Experimental Evaluation of a High Test Peroxide Catalyst Chamber for a Hybrid Rocket Engine
- Paper number
IAC-10.C4.2.11
- Author
Mr. Daniel Lancelle, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Ognjan Bozic, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Dennis Porrmann, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany
- Year
2010
- Abstract
Hybrid rocket propulsion technology gained in importance recently. For a new innovative electromagnetically launched payload carrier concept a hybrid rocket engine is developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).This rocket engine is based on Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB) with metallic additives as solid fuel and high concentrated hydrogen peroxide (HTP) as liquid oxidiser. Instead of a conventional ignition system, a catalyst chamber with a silver mesh catalyst is designed, to decompose the HTP to steam and oxygen at very high temperature. The catalyst chamber is able to decompose 0.5 kg/s of 90\% HTP. Used as a monopropellant thruster, this equals an average thrust of 700 N. The chamber consists of the catalyst itself, a mount for the catalyst material, a retainer, an injector manifold, a cooling channel and a casing. Furthermore, a pressure sensor, a mass flow sensor and a thermocouple can be attached, to measure the decomposition products’ properties. A multiphase model is created to predict the condition of the media at each location downstream the catalyst chamber. Several calculations are carried out to determine the appropriate geometry for a complete decomposition with a minimum of catalyst material. Moreover the power loss due to heat transfer to the environment is assessed. With the described catalyst chamber tests are carried out using 90\% hydrogen peroxide and different amounts of catalyst material. The chamber is mounted on a testbed, which comprises attachment, peroxide storage, feed system, valves, data acquisition and control. By determination of the decomposition temperature the integrity of decomposition is verified and compared to the theoretical prediction. From the results parameters are derived to trim possible discrepancies between the theoretic model and the experiment. After this adjustment the model is be capable to calculate a catalyser for engines of any size. The developed catalyst chamber provides a simple, reliable ignition system for hybrid rocket propulsion systems based on hydrogen peroxide as oxidiser. The system will be capable for arbitrary re-ignitions without the need to meet an optimal ignition point. Such a system behaves like a hypergolic engine in terms of ignition, but without hazardous substances.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)