High Test Peroxide Research Articles

Initial investigation of catalyst pack for 98 %+ hydrogen peroxide satellite monopropellant thruster

This study aimed to assess the decomposition rate of highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide on catalyst samples, based on the various materials and the geometry of the supporting structures. The drop test method was used and involved delivering a droplet of hydrogen peroxide to a catalyst sample in a sealed chamber, and then measuring the pressure rise. Different sample groups showed various pressure increase rates, indicating differences in catalytic performance. The drop tests were followed by a material investigation to compare the morphology of the active layer produced on various substrates and the effects of the high-test peroxide (HTP) interaction with the surface after the tests. Qualitative tests of phase composition and chemical composition were also performed. Different substrates resulted in varying morphology based on material type, chemical composition, and porosity. The study was treated as a screening test to choose the best catalytic pack option for testing under thruster-like conditions.

Hypergolic fuel impacting a gelled oxidizer wall: Droplet dynamics, heat release, ignition, and flame analysis

The combination of high-concentration solutions of hydrogen peroxide, known as High Test Peroxide (HTP), with the green fuel composed of tetramethylethylenediamine, dimethylaminoethanol, and methanol (TMEDA/DMEA/MeOH, 1:1:1 vol%), catalyzed by 1 wt% of copper chloride dihydrate, has significant potential for space hypergolic propulsion applications in terms of performance and safe operation. Besides the well-known and mature propulsion systems adopting liquid and solid propellants, gel propellants also present interesting characteristics that can be better explored to enable the creation of alternative propulsive systems. The present work employed HTP at 98 wt% with 6 wt% of fumed silica as a gelling agent to create gelled HTP (GHTP). Droplets of the green fuel impinged on a layer of GHTP placed over a glass slide, acting as a solid oxidizer, mimicked an element of a new hybrid gel/liquid hypergolic propulsion system. Data from infrared and visible light cameras enabled a detailed analysis of the dynamics of a reactive droplet impinging on a gelled oxidizer wall, as well as the heat release, ignition, and flame spread of the hypergolic GHTP/green fuel pair under open-air conditions. The heat release was observed to be distributed across concentric annular areas for both the fuel surrogate and the fuel with catalyst, before and after ignition, demonstrating a strong correlation with non-reactive droplet fluid dynamics, which was corroborated by spread diameter analysis processed from visible image data. Vapor and Ignition Delay Times (VDT and IDT) were found to be as low as 4 and 17 ms, respectively, for the highest droplet impact velocity and catalyst concentration. The reaction rate in the gas phase, considering the flame spread area, showed a dependency of both impact velocity and catalyst concentration, with the latter exhibiting a more pronounced and clear effect. The surface temperature ranges where first vaporization and ignition occurred were 60 °C ∼ 70 °C and 120 ∼ 170 °C, respectively, which is close to the boiling point of methanol and the auto-ignition temperature of TMEDA. This finding, along with the chemical mechanisms in the gas phase related to the presence of a catalyst in the fuel, may be important for hypergolic ignition. The relatively low ignition temperatures and the short ignition times represent additional advantages of the present hypergolic combination for propulsion applications.

Catalytically promoted green fuel with hydrogen peroxide: Effect of hypergolic combustion on atomization and flow characteristics using impinging jets

