Re: [Starlink] some post Starship launch thoughts

["Rodney W. Grimes" <starlink@gndrsh.dnsmgr.net>]

> As always I enjoy the flood of information we get on this list!
> 
> still, so far, my research on a nitrogen deluge system (instead of
> water) has come up empty for me, except as a fire suppressant. So it?s
> either crazy or brilliant. Or both! I really liked the idea of
> something cooler that was a natural byproduct of the LOX process...

I dont think cooler does much, isnt it the "energy of vaporization"
that is actually doing all the "work" in this type of system?

H2O is 40.7 kJ/mol and LN2 is 5.6 kJ/mol so you would
need ~7 times as much LN2 to do the same work.

And the reason N2 is used as a fire suppressant is again not
because of temperature, but because it displaces the O2 and
suffocates the fire.  N2 is also easier on our ozone layer
than the prior used Halon.  Finally, this is usually
compressed N2 gas, not LN2.

--
Rod Grimes                                                 rgrimes@freebsd.org