This involves a tank filled with liquid oxygen. Freezer generators would be put around the tank, chilling it to about -225.65 C. This is necessary to keep the oxygen liquified. The engine would be a regular fuel-injection engine, but stronger and insulated.

On impact, the oxygen would mix with a strong carbon-based fuel (most likely soot) and cause one heck of a blast. I know that oxyliquit weapons and liquid oxygen engines are baked, but no one has combined them before. Using the unstable payload as fuel seems perfect.

Of course, I am sort of hesitant about informing the Army because of the possibilities of catastrophic failure, a large worker death toll and the fact that this isn't nearly as good as the cheaper, better alternatives . Mmmm, smells perfectly half-baked!
-- Shadow Phoenix, Aug 30 2007

Explosives. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosive
[bungston, Aug 30 2007]

I have linked the wikipedia article on high explosives. Many explosives carry with them the oxygen required for the oxidation reactions: they are unstable molecules. Read about this under "oxygen balance".
-- bungston, Aug 30 2007


This is baked as a fuel-air explosive. They use a small explosive charge to disperse a aerosol fuel into the ambient air, creating a stoichiometric mixture. Another explosive is then used to detonate the now oxygenated fuel.

The advantage of FAEs is they don't require the oxidizer to be carried with them, greatly reducing weight and increasing power density. Since your design still carries the oxidizer, you might as well bind it in the same molecule as the fuel, as in conventional explosives.
-- Aq_Bi, Aug 30 2007


Actually, soot and liquid oxygen DO cause an appreciable reaction. I have, however, removed the bit about diamond (I tried it with a borrowed diamond and it wasn't exactly what I thought).

//Using the unstable payload as fuel seems perfect.//

That was sort of supposed to be sarcasm. Yeesh.
-- Shadow Phoenix, Aug 31 2007


//This is baked as a fuel-air explosive.//
And not nearly as good, as the fuel-air doesn't require refrigeration, or oxygen, for that matter. Just a big propane tank.
-- ldischler, Aug 31 2007


You don't need refrigeration on the missile. All you need is a vacuum-flask like insulating tank that a) you keep refilling until you launch the missile b) empty if the missile stays unarmed for a longer period of time.
-- kinemojo, Sep 02 2007


Nasa alrady uses Liquid oxygen and hydrogen rockets, which i'm shure is better than soot or else they'd be using it.

The military uses solid fuels because they're safer, cheaper, and easier to store
-- Livingfishguy, Sep 03 2007


Aluminium oxide.nasa
-- the dog's breakfast, Sep 03 2007



random, halfbakery