Seems like they're working on a hydrocarbon fuel rather like "Sintin", the synthetic "kerosene" that's been used on the Soyuz upper stage. It was chilled to increase density and load more mass of propellant, but last I heard it was dropped because it was considerably more expensive. Kerosene isn't a specific molecule, it's a widely varying mix of hydrocarbons and a more tightly controlled mix of specific hydrocarbons is the basis for RP-1.
but last I heard it was dropped because it was considerably more expensive.
This articles says that Russia intends to start testing naphthalide [corrected] naphthyl (нафтил) instead of RP-1 (kerosene) as the fuel for Soyuz boosters. I'm a linguist, not a chemist - but if I am translating correctly the fuel is C10H7 - a monovalent radical of naphthalene. Testing will be done by NPO Energomash "At NPO Energomash and at the engine manufacturer construction documentation has been completed as well as material components for conducting tests using the new fuel in 2018 with a developmental system of engine regulation," said Chief Constructor of NPO Energomash Petr Levochkin. Certification of engines using the new fuel should be complete in 2018.https://ria.ru/space/20180220/1514974111.html
[One] solution for eliminating the problems associated with sulfur contamination in RP-1 is to replace RP-1 with a better system fuel. One possible alternative fuel for exploration is Russian kerosene, also called “naphthyl,” “naphtil,” “naftin,” and НАФТИЛ in Russia. Lockheed Martin conducted two types of studies on the fuels, static laboratory analyses and dynamic hot fire testing. The laboratory experiments consisted mainly of researching available technical literature on refinery and military specifications, and running elemental analysis to determine fuel characteristics. From Lockheed’s analytical testing, it was found that RG-1 differs slightly in composition from RP-1 in both density and sulfur content. RG-1 has a 21% lower overall sulfur content than RP-1, and the Russian fuel also has no allowable mercaptan content.
Sintin was used on Soyuz-U2 launcher. The main reason for the cancellation of this program was the bankruptcy of the sole plant in Russia which produced the sintin.
4.1.13 Работы по переводу PH «Союз-2» на горючее «нафтил» должно обеспечить проведение работ по подготовке СК 17П32-6 к заправке PH и заправке PH типа «Союз-2» горючим «нафтил».
Разработка (корректировка) РКД на СЧ КРК «Союз-2» в части перевода на горючее «нафтил» (2016-2017 года).
03/07/2019JDC transfers serial rocket engines to new fuelIn Samara Kuznetsov, PJSC (part of the United Engine Corporation of Rostec) successfully completed acceptance tests of the first production set of the RD-107A / RD-108A rocket engines using a new fuel - naphthyl.In accordance with the state strategy in the field of space exploration, the Roscosmos State Corporation has been tasked with the transition to environmentally friendly rocket fuel, naphthyl, unified for various types of launch vehicles.JSC "NPO Energomash them. V.P. Glushko ”and PJSC“ Kuznetsov ”performed a set of development and testing of engines using new fuel, as a result of which the efficiency and basic characteristics of RD-107A / RD-108A engines were confirmed. Pilot tests on naphthyl were completed in 2018. In February 2019, PJSC Kuznetsov conducted acceptance tests of the first production kit of the RD-107A / RD-108A engines on naphthyl. These products have been sent to the customer of Progress RCC Progress JSC for installation on the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle.RD-107 / RD-108 propulsion systems are equipped with stages I and II of all launch vehicles (LV) of the Soyuz family. These engines are mass-produced at PJSC Kuznetsov with design support from the developer of NPO Energomash im. V.P. Glushko. In 2018, the RD-107A / RD-108A rocket engines provided 14 successful launches of Soyuz family rocket launchers from the Baikonur, Vostochny, Plesetsk and Kuru cosmodromes (Guiana Space Center). These rockets launched into orbit spacecraft of Roscosmos, the Ministry of Defense of Russia, commercial satellites under contracts of Glavkosmos JSC and Glavkosmos Launch Services JSC. They delivered to the International Space Station 3 crews of long expeditions and 3 ships with cargoes necessary for the life support of the station.
