Propellant System Research Articles

Research on Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Ducted Propeller Hovering near the Water Surface Based on a Lattice Boltzmann Method

Water–air cross-domain vehicles (CDVs) are capable of both flight and underwater navigation, showing broad prospects in marine science, such as underwater observation, disaster response, and rescue operations. It is crucial to investigate the dynamic performance of CDVs hovering above water surfaces to enhance safety and stability. In this study, the performance of a CDV’s ducted propeller hovering at various heights above a water surface was analyzed via computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and thrust tests. The results indicate that the air–water mixture formed by the wake of the propeller impacting the water surface is sucked in by the duct, causing the propeller to enter an unstable vortex ring state. At the same rotation speed in the air, the thrust of the propeller system decreases and the required power increases. With an increase in the height of the propeller above the water surface, the thrust and power return to normal. Furthermore, a numerical model was proposed to express the correlation among thrust, propeller rotation speed, and distance from the water surface. This study establishes a foundation for the dynamic modeling of CDVs and can be utilized by other related studies.

(Invited) Ionic Liquid Electrospray Ion Sources for Space Propulsion

The number of microspacecraft launched has significantly increased since 2013, and more than 300 nano/microsatellites (< 50 kg) were launched in 2017. Although some microspacecraft already have a propulsion system, a commonly used propulsion system is a cold-gas thruster, which has a low delta-v (a few 10s of m/s), and thus, high delta-v (> 1 km/s) thrusters are required for more advanced missions. One of the candidates for such thrusters is ion thrusters, which were already mounted on two 50 kg-class microsatellites and successfully operated in space. However, it is not easy to miniaturize ion thrusters so that they can be mounted on even 10 kg-class nanosatellites unless high-pressure gas-feeding systems are removed. Moreover, ion thrusters require electron sources to neutralize ion beams, which consume additional propellants and power. Since most recently launched microspacecraft are less than 10 kg, more compact thrusters are required. Ionic liquid electrospray ion sources are attractive devices for such electric propulsion, especially for microspacecraft. Electrospray thrusters typically consist of many emitters, an extractor electrode, and an accelerator electrode optionally. When a high voltage between the emitter and the extractor is applied, the ionic liquid is transported to the emitter tips, and a strong electric field deforms the ionic liquid into a conical shape known as a Taylor cone. When the force of the electric field is stronger than the surface tension pressure of the ionic liquid, ions evaporate directly from the liquid surface. The extracted ions are then accelerated by the potential difference between the emitter and extractor to produce the thrust. Since the ionic liquid is composed of only cations and anions without solvent, its vapor pressure is negligible; therefore, it can exist in the liquid phase in vacuum, simplifying the propellant feed system and reducing the size of the entire propulsion system. Moreover, the direct acceleration of ions without discharges can be possible, and no neutralizers are required, which also contributes to the power and size reduction together with high efficiency. The key component of electrospray thrusters is the emitter, where there are typically three types of structures: externally-wetted (or needle-shaped), internally-wetted (or capillary), and porous ones. Each has ion emission characteristics depending on the structure. Here, we have fabricated these three types of emitter structures with a wide range of scale: 1 to 100 micrometers. Using these emitters, we have conducted ion emission experiments and beam diagnostics. We obtained a high current density over a few 10 mA/cm2 with 1-micrometer scale emitters, a high current of approximately 1 mA with porous emitters, and a high efficiency with externally-wetted emitters. The emitter structures as mentioned earlier and experimental results will be presented at the conference site.

Vertically integrated project based method applied to small satellite technology development

