAN-based ionic liquid in the absence of a catalyst;

injecting the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol into a combustion chamber;

discontinuing the injection of the liquid hypergol such that ignition of the HAN-based ionic liquid is thermally maintained.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol impinge upon a stagnation plate positioned at a top portion of the combustion chamber.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the stagnation plate comprises a wire mesh, a foam, a perforated plate, a solid plate, or any combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein a flow path of the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol within the combustion chamber is perpendicular to a top surface of the stagnation plate.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising injecting the liquid hypergol into the combustion chamber to reignite the HAN-based ionic liquid if the stagnation plate fails to thermally maintain the ignition of the HAN-based ionic liquid.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein a flow path of the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol into the combustion chamber is transverse to a top surface of the combustion chamber.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein a flow path of the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol into the combustion chamber is perpendicular to a top surface of the stagnation plate.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein the hypergol includes a compound selected from the group consisting of: nitronium, nitrosonium salts, hypohalite compounds, heavy metals and their salts, NO 2 BF 4 , NOBF 4 , NO 2 CIO 4 , NO 2 ClF 4 , I 2 O 5 ,I 2 O 6 , I 2 O 7 , HOCl, HOBr, HOI, [NaOClÿNaOH], Fe, Cu, powdered Zn, Fe(NO 3 ) 3 , FeCl 3 , MnO 2 and KMnO 4 .

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the stagnation plate comprises a metal, a non-metal, a ceramic, or any combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 19 wherein a mass flow ratio of the hypergol to the propellant injected into the combustion chamber ranges between 0 and 0.5.

29. The method of claim 19 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid includes a fuel component.

30. The method of claim 19 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid includes a fuel component and water in a ratio of about 64:8:28.

31. The method of claim 19 further comprising pressurizing the combustion chamber to at least 500 psi.

32. A catalyst-free method of igniting an ionic liquid, comprising:

mixing a liquid hypergol with a HAN-based ionic liquid to ignite the HAN-based ionic liquid in the absence of a catalyst;

injecting the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol into a combustion chamber;

discontinuing the injection of the liquid hypergol such that a mixing device thermally maintains the ignited the HAN-based ionic liquid.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol impinge upon the mixing device positioned at a top portion of the combustion chamber.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein a flow path of the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol within the combustion chamber is perpendicular to a top surface of the mixing device.

35. The method of claim 32 further comprising injecting the liquid hypergol into the combustion chamber to reignite the HAN-based ionic liquid if the mixing device fails to thermally maintain the ignition of the HAN-based ionic liquid.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein a flow path of the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol into the combustion chamber is transverse to a top surface of the combustion chamber.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein a flow path of the HAN-based ionic liquid and the liquid hypergol into the combustion chamber is perpendicular to a top surface of the mixing device.

38. The method of claim 32 wherein the hypergol includes a compound selected from the group consisting of: nitronium, nitrosonium salts, hypohalite compounds, heavy metals and their salts, NO 2 BF 4 , NOBF 4 , NO 2 CIO 4 , NO 2 ClF 4 , I 2 O 5 , I 2 O 6 , I 2 O 7 , HOCl, HOBr, HOI, [NaOClÿNaOH], Fe, Cu, powdered Zn, Fe(NO 3 ) 3 , FeCl 3 , MnO 2 and KMnO 4 .

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the mixing device comprises a metal, a non-metal, a ceramic, or any combination thereof.

40. The method of claim 32 wherein a mass flow ratio of the hypergol to the propellant injected into the combustion chamber ranges between 0 and 0.5.

41. The method of claim 32 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid includes a fuel component.

42. The method of claim 32 wherein the HAN-based ionic liquid includes a fuel component and water in a ratio of about 64:8:28.

43. The method of claim 32 further comprising pressurizing the combustion chamber to at least 500 psi.