Limits RegistryPUBLIC RECORD
Limits RegistryLiquid hydrogen has the highest specific energy of any chemical fuel in practical use, releasing about 142 MJ per kilogram upon combustion with oxygen — nearly three times that of gasoline (about 46 MJ/kg) — which is why it is used in high-performance rocket upper stages despite its low volumetric density and cryogenic handling challenges.
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Liquid hydrogen has the highest specific energy of any chemical fuel in practical use, releasing about 142 MJ per kilogram upon combustion with oxygen — nearly three times that of gasoline (about 46 MJ/kg) — which is why it is used in high-performance rocket upper stages despite its low volumetric density and cryogenic handling challenges.
The highest gravimetric energy density (energy released per kilogram of fuel upon combustion) among chemical fuels used in practice, as opposed to purely theoretical or unstable exotic compounds.
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Limits Registry. LR-HIGHEST-ENERGY-DENSITY-CHEMICAL-FUEL. Highest gravimetric energy density of a practical chemical fuel. 2026.