Handling Considerations of Nitrous Oxide in Hybrid Rocket Motor Testing

Nitrous Oxide has many beneficial properties that make it a good choice for use in hybrid rocket motors. The large quantities and potentially high pressures used in rocket motors present unique hazards that are not generally found in the standard industrial and medical uses of nitrous oxide. Through years of hands on use, and research into the properties of nitrous oxide, SpaceDev has created a set of guidelines on how to design, clean, and inspect systems using nitrous oxide. This paper presents the nitrous oxide handling precautions and procedures employed by SpaceDev in the testing of hybrid rocket motors.