Design and Experimental Results of a Hydrolytic \\ Propulsion System for In-Space Applications
- Paper number
IAC-24,C4,9,3,x90871
- Author
Mr. Sergio Paris, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
- Coauthor
Ms. Irene Fulfaro, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
- Year
2024
- Abstract
In recent years, the reaction between aluminum and water is being studied for hydrogen production as well as for possible innovative uses. One of them is its exploitation for propulsive applications. Indeed, hydrolytic propulsion is "green”, and it has the potential to be miniaturized. Such technology could revolutionize interplanetary missions as intended today, giving access to deep space even to the micro- and nano-satellite growing market. In this work, an in-space primary propulsion system for CubeSat applications based on aluminum hydrolysis and capable of multiple thrust impulses is designed and tested. A mixture of Al-Bi-NaCl is adopted to increase the reaction rate and efficiency: bismuth works as a catalyzer while sodium chloride is used for the mechanical activation of aluminum., needed to allow the reaction to occur. Their mass fractions are chosen according to previous studies and set to 90-5-5 \%wt. Once activated, aluminum powder is stored, as a propellant, through tablets which allow to manage missions that require multiple impulses. The first part of the work focuses on the thermodynamic analysis, carried out with NASA CEA software, to analyze the temperature and pressure behaviors and to produce a reference baseline for the experimental investigation. Such preliminary analysis is needed to find the O/F ratio that ensures the best performances, considering the thrust coefficient and specific impulse obtained. Once the setup parameters are found, the first experimental campaign is carried out in a closed control volume to evaluate the reaction behavior and velocity, and to compare the obtained results with the predicted ones. An analysis of the reaction product is carried to completely characterize the reaction. The architecture of the system is chosen, and the reaction chamber is sized according to the data collected, up to the production of the engine prototype. The second - and main - experimental campaign is done to verify the effectiveness of the designed system and to evaluate its thrust and performance parameters. The test campaign showed thrust values in the order of Newtons and tens of Newtons. A comparison with the theoretical results is carried out to measure the efficiency of the system. The creation of the prototype and the characterization of its potentialities represent a step forward to increase the TRL of such technology.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-24,C4,9,3,x90871.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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