March 7, 2019Rostec translates the Soyuz engines into environmentally friendly fuelUnited Engine Corporation (UEC) Rostec State Corporation has successfully completed acceptance tests of the first production set of the RD-107A / RD-108A rocket engines on a new fuel - naphtha instead of the previously used kerosene. The first products have already been sent to the customer.The company "Kuznetsov" (part of the JDC) and the NPO "Energomash them. V.P. Glushko completed the experimental and acceptance tests of the engines of the first and second stages of Soyuz carrier rockets operating on new fuel - naphthyl. This is an environmentally safe type of hydrocarbon fuel with the use of polymeric additives. During the tests, the efficiency and basic characteristics of the engines were confirmed. The RD-107 / RD-108 engines, adapted for the new fuel, have already been sent to the customer - Progress RCC - for installation on the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle.“The transition to a new type of fuel is part of the modernization program of the Soyuz-2 rocket. Launches using naphthyl as fuel for the first and second stages of the Soyuz were not previously conducted. Technological innovations will reduce the load on the environment and significantly increase the payload put into orbit, ”said Rostekh's executive director Oleg Evtushenko.RD-107 / RD-108 propulsion systems are equipped with stages I and II of all launch vehicles (LV) of the Soyuz family. The engines are mass-produced at the Kuznetsov enterprise with the development support of the developer, NPO Energomash named after V.P. Glushko. Replacing kerosene with naphthyl is part of the Soyuz-2 missile modernization program for launches from the Vostochny space center. Starts using this type of fuel in the first and second stages of the "Union" have not been conducted before.In 2018, the RD-107A / RD-108A rocket engines provided 14 successful launches of Soyuz family rocket launchers from the Baikonur, Vostochny, Plesetsk and Kuru cosmodromes (Guiana Space Center). These rockets placed spacecraft of Roskosmos, the Russian Ministry of Defense, commercial satellites into orbit, delivered to the International Space Station three crews of long expeditions and three ships with cargoes necessary for the life support of the station.
Roskosmos refused to transfer Soyuz-2 rockets to new fuelApril 13, 03:19MOSCOW, April 13 - RIA News. Roskosmos decided not to transfer the Soyuz-2 launch vehicles launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome completely to new fuel oil, as it is planned to do at the Vostochny cosmodrome, according to documents on the public procurement website.In December 2017, Roskosmos signed a state contract with the RCC Progress to maintain the potential of the Baikonur cosmodrome. The contract, in particular, provided for work to transfer the Soyuz-2 missiles launched from Baikonur, completely to naphtha. In April 2019, Dmitry Baranov, Director General of the RCC Progress, told RIA Novosti that the first launch of the Soyuz-2 rocket from the Vostochny cosmodrome is fully planned using naphthyl after 2020.Earlier it was reported about the ongoing modernization of the engines RD-107A and RD-108A (produced by PJSC Kuznetsov, which is part of the United Engine Corporation), used respectively on the first and second stages of the Soyuz-2 missiles, in order to use naphtha instead of kerosene. Prior to that, naphthyl was used only on the third stage of the Soyuz-2 rocket.In an additional agreement to the contract, published on the website of public procurement, states that work in the amount of 24.977 million rubles for the transfer of Soyuz-2 missiles launched from Baikonur are completely excluded from the list for naphthyl.In March, Rostec, which includes the United Engine Corporation, announced the completion of testing the RD-107A and RD-108A engines of the first and second stages of the Soyuz-2 rocket operating on naphthyl. As executive director of Rostec Oleg Yevtushenko noted, the transition to naphthyl is part of the missile modernization program, which will reduce harmful emissions and significantly increase the payload put into orbit. Naphthyl is an environmentally safe type of hydrocarbon fuel with the use of polymer additives.A source at RIA Novosti in the rocket and space industry said earlier that a test launch of a Soyuz-2.1a rocket with engines at all stages operating on naphthil was planned to be carried out from the Vostochny space center when the Kondor-FKA radar satellite of the Earth was put into orbit . Earlier it was reported that the launch of the first Condor-FKA satellite was postponed from 2020 to 2021.
