Experimental Study of Flow Processes and Performance of a High Pressure Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyst Bed

Abstract

Catalyst beds designed to decompose hydrogen peroxide have been in use since the late 1930s in a variety of applications. While many decomposition methods have been investigated over the years, the silver screen technology has proven to be very reliable for the decomposition of Rocket Grade Hydrogen Peroxide. A small silver screen hydrogen peroxide catalyst bed has been developed by Purdue University students to study the effect of high operating pressures on the performance of the catalyst bed. The catalyst bed was designed for a nominal mass flow rate of 90% hydrogen peroxide of 0.3 lbm/s (0.136 kg/s) corresponding to a bed loading of 0.37 lbm/s-in (0.026 kg/s-cm). Chamber pressures investigated in the study range from 1000 to 4000 psia (70 to 280 bars). It was found that the catalyst bed could be operated with high decomposition efficiencies and rapid start transients at bed loadings up to three times the conventionally accepted value of 0.4 lbm/s-in (0.03 kg/s-cm).