Small satellite missions and technology development presents a unique platform for preparing undergraduate engineering students for future careers. University based small satellite projects provide students access to hands-on opportunities to apply theory learned in classes through computational analysis, hardware experimentation, and product design. They also allow students to gain project management skills and see systems engineering and design life cycle from a perspective few semesters long courses and lectures can provide. Since 2017, undergraduates have been involved in the Purdue University team investigating the Film Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array (FEMTA), a novel microthruster that evaporates ultra-pure deionized water to generate thrust and is intended for use as active attitude control on small satellites. This technology development project is well suited for including undergraduates, as the system operation can be easily understood by a student with only an introductory understanding of fluid mechanics. Undergraduates initially investigated single axis rotation control of a model CubeSat and now focus a suborbital payload to test the propellant management system. Undergraduates earn degree credit for aiding the faculty and graduate students in this long-term, multidisciplinary, and vertically-integrated – including students from freshmen to seniors -research project team. Vertically integrating allows students to participate for their entire undergraduate studies, while providing projects with stability and a knowledge base shared amongst many students. While this method can be applied to projects that are not aerospace related, small satellite projects allow students to add a breadth and depth of subject matter to their professional development. This project has included mechanical engineers, aerospace engineers, electrical and computer engineers, and computer science majors. This environment grants students the ability to learn new perspectives and problem-solving techniques from their peers. By requiring students to earn degree credit for project work, students become more invested and develop better professional habits such as proper documentation and communication. Student testimonials have cited this project as an asset while talking with company recruiters and for graduate school applications. The same methods developed on the FEMTA project are also being applied to the Purdue student team that is developing the camera system for the NASA Solar Cruiser mission, with similar success.

Green synthesis and catalytic activity assessment of bespoke nano-catalyst for eco-friendly green propellant systems based on hydrogen peroxide

AbstractMuch effort has been devoted to replace pollutant, toxic, cancerogenic hydrazine-based propellants. Hydrogen peroxide could secure promising characteristics as well as high density specific impulse. Effective catalysts with high durability are required to commence H2O2 decompositions, and to inherit hypergolic nature with different hydrocarbon fuels. Silver nanoparticles (18 nm) were synthesized via hydrogen gas evolved by water electrolysis. MnO2 (20 nm) was developed in a sustainable manner via green hydrothermal processing. High crystalline, mono-dispersed particles were developed. Catalytic activity was assessed via precise measurements of liquid temperature profile (LTP) up to the boiling point of hydrogen peroxide. Whereas silver demonstrated LTP peak within 20 s; MnO2 experienced LTP within 40 s. Catalyst survivability was recorded via precise measurement of life time mass loss rate upon catalyst addition to hydrogen peroxide. While silver nano-catalyst demonstrated high performance at the reaction start; silver was found to be poisoned with crystalline phase change to silver oxide within 20 s. On the contrary, manganese oxide experienced high durable catalytic action. Consequently, MnO2 could be candidate for H2O2 monopropellant thrusters as catalyst bed. On the other hand, silver nanoparticles could be candidate for a single use in bipropellant system to inherit hypergolicity. This study presents a pioneering report on facile synthesis of catalyst nanoparticles; comprehensive catalytic activity assessment of silver to manganese oxide for H2O2 decomposition was represented. Proper catalyst assortment for practical applications was represented.

Copper loaded carbon aerogel from chitosan-precursor promotes thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate for solid propellants

Chitosan (CS) was used as a carrier, in which copper particles were loaded, and CS-Cu carbon aerogel was obtained by freeze-drying and high-temperature carbonization, which was characterized by scanning electron microscopy test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy test, X-ray diffraction test, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and gas adsorption method. Results show that CS-Cu carbon aerogel is a 3D porous material, and its 3D porous structure provides more active sites for the copper nanoparticles, effectively preventing the agglomeration phenomenon caused by the large surface energy of copper nanoparticles. The CS-Cu carbon aerogel was introduced into the solid propellant system, and the catalytic performance of the CS-Cu carbon aerogel on ammonium perchlorate (AP) was investigated by differential thermal analysis. The results show that the CS-Cu carbon aerogel has good catalytic performance, the high temperature decomposition peak of AP is reduced by 92.4 K and the activation energy is reduced from 215.9 ± 1.3 kJ/mol to 173.7 ± 1.5 kJ/mol for pure AP.

Design Factors of High-Speed Turbo-Electric Distributed Propulsion System

Turbo-electric Distributed Propulsion (TeDP) is a promising concept to achieve the operational goals of more electric aircraft. The application of TeDP architecture can achieve the desired weight reduction of an aircraft power system. The use of a superconducting machine is expected to provide the workaround for the weight issue, but its current state of technology has not yet been extensively tested for aircraft applications. Another more practical option is to directly couple the aircraft's propeller system to a high-speed permanent magnet (PM) electrical machine, eliminating the gear part that also contributes to the total weight. A critical part of the design for a high-speed PM machine is choosing the optimum magnet configurations. This study used finite element modelling to analyze the impact of scaling the PM’s critical parameters on the weight and machine speed. A prototype testing of a 2-KW high-speed machine, suitable for a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), was developed and tested. The results confirmed the following critical parameters that should be carefully designed to achieve the optimum output, such as the (a) number of winding turns, (b) stack length, (c) sleeve thickness, and (d) terminal voltage.