A back and forth.Ria novosti writes on April 13th : https://ria.ru/20190413/1552657732.htmlGoogle Translate:QuoteRoskosmos refused to transfer Soyuz-2 rockets to new fuelApril 13, 03:19MOSCOW, April 13 - RIA News. Roskosmos decided not to transfer the Soyuz-2 launch vehicles launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome completely to new fuel oil, as it is planned to do at the Vostochny cosmodrome, according to documents on the public procurement website.In December 2017, Roskosmos signed a state contract with the RCC Progress to maintain the potential of the Baikonur cosmodrome. The contract, in particular, provided for work to transfer the Soyuz-2 missiles launched from Baikonur, completely to naphtha. In April 2019, Dmitry Baranov, Director General of the RCC Progress, told RIA Novosti that the first launch of the Soyuz-2 rocket from the Vostochny cosmodrome is fully planned using naphthyl after 2020.Earlier it was reported about the ongoing modernization of the engines RD-107A and RD-108A (produced by PJSC Kuznetsov, which is part of the United Engine Corporation), used respectively on the first and second stages of the Soyuz-2 missiles, in order to use naphtha instead of kerosene. Prior to that, naphthyl was used only on the third stage of the Soyuz-2 rocket.In an additional agreement to the contract, published on the website of public procurement, states that work in the amount of 24.977 million rubles for the transfer of Soyuz-2 missiles launched from Baikonur are completely excluded from the list for naphthyl.In March, Rostec, which includes the United Engine Corporation, announced the completion of testing the RD-107A and RD-108A engines of the first and second stages of the Soyuz-2 rocket operating on naphthyl. As executive director of Rostec Oleg Yevtushenko noted, the transition to naphthyl is part of the missile modernization program, which will reduce harmful emissions and significantly increase the payload put into orbit. Naphthyl is an environmentally safe type of hydrocarbon fuel with the use of polymer additives.A source at RIA Novosti in the rocket and space industry said earlier that a test launch of a Soyuz-2.1a rocket with engines at all stages operating on naphthil was planned to be carried out from the Vostochny space center when the Kondor-FKA radar satellite of the Earth was put into orbit . Earlier it was reported that the launch of the first Condor-FKA satellite was postponed from 2020 to 2021.First launch with a completely to Naftil converted Soyuz from Vostochny is planned NET 2021.A complete conversion to Naftil in Baikonur will declined. ( for now ?)my opinion:RG-1 (Naftil) is not more environmentally friendly than T-1, if it gets into the ground.The inhabitants of the Amur region are obvious very environmentally conscious and worried aboutthe toxic fuels in the Fregat for example. But that remains.That's why something eco-friendly has to be written.Switching to RG-1 has other reasons.
Soyuz launch complex on Vostochny will be switched to new fuel03:12 27.06.2021 (updated: 11:39 27.06.2021)The Soyuz launch complex on Vostochny will be converted to new fuel by February 2022MOSCOW, June 27 - RIA Novosti. The launch complex of the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket at the Vostochny cosmodrome is planned to be fully switched to the use of new fuel by February 2022, the press service of the Center for Operation of Ground Space Infrastructure Facilities (Roscosmos enterprise) told RIA Novosti.As reported, the need to transfer the Soyuz-2 missiles on Vostochny from kerosene (T-1) to naphthyl (RG-1) is associated with the depletion of the Anastasievsko-Troitskoye field in the Krasnodar Territory. At present, naphthyl is used only in the third stage of the Soyuz-2.1b rocket, but it is planned to refuel all stages of the Soyuz with it, for which the upgraded engines have already been tested."To convert the launch complex (SC) of the Soyuz-2 space rocket complex to naphthyl fuel, it is necessary to complete the installation of equipment, conduct autonomous tests of the equipment under development and comprehensive tests of the SC. All the necessary equipment for these purposes has been delivered to the cosmodrome, some have already been mounted" said the interlocutor of the agency.According to him, the specialists of the TsENKI branch, the Vostochny space center, will begin work on completing the installation, commissioning and autonomous testing of the equipment in October 2021."It is planned to ensure readiness for complex tests of the launch complex after transfer to naphthyl in February 2022," the press service of the enterprise added.Earlier, Rostec executive director Oleg Yevtushenko said that the transition to naphthyl is part of the rocket modernization program, which will reduce harmful emissions and significantly increase the payload launched into orbit.Naphthyl is an environmentally friendly type of hydrocarbon fuel with the use of polymer additives.As reported by a RIA Novosti source in the rocket and space industry, a test launch of the Soyuz-2.1a rocket with all stages operating on naphthyl is planned to be carried out from the Vostochny cosmodrome when the Kondor-FKA radar satellite for Earth remote sensing is launched into orbit. It is currently slated for 2022.
