An Application of Commercial Grade Hydrogen Peroxide for Hybrid/Liquid Rocket Engine

Abstract

The Japanese domestic production of commercial grade hydrogen peroxide (HP) for chemical industries are more than 300,000 tons/year (reduced 100%) but its concentration was regulated below 60% for handing, storages and shipping safety, no rocket grade (90%) HP have been produced after 1970. However, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI) has been developing the decomposed products of the commercial grade HP/JP-4 liquid rocket engine as clean turbofan driver gas generator for ATR engine. Using the similar liquid rocket as igniter torch for solid fuel, it is possible that even commercial grade HP is available as an oxidizer for low cost and safe experimental hybrid rocket. As the concentration of commercial grade HP is increasing up to 70% for saving shipping cost in Japan, holding various hybrid rocket advantages, 240s or more high Isp will be attainable with easily exothermically decomposed the HP passing through usually 3-way catalyst bed and polyethylene (PE) solid fuel at the combustion pressure of above 10 [MPa]. Needless to say that the high Isp are obtainable using the rocket grade HP, however, comparing with rocket grade HP the hybrid rocket which commercial grade HP as an oxidizer has several merits such as follows; low cost, high storage stability and high handling safety. Further more, since commercial grade HP oxidizer/PE solid fuel hybrid rocket need high O/F ratio for obtaining its maximum Isp, small combustion chamber is easily increasable pressure coupled with its low combustion