1.

(a)
General equation of reaction of a hydrocarbon fuel and
oxidizer is given by

𝑏 𝑏
𝐶! 𝐻! + 𝑎 + 𝑂! → 𝑎𝐶𝑂! + 𝐻! 𝑂
4 2

For RP-1, 𝐶𝐻!.!"# is the formula. So,

𝑎 = 1, 𝑏 = 1.953

Therefore, the chemical equation for stoichiometric reaction is

𝑪𝑯𝟏.𝟗𝟓𝟑 + 𝟏. 𝟒𝟖𝟖𝟐𝟓 𝑶𝟐 → 𝑪𝑶𝟐 + 𝟎. 𝟗𝟔𝟕𝟓 𝑯𝟐 𝑶

(b)

Atomic mass of Carbon = 12
Atomic mass of Oxygen = 16
Atomic mass of Hydrogen = 1

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙, 𝐶𝐻!.!"# = 12 + 1.953 = 13.0953

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑂𝑥𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑟, 𝑂! = 1.48825×32 = 47.624

𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑶𝒙𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒓
𝑶𝒙𝒚𝒈𝒆𝒏 − 𝑭𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐 = = 𝟑. 𝟒𝟏𝟑
𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒖𝒆𝒍

2.
(a)

(b)
Oxidizer-Fuel ratio is lesser than the stoichiometric ratio
of 3.413. So, it is a fuel-rich mixture.

(c)
As the fuel gets richer (i.e. Oxidizer-fuel ratio decreases),
there is incomplete combustion due to unavailability of enough
oxygen to complete combustion and thus the combustion
chamber temperature decreases which results in decrease in
specific impulse.

(d)
As the fuel gets leaner dissociation of the reaction
product increases. Dissociation of molecules requires
considerable energy and causes a decrease in combustion
chamber temperature, which results in decrease in specific
impulse.

3.
(a) Hydrogen-Fluorine has the highest performance with a
specific impulse of 410s.

(b) Hydrogen-Oxygen has the second highest performance
with a specific impulse of 389.5s.

(c) Among the solid rocket propellants Ammonium perchlorate
(84 to 68%) - 12% polymer binder and 4-20% Aluminum has
the highest performance with a specific impulse of 266s.

(d) Among the solid rocket propellants Ammonium Nitrate -
11% binder and 7% additives has the least performance with a
specific impulse of 192s.

(e) From the given data, it can be inferred that the liquid
propellants have better performance when compared to the
solid propellants. But other factors like storage, cost of
production and transport of the liquid propellants are greater
when compared to the solid propellants.