12:44 14.10.2021 (updated: 14:13 14.10.2021)The last Soyuz fueled by kerosene was launched from VostochnyRoscosmos launched the last from the Vostochny Soyuz on keroseneMOSCOW, October 14 - RIA Novosti. The Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage and 36 OneWeb spacecraft was launched from Vostochny, follows from the broadcast on the Roskosmos website .This is the last launch from the cosmodrome of a rocket of this family using kerosene as fuel: as reported by Dmitry Rogozin , general director of the state corporation , the next will be fueled with naphthyl. At other sites - Plesetsk, Baikonur and Kuru - it is used only for the upper stages of the Soyuz-2.1b, Soyuz-STB and Soyuz-2.1v missiles.Naphthyl is an environmentally friendly type of hydrocarbon fuel with the use of polymer additives. The transition to it will reduce harmful emissions and significantly increase the payload launched into orbit. The need to transfer "Soyuz-2" to it is also associated with the depletion of the Anastasievsko-Troitskoe field in the Krasnodar Territory - the only one in Russia with the necessary characteristics for use in rocket and space technology....
https://ria.ru/20211014/raketa-1754536685.htmlGoogle translate:Quote12:44 14.10.2021 (updated: 14:13 14.10.2021)The last Soyuz fueled by kerosene was launched from VostochnyRoscosmos launched the last from the Vostochny Soyuz on keroseneMOSCOW, October 14 - RIA Novosti. The Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage and 36 OneWeb spacecraft was launched from Vostochny, follows from the broadcast on the Roskosmos website .This is the last launch from the cosmodrome of a rocket of this family using kerosene as fuel: as reported by Dmitry Rogozin , general director of the state corporation , the next will be fueled with naphthyl. At other sites - Plesetsk, Baikonur and Kuru - it is used only for the upper stages of the Soyuz-2.1b, Soyuz-STB and Soyuz-2.1v missiles.Naphthyl is an environmentally friendly type of hydrocarbon fuel with the use of polymer additives. The transition to it will reduce harmful emissions and significantly increase the payload launched into orbit. The need to transfer "Soyuz-2" to it is also associated with the depletion of the Anastasievsko-Troitskoe field in the Krasnodar Territory - the only one in Russia with the necessary characteristics for use in rocket and space technology....Unsure : I found different information about the RD-0110 in the Soyuz 2.1a. Is it currently operated with T-1 or RG-1 (naphthyl)? Or is both possible?
Some references in Russian literature: https://books.google.ru/books?id=2dt3CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4&dq=978-5-9221-1091-4&source=bl&ots=PDLBoHJt8p&sig=mOCRgh5SS3hLVlqm-mpUYZwunjs&hl=ru&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwianJzO0uHQAhVIVhQKHdphDDQQ6AEIHTAB#v=onepage&q=%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%84%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BB&f=falseSynthetic formula is C12.79H24.52.
Does switching fuels increase their payload capability?
In addition, during operation it turned out that T-1 aviation kerosene is prone to strong resinous deposits on the flow channels of the LRE chamber cooling, which is a serious obstacle to the creation of LRE with a long service life (including reusable LRE), as well as engines with high chamber pressure and thermal loads.In practice, the use of T-1 kerosene is limited by LRE according to an open scheme with low pressure in the chamber p k ≤ 70 kgf / cm 2In the future, starting with the R-9 ICBM for the RD-111 (8D716) engines - the first stage, RD-461 (11D55) - the second stage, it was decided to switch to kerosene RG-1 (naphthyl) specially developed for use in the space sphere. ).Accordingly, for the engine of the third stage of the Soyuz-U launch vehicle RD-0110 (11D55), as a descendant of RD-461, RG-1 kerosene is used.In relation to the RD-107 and RD-108 rocket engines (modifications 11D511, 11D512) in 1970. work was underway to transfer engines of this type from T-1 fuel to RG-1 fuel. The possibility of switching to the RG-1 was considered both in terms of the unification of fuels on various engines, and in terms of increasing the specific thrust impulse of the engines. Tests have shown that when the engines are switched from fuel T-1 to RG-1, there is no increase in the specific impulses of the combustion chamber thrusts. Further work on the transition to RG-1 fuel was terminated [ 10 ] .In connection with the probable cessation of the production of T-1 fuel, in 1988 the Minneftekhimprom proposed an analogue of this fuel obtained by mixing fuels T-6 and RT, hereinafter referred to as mixed fuel T-1s [ 10 ] .
The recent launch was the first one for the Soyuz-2 to use naphthyl–a hydrocarbon fuel with the use of polymeric additives which is more powerful than kerosene–to power all three stages. Naphthyl was earlier used to fuel only Soyuz-2 upper stages.Roscosmos says the transition to the new fuel is caused by the exhaustion of the only deposit with a unique sweet oil with a low freezing point in Southern Russia, which was used for production of traditional rocket kerosene. However, the fully naphthyl-fueled Soyuzes can operate only from Vostochny.