Two-Stage Impinging-Jet Injector Flow Dynamics and Mixing: Kerosene and Hydrogen Peroxide Propellants

ABSTRACT Kerosene/hydrogen-peroxide (H2O2) green propellant system has relatively high operational ratio of oxidizer (O) to fuel (F) that complicates the injector design and its layout. In this research, a procedure of two-stage, like-doublet (O-F-F-O) impinging-jet injector design is presented, where mixing of H2O2 and kerosene occurs between O-O and F-F sprays. Investigations at O/F ratios between 3.75 and 6.25 are performed. The impinging distance, angle, and jet velocity of the two-stage impinging-jet module are the design parameters examined. The PLIF technique is used to observe the spatial droplet distribution of the individual spray. The predicted mixing behavior by overlapping the individual fuel and oxidizer sprays is compared to the actual mixing of the O-F-F-O spray to justify the spray/spray interactions. Detailed behaviors of the fuel and oxidizer sprays are revealed. The effects of O/F ratio and other design parameters on the injector flow dynamics and propellant mixing are examined systematically. With experimentally defined shape factors, an optimum design of the injector element can be determined for a given injector plate. The design of the injector plate for a 450 N thrust engine is demonstrated, and the design is justified by the hot-fire test of the engine.

Analysis of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Propeller Systems Based on Martian Atmospheric Environment

Compared to detection methods employed by Mars rovers and orbiters, the employment of Mars UAVs presents clear advantages. However, the unique atmospheric conditions on Mars pose significant challenges to the design and operation of such UAVs. One of the primary difficulties lies in the impact of the planet’s low air density on the aerodynamic performance of the UAV’s rotor system. In order to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of the rotor system in the Martian atmospheric environment, a rotor system suitable for the Martian environment was designed under the premise of fully considering the special atmospheric environment of Mars, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the rotor system in the compressible and ultra-low Reynolds number environment were numerically simulated by means of a numerical calculation method. Additionally, a bench experiment was conducted in a vacuum chamber simulating the Martian atmospheric environment, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the UAV rotor system in the Martian environment were analyzed by combining theory and experiments. The feasibility of the rotor system applied to the Martian atmospheric environment was verified, and the first generation of Mars unmanned helicopters was developed and validated via hovering experiments, which thereby yielded crucial data support for the design of subsequent Mars UAV models.

Manufacturing superfine AP by milling in a lab-scale resonant acoustic mixer (LabRAM)

ABSTRACT A common practice to deisgn composite propellants with high burning rates is to use several sizes of the oxidizer (e.g., ammonium perchlorate, AP) to increase the total amount of solids that can be packed into the composite propellant system. Small AP particles (≤15 μm) are difficult to obtain from commercial vendors due to restrictions derived from increased explosion hazards for superfine AP (SFAP). An in-house SFAP manufacturing process was devised herein using resonant acoustic mixing (RAM). A 90-μm AP feedstock was utilized to produce SFAP batches with average particle sizes of approximately 2 μm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize particle size distributions. Ballistic testing was conducted with an 80% SFAP composite propellant formulation was burned over a pressure range of 500 to 3,000 psi (3.45 to 20.68 MPa) and a burning rate of 1 in/s (25 mm/s) at 1,000 psi (6.89 MPa) was achieved without optimizing the propellant with additives.

Thrust and Noise Experimental Assessment on Counter-Rotating Coaxial Rotors

Multirotors are gaining great importance in the layout of innovative and more agile mobility. In this framework, a possible solution to developing an aircraft complying with the stringent size requirements characterizing this type of application may be a coaxial rotor configuration. To exploit several possibilities linked to coaxial rotors, a scaled experimental model is designed to evaluate the performances of the counter-rotating propeller system, specifically regarding the distance between the two propellers. Both thrust and noise are considered as parameters of interest. Two brushless motors are deployed, whereas the propellers’ angular velocity, in terms of rounds per minute (rpm), is controlled by an external control system. Tests are conducted on both single isolated propellers as well as on the counter-rotating system: the two propellers and their respective motors are characterized regarding the thrust. Furthermore, a comparison with a numerical model is performed. Noise evaluation on the single propeller shows a motor contribution prevalence at a low rpm range (1140–1500 rpm) and a propeller prevalence for angular velocities higher than 1860 rpm. By varying the distances between the propellers, a sensitivity analysis is performed with the aim of identifying the optimum configuration, taking into account both noise and thrust performances.

