Liquid propellant propulsion technology

The European history of the conventional solid propellant gun begins with the use of gun powder (most likely in the 14th century). Since then, dramatic improvements have been made in gun performance, especially during the last decades. Now that the conventional solid propellant propulsion technique is a mature technology, where any progress is simply a refinement of existing techniques, research efforts are directed at bringing gun propellants into more desirable conditions. For example, the modular charge, unicharge, low vulnerability (LOVA) propellant, tailored burning, multiplex charges and consolidated charges are currently being investigated. However, principal technological barriers are encountered in the conventional chemical propulsion technique, because the efficiency of C, H, O, and N combustion gases for propelling a projectile with a gun tube launcher is limited by the mass of the propellant itself. In order to approach the limits, novel concepts for propelling projectiles are needed. Such alternative propulsion techniques comprise liquid propellant propulsion and hybrid technologies.