A mechanical failure during the test launch of a biodiesel-powered rocket produced unexpected results, giving rocket engineers a deeper appreciation for the biofuel. A stuck fuel valve on the rocket caused some biodiesel to flow into the liquid oxygen system and, upon ignition, a fire inside the liquid oxygen manifold caused the launch to fail. However, the failure did not result in a pool fire, which is a typical result when standard kerosene-based RP-1 rocket fuel is used. Instead, the biodiesel stopped burning. RP-1 has a minimum flash point of 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) while the flash point of biodiesel can range between 200 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit (93 and 149 degrees Celsius)./VIDEO: FLOMETRICS INC.
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