Ammonia fuelled space electric propulsion systems using C12A7:e- electride as electron emitter

Given the significant changes taking place in the geopolitical global situation, and the derived supply chain issues for some traditional electric propulsion propellants like xenon, alternative propellants issue is perceived as a strategic topic to tackle, and ammonia (NH3) is becoming one serious candidate. Ammonia is increasingly being investigated to extend green hydrogen use by overcoming the storage and transportation issues of hydrogen. Ammonia characteristics like its superior energy density and low temperature and/or pressure needs for storage (10 bar at 20°C for liquid ammonia), make it very valuable for simplified unexpensive energy storage and transportation, and these characteristics makes it also especially suitable for on-board spacecrafts electric propulsion purposes. Based on our research activities on ammonia generation and dissociation processes with C12A7:e- electride as catalyst, this work will describe the most relevant characteristics and properties associated to the advantages of using the cheap and abundant ammonia, and will also present and discuss the results of the first successful tests performed with ammonia as fuel for a C12A7:e- electride based neutralizer, including relevant endurance tests in operation conditions. Additionally, the dual application as propellant and on-board energy generation system of ammonia will also be discussed.

New D−A propeller system with pyridine core for co-sensitization in dye sensitized solar cells

In this study, a propeller-type molecule with a pyridine core (D) was designed and synthesized. Photophysical and electrochemical studies, along with theoretical DFT simulations, indicated that the molecule has suitable light absorption properties and frontier molecular orbital levels for usage as a sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Meanwhile, the standard dye Z-907 was chosen to investigate the effect of the synthesized molecule as a co-adsorbent dye on DSSCs. Intriguingly, when compared to the D and Z907-based devices, the performance of the co-sensitized Z907 + D cell exhibited an increase in photocurrent (JSC), photo-voltage (VOC), and, as a result, total power conversion efficiency (PCE).

Propulsion Systems, Propellants, Green Propulsion Subsystems and their Applications: A Review

A wide range of propellants, and propulsion systems in space exploration by aircrafts or space vehicles was studied, developed, investigated, and commercialized. Liquid, solid, or hybrid propellants have been used for rocket’s launches. In this review, a consistent definition of space propulsion systems, including solid, liquid and hybrid has been given with up-to-date state of developments. A comparison of their performances was made by theoretical and experimental specific impulses. On the other hand, ammonium perchlorate and hydrazine were used as propellants for rocket’s launches and for satellite’s maneuverings; respectively. However, their high toxicity and their storage problem pushed researchers and scientists to investigate and develop other eco-friendly, propellant systems, so called “green propellants”, for launch or reaction control systems of satellites.

Charactering Catalytic Ignition and Combustion for the Ninety-Percent Hydrogen-Peroxide/Paraffin-Based Hybrid Rocket Engine

The present work performed a combined experimental and numerical investigation of the catalytic ignition and combustion characteristics for a hybrid rocket engine (HRE) using 90% hydrogen peroxide () with a paraffin-based fuel as the propellant system. The variation of the decomposition temperature used as the analytical premise was monitored by a thermocouple and laser absorption spectroscopy based on water absorption. The effects of preheating, the number of silver mesh layers, and the usage count for the catalytic bed on the decomposition characteristics were analyzed. A preheated 60-layer silver catalyst bed provided the best decomposition performance, including the shortest catalytic decomposition delay time and the highest decomposition efficiency. A two-dimensional numerical model was built to determine the effect of decomposition efficiency decay on the HRE combustion characteristics. Variations in the combustion temperature, combustion chamber pressure, and product distribution were compared for decomposition efficiencies ranging from 70 to 100%. As the decomposition efficiency of decreased to 80%, part of the oxidizer was blown out the chamber before participating in the combustion, yielding a significant decline in the combustion performance of the hybrid rocket engine. Static firing tests were also used to determine the catalytic ignition and reignition performance of the HRE. The results showed that the performance of the catalytic bed was stable while the reignition process was rapid without a pressure peak.