This study explores the jet impingement of a catalytically promoted hypergolic green fuel with High Test Peroxide (HTP). Experimental investigations were conducted using simultaneous high-speed visible, infrared and backlight imaging. Two major aspects were investigated. First, a study exploring the potential of decoupling the combustion phenomenon through the utilization of the fuel without a catalyst as a simulant, enabling a comparative analysis of the atomization process with the authentic hypergolic pair undergoing combustion. A Reynolds versus Weber numbers diagram was obtained for jets with equal momentum in the steady-state flow regime, and a novel breakup mode was observed. The named Reactive Foamy Segregation mode was found as a two phenomenological regime, where a reacting foam exists together with a segregation stream. An analysis of the liquid film velocity formed by impinging jets indicated that the hypergolic pair exhibited significantly lower speeds and corroborates with the introduced breakup mode. Second, an analysis about the transient and steady-state jet flow effects, revealing the existence of separate planes for the reacting foam and plumes, regions with different oxidizer to fuel ratios. This natural effect was intensified by the force generated from the exothermic reaction of hydrogen peroxide decomposition. Notably, the central region of the sheet exhibited the lowest temperature, indicating that the liquid-phase mixture and propellants’ residence time were insufficiently effective in decomposing the peroxide. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex fluid dynamics involved in catalytically promoted hypergolic reactions applied in liquid rocket engines.

Preparation, characterization, and thermal decomposition kinetics of high test peroxide gel

High test peroxide gel was prepared by low temperature freezing under the action of calcium ion compound with sodium alginate as a gelling agent. The High test peroxide gel was characterized by ultra depth of field microscope, Fourier infrared spectrometer, rheometer, synchronous thermal analyzer, and electron microscope scanner. The thermal decomposition behavior and reaction kinetics of the gel were investigated. The effective content of H2O2 in the gel before and after aging was also analyzed by KMnO4 titration. The results show that the content of sodium alginate and the concentration of calcium ion compound directly affect the gelling and rheological properties of high test peroxide gel, and the gel with low sodium alginate content had a more uniform tissue structure. The Eα and lg(A/s−1) of the high test peroxide gel decomposition reaction are 69.10 kJ mol−1 and 9.13, respectively. Na2O, CaO, CaCl2 and CaSO4 are the main components of the high test peroxide gel thermal decomposition condensate products. After ignition, a boron-based high test peroxide gel propellant can produce a steady combustion. After being stored at 263 K for 20 days, the effective content of H2O2 in the gel is 96.50%, and the decomposition rate is only 0.63%.

Experimental validation of the operation of tilting-pad journal bearing lubricated by high-test peroxide under excessive vibrations and reduced flow of the lubricant

Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used as a low-toxicity liquid rocket propellant (oxidizer). Hydrodynamic bearings lubricated by this propellant may be applicable in rocket engine pumps. In this paper, a hydrodynamic tilting-pad journal bearing lubricated by highly concentrated (87 wt%) hydrogen peroxide was proposed. Furthermore, an experimental validation of the performance of this bearing with pads made of PEEK material (polyetheretherketone) was carried out on the developed high-speed measuring device. To verify the endurance of this bearing, measurements were performed at different peroxide flow rates from 100% to 20% of the nominal flow rate. The tests were also conducted under excessive vibrations induced by the misalignment of the test rotor with the drive connected by a flexible coupling. In addition to vibration measurement, the wear of the bearing sliding surfaces and lubricant temperature variations were evaluated. The measured results were compared with the calculated data. For this purpose, a two-dimensional computational model based on the thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication theory was presented. To improve the solution convergence, Newton's method is used to calculate the equilibrium tilt of the pads. The involved bearings operated smoothly at the mentioned misalignment even at 20% peroxide flow, only slight foaming occurred at the outlet.

Optimization of 10 N Monopropellant High Test Peroxide Thruster for Space Applications

Monopropellant thruster is one of the most propulsion system types developed in the space industry. This system uses a single type of propellant that reacts in porous medium catalytic packed bed to generate thrust in the form of hot gases. The last decade, green propellant hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), also known as High Test Peroxide (HTP), thanks to its low cost and easy to store as liquid, is used as an alternative solution of hydrazine which is very toxic and not environmentally friendly. In the current study, hydrogen peroxide monopropellant thruster is investigated for application in the future satellites. A numerical simulation is performed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software ANSYS Fluent in order to simulate fluid flow of hydrogen peroxide in thruster, and the finite volume method was employed for resolving the governing equation. Species transport model is applied in the single-phase reaction simulation using the Eddy Dissipation model (EDM) for turbulence-chemistry interaction. A mathematical approach based on the local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) model is used to describe the heat transfer through solid and fluid phases in the packed bed consisting of identical spherical silver particles. Several simulations performed allowed an optimal design of the injector, catalyst bed length and diameter and nozzle geometry, to achieve a 10N monopropellant thruster with hydrogen peroxide at 87.5% concentration.

