Propulsion System on Hydrogen Peroxide Mono-Propellant for Panel ExTension SATellite (PETSAT)
- Paper number
IAC-06-C4.1.07
- Author
Dr. Hironori Sahara, University of Tokyo, Japan
- Coauthor
Prof. Shinichi Nakasuka, University of Tokyo, Japan
- Coauthor
Ms. Chisato Kobayashi, Astro-Technology SOHLA, Japan
- Year
2006
- Abstract
Space Oriented Higashi-Osaka Leading Association (SOHLA) and University of Tokyo collaborate to develop Panel ExTension SATellite (PETSAT) which is a microsatellite based on innovative design concept and contributes to reducing cost and manufacturing period of microsatellites via standardizing subsystem panels, and intend to launch SOHLA-2 as the first demonstrator of PETSAT. You can make a microsatellite for your missions by installing subsystem panels you need via PETSAT for moderate price and period. Some missions will require propulsion system in order to attain a maneuver. But the conventional propulsion is awfully expensive since it is developed as a unique or identifiable product by proper specialists with quite high reliability. Here, we are devoting ourselves to develop a propulsion system of moderate price and decent performance for PETSAT. Microsatellites generally require large thrust density with low power for short lifetime, which suggests that Chemical Propulsion is the most suitable for microsatellites. Furthermore, it is the most important that microsatellites like PETSAT may be fabricated by non-proper specialist of propulsion, and SAFETY FIRST POLICY is the first priority even if its performance is sacrificed to some extent. Based on the concepts, we selected Hydrogen Peroxide Monopropellant (HP MONO) or Bipropellant of a combination of Hydrogen Peroxide and Ethanol (HP-E BI). Indeed Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) is no-toxic, no-caustic, and no-explosive propulsion, but it is such strong oxidizer that burns skin and it intensively decomposes by microscopic scratch on its storage tank and may blow out it. It indicates that HP of lower concentration level is more suitable for PETSAT based on the SAFETY FIRST POLICY and we did not choose Rocket Grade Hydrogen Peroxide (RGHP) but HP solution of 50 % or 60 % which is commonly used as a food additive so that it is one of the Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products. Higher performance of HP decomposition is desirable and we selected Manganese Dioxide (MnO2), RAC-37 and RAC-38 of active carbon, silver (Ag), or Platinum (Pt) and so on as candidates of catalyst. We fabricated propellant supplying system as a breadboard model of propulsion for microsatellites, and designed a test thruster with catalyst bed and injectors, which has ability to exchange catalyst bed with other sizes or ratio of catalysts. Now we are conducting the preliminary test of HP decomposing and thruster injection with the system in order to obtain characteristics of its performances. Details are shown in our presentation.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-C4.1.07.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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