Capsule structured Al/FeF3/AP energetic microspheres with enhanced combustion performance and energy release efficiency by a microexplosion reaction

The agglomeration and sintering of aluminum (Al) metal fuels lead to inadequate combustion and low energy release efficiency in the solid propellant systems. Herein, we assemble Al particles with gas generator of ferric trifluoride (FeF3) into capsule structured microspheres to detonate a microexplosion reaction by the evaporation-induced self-assembly technique, with encapsulating by ammonium perchlorate (AP) oxidant. The generated ternary Al/FeF3/AP microspheres achieved superior heat of combustion (12719.75 J g−1) and combustion temperature (1639.6 °C) owing to the full contact between components, reduced reaction transport distance, and the fierce shattering microexplosion combustion. Combustion mechanism analysis indicated that Al2O3 layer that hindered the oxidation reaction of Al was etched by the hydrogen fluoride (HF) from FeF3 decomposition, which caused the rapid splashing of nano Al clusters to detonate shattering microexplosion combustion. Furthermore, the ternary Al/FeF3/AP microspheres dramatically improve the combustion performance of hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB)-based propellants and achieve a burning rate of 2.975 mm s−1, higher than most of the published HTPB/AP/Al propellants to date. The construction of Al/FeF3/AP microspheres exhibits a huge potential for the improvement of the propulsion power of rockets and weapons.

Feature Attribution Analysis to Quantify the Impact of Oceanographic and Maneuverability Factors on Vessel Shaft Power Using Explainable Tree-Based Model.

A vessel sails above the ocean against sea resistance, such as waves, wind, and currents on the ocean surface. Concerning the energy efficiency issue in the marine ecosystem, assigning the right magnitude of shaft power to the propeller system that is needed to move the ship during its operations can be a contributive study. To provide both desired maneuverability and economic factors related to the vessel's functionality, this research studied the shaft power utilization of a factual vessel operational data of a general cargo ship recorded during 16 months of voyage. A machine learning-based prediction model that is developed using Random Forest Regressor achieved a 0.95 coefficient of determination considering the oceanographic factors and additional maneuver settings from the noon report data as the model's predictors. To better understand the learning process of the prediction model, this study specifically implemented the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method to disclose the contribution of each predictor to the prediction results. The individualized attributions of each important feature affecting the prediction results are presented.

Synthesis and properties of bio-renewable ionic salts derived from theophylline as green hypergolic fuels

Hypergolic ionic liquids (ILs) are a feasible green alternative to the toxic and volatile hydrazine-based fuel in propellant systems. However, most reported hypergolic ILs still have environmental and biological issues due to their petrochemical product sources. Theophylline is a plant-derived methylxanthine-type alkaloid with relatively high energy density. This work synthesizes a novel family of bio-renewable theophylline-derived cations for energetic ionic compounds, with dicyanamide as the hypergolic anion. Five with shorter cationic alkyl groups (less than or equal to four carbon atoms) exhibit spontaneous combustion upon contact with 100 % HNO3. Meanwhile, they possess high densities above 1.30 g·cm−3, and density-specific impulses varied in the range of 333.2–348.0 s·g·cm−3 (calculated by Gaussian 09 program), better than those of the hydrazine-based propellants. Notably, 9-butenyl-1,3,5-trimethylxanthinium dicyanamide exhibits excellent integrated properties, including the shortest ignition delay time (49 ms), most comprehensive liquid operating temperature range (−70 to 215 °C), and a high density-specific impulse (342.2 s·g·cm−3). This study is expected to pave the way for developing bio-renewable hypergolic ILs from natural sources.