Hypergolic ignition behaviors of green propellants with hydrogen peroxide: The TMEDA/DMEA system

For nearly-six decades, hydrazine and its derivatives have been the standard fuels for rockets and spacecrafts. However, their attractive features are offset by their toxicity and associated high handling and storage costs. This work presents a novel green fuel system based on N,N,N’N’-Tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA), dimethylaminoethanol (DMEA) and methanol or ethanol with high test peroxide (HTP). Drop tests were performed with 27 samples using both high speed photography and transient infrared imaging. Results have shown that neither pure TMEDA nor pure DMEA is hypergolic with high test peroxide (HTP) even with copper chloride (anhydrous or hydrated) as the catalyst. Interestingly, their combination provided a synergistic effect achieving hypergolic behavior with a consistently low ignition delay time (IDT) using only half a percent of catalyst, and the near-optimal hypergolic ignition behavior was achieved with a volume ratio of TMEDA to DMEA of 50:50. In addition, in order to adjust some properties of this blend, TMEDA/DMEA (50:50) was further mixed with methanol or ethanol with different ratios and they showed even better hypergolic ignition performance with IDT as low as 10 ms. Besides their good hypergolic ignition performance characteristics, these new fuel systems based on two propagators (TMEDA/DMEA) and a solvent (methanol or ethanol) also present low viscosity and comparable theoretical specific impulses compared to the conventional hydrazine-based systems. It is believed that this catalytically promoted hypergolic systems with HTP open up a new avenue to the replacement of conventional highly toxic hypergolic propellants.

Designing Difunctional Promoters for Hypergolic Ignitions of Green Bipropellants Combining Ionic Liquids with H2O2

The emergence of tetrahydroborate (BH4–)/cyanoborohydride (BH3CN–) anion-based ionic liquid fuels in combination with high test peroxide (>90%H2O2, HTP) oxidizers has accelerated the greening of bipropellants. However, most BH4– and BH3CN– anion-based ionic liquids are sensitive to water, making it difficult to store them. Here, novel difunctional promoters are designed for hypergolic ignition of BH4–/BH3CN– anion-free ionic liquids with 90%H2O2. The transition metal in anions of promoters is expected to catalyze the exothermic decomposition of H2O2, and the substituted borohydride in cations of promoters acts as the ignition source. These novel difunctional promoters show good solubility in commercially available 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ionic liquid fuels, and the composite fuels exhibit high density, acceptable viscosity, and high thermostability. The addition of difunctional promoters ensures the smooth hypergolic ignition of BH4–/BH3CN– anion-free ionic liquid fuels with a minimum ignition delay time of 34.0 ms, and no apparent microexplosion and secondary combustion are observed during the ignition process. With the increase in the amount of the promoter, density specific impulses of the composite fuels improve gradually. This work provides a platform strategy for designing promoters by synergy of cations and anions and makes efforts to seek green bipropellants.

