System for the Automated Mitigation of Hypergolic Propellant Leaks

Hypergolic liquid rocket propellants consist of fuel and oxidizer liquids stored in separate tanks that ignite when mixed. They are favored for propulsion systems where precise pulsing or throttling is required. High reliability is also insured because the liquid chemicals are stable for long periods of time, and no ignition system is required — the fuel and oxidizer simply need to be brought together. These propellants have relatively high vapor pressures, are toxic, and may be carcinogenic. A pool of the liquid will pose a health, fire, or explosion hazard. Therefore, missiles containing these propellants are stored and shipped in canisters that contain a sensor to detect the leakage of these propellants that will sound an alarm at a set concentration. This paper discusses the development of an automated system that is designed to mitigate a leak of the fuel or oxidizer within the canister in order to render the system safe enough to allow access to the missile. The mitigation system neutralizes the leaked propellant. The design and testing of the system with representative propellants is discussed.