COMPUTER FLUID DYNAMIC (CFD) ANALYSIS OF FLOAT AND PROPELLER DESIGN IN ELECTRIC HYBRID WATERBIKE

The water bike consists of an integrated float unit, propeller and frame. Stability on water is the main function of this product. The aerodynamic aspects of the float and propeller (or transmission system) will affect their performance. Specifically for the manufacture of floats and propellers (transmission systems) for water bicycles, CFD analysis is required to inform the performance of these components. The method used in this study is a computer fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation method to analyze the fluid study that occurs when the float and propeller models are applied to the fluid environment. The model that will be used as a simulation object is a parametric 3D model that has been designed according to field conditions. The dimensions of the 3D model of the buoy and propeller system are at the manufacturing design scale. When the buoy speed is 5.5 m/s it is detected that the speed of water flowing around the buoy averages 5.215 m/s with the highest speed of 6.635 m/s in the 1.50 m area and the lowest speed in the 0.22 m area. When the float speed is 5.5 m/s, the pressure that occurs in the surrounding area is detected in the range of 0.117 – 0.118 MPa. The highest pressure of 0.118 MPa occurs in areas 1.50 and 2.30 m with water speeds of 6.635 m/s and 5.739 m/s. The lowest pressure, which is 0.103 Mpa, occurs in an area of 0.22 m with a water speed of 1,100 m/s. When the float speed is 9.7 m/s, the pressure that occurs in the surrounding area is detected in the range of 0.107 – 0.158 MPa. The largest pressure value is in the area of 1.00 m with a value of 0.178 MPa. While the lowest pressure value is in the area of 0.22 m with a pressure value of 0.107 MPa.

Hydrodynamic Decomposition-Based Optimization of Ship’s Hull–Propeller System Under Multiple Operating Conditions

_ In this research, a framework for the analysis and design optimization of ship hull–propeller systems (HPSs) in waves is developed. This framework can be utilized as an efficient synthesis tool to determine the main geometric characteristics of the HPSs during the early stage of ship design. The optimization is carried out in two levels and under multipoint operating conditions (OC). Multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D) as an efficient multiobjective evolutionary algorithm, Michell integral and OpenProp tool as low-fidelity hydrodynamic solvers and boundary element method (BEM) as medium-fidelity solver are applied on two case studies to minimize the effective power and maximize the propulsive efficiency of HPSs. To estimate the added wave resistance, an efficient semiempirical formula is also employed. The Series 60 hull form with DTMB P4118 single propeller and S175 hull form with KP505 twin-propeller are considered as the original models. The numerical results show that the framework can find optimized designs with better hydrodynamic performance. Introduction Optimizing the hydrodynamic performance of ships’ hull and propeller(s) based on multiple design condition has gained considerable importance over the last few years. High fuel oil costs are the reason that shipyards and ship owners are now focusing more than ever on the reduction of effective power and propulsive efficiency. Hydrodynamic performance parameters, such as effective power and propulsive efficiency, are determined by the hull form and propeller shape, so it is very important to choose a hull–propeller system (HPS) with good performance in early stage ship design. There exist two main factors in the hydrodynamic design optimization of marine systems. The first factor is simultaneously considering all components of the system influencing objective function(s) and the second one is selecting a less time-consuming solver with satisfactory accuracy. In the ship design process, these two factors must be taken for conducting a reasonable optimization into consideration.

Catalytic performance of nano-sized cobalt copper ferrite on thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate

Ammonium nitrate (AN) is being explored as a high energetic oxidizer in propellants. The utilization of pure AN in propellants suffers from a low burning rate. To improve the burning rate, it is important to improve the thermal decomposition characteristics of AN to fasten its thermal decomposition. The effect of CoCuFe2O4 additive was explored to improve the thermos-kinetic parameters of AN's thermal decomposition. Coprecipitation was used to synthesize nanocrystalline CoCuFe2O4. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of decomposition of AN: CoCuFe2O4 were investigated using TG-DSC-DTA analysis at 5, 10, and 15 °C min−1. The thermodynamic and kinetic studies suggest that the thermal decomposition of AN+CoCuFe2O4 was more favorable than AN. The decomposition of AN+CoCuFe2O4 occurs at a lower 10 °C lower temperature with ∼44 % decrement in the activation energy and decreased pre-exponential factor. The faster decomposition at a lower temperature was obtained for AN+CoCuFe2O4 composition. Nano-sized particles with efficient optical and polarizable properties made this ferrite material easily separable and eco-friendly for the preparation of a chemical propulsion system based on AN. The AN+CoCuFe2O4 propulsion mixture can be utilized in place of pure AN for better thermal performance in a propellant system.•CoCuFe2O4 was able to influence the thermal decomposition parameters of ammonium nitrate (AN).•AN+CoCuFe2O4 decomposes at lower activation energy with a faster decomposition than pure AN.•Thermodynamics suggest favorable decomposition of AN+CoCuFe2O4 than pure AN.