Hydrogen peroxide – A promising oxidizer for rocket propulsion and its application in solid rocket propellants

This paper discusses the potential use of hydrogen peroxide as oxidizer for solid rocket propulsion. While hydrogen peroxide is a liquid in normal conditions, it may be used in solid rocket motor grains. Use of hydrogen peroxide of HTP class (High Test Peroxide) is proposed. It has been known for many decades but its utilization has been historically limited to liquid propellants. Until recently is application even in liquid state in rocket propulsion for space and defence has been limited due to storability and safety issues. With the availability of new grades of HTP with higher purity and concentrations, enhanced performance, safety and storability are possible. This results in HTP being considered for a wide range of rocket propulsion systems: as oxidizer in bipropellant and hybrid propulsion systems, as well a monopropellant. To ensure proper analysis of the potential of using HTP in next-generation solid rocket propellants, this paper reviews existing rocket propulsion applications of HTP. Modern use requires high performance and common current composite propellant compositions utilize ammonium perchlorate (AP) as oxidizer, what has several disadvantages, which are discussed. Alternative oxidizing compounds include ammonium dinitiramide (ADN), ammonium nitrate (AN), hydrazinium nitroformate (HNF), hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW) and several other secondary explosives. Key properties of solid propellant oxidizers are listed and discussed. The need for further alternatives, despite numerous recent advances in solid rocket oxidizer technology is justified. The global push forward high performance green propulsion is one of the main motivations behind considering HTP for solid rocket propulsion. Theoretical performance of solid rocket motors using solid grains containing a high mass fraction of HTP is presented. This includes performance considering several fuels and additives and different oxidizer loadings. Up to date concepts of using hydrogen peroxide in solid propellants are reviewed. Solid cryogenic propellants using hydrogen peroxide are mentioned, but focus is given to solid propellants which could ensure flexible operations, thus use in state-of-the-art solid rocket motors. Challenges of HTP application as an oxidizer for solid propulsion are listed. This includes a discussion concerning its reactivity, thus limited compatibility with organic materials. Recommendations for further experimental work are proposed. Potential technology applications are listed with explanations why these particular niches may benefit from utilization of the new solid propellant technology.

Hot Firing Tests of a Novel Green Hypergolic Propellant in a Thruster

This study investigates the ignition and combustion behavior of the recently developed green hypergolic combination named HIP_11 in a small thruster. The combination HIP_11 consists of highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide as oxidizer and a fuel based on the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate (EMIM SCN) with addition of copper thiocyanate (Cu SCN) to facilitate the hypergolic ignition. A dedicated thruster, featuring a 2-on-1 unlike impinging jet injector, was designed and manufactured. The initial tests were conducted with the injector only, without the combustion chamber mounted. These tests were conducted with two different amounts of catalyst: 1% and 5% Cu SCN. Subsequently, three hot firing series (around 35 tests) were conducted with the complete thruster, using the propellant combination 97% high-test peroxide and EMIM Cu SCN. The propellant mass flow rates were varied between 7 and and the oxidizer-to-fuel ratio from 3 to 7.

Demonstration of tethered hovering flight of HTTP-3AT hybrid rocket

This study demonstrated the performance of flight control systems of a hybrid rocket in a hovering flight test by developing a rocket designated HTTP-3AT powered by High Test Peroxide (HTP, a term used for concentrated hydrogen peroxide, H2O2). Hybrid rocket excels in system simplicity, operational safety, oxidizer storability, cost, and throttling capability compared to current solid and liquid rocket engine systems. Although issues such as the severe oxidizer-to-fuel (O/F) ratio shift during combustion and difficulty in gimbaled thrust vector control (TVC) caused by the lengthy chambers need to be solved, hybrid rocket propulsion is nevertheless a promising propulsion technology for future space exploration. To achieve accurate orbit insertion, thrust magnitude control and TVC of the rocket engines are necessary. However, no organizations have successfully implemented this technology on a practical hybrid rocket, not even using this technology for hovering flight tests. On September 8th, 2020, a hovering flight test of HTTP-3AT was conducted, achieving a steady hover 3 m above ground for 25 s utilizing both attitude and position controls. This test showed that a hybrid rocket could achieve a stable hovering flight with the capability of vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL), demonstrating excellent throttling control and TVC capabilities of hybrid rocket propulsion.

Low concentration hydrogen peroxide decomposition inside a minichannel with annual silver catalyst

Hydrogen peroxide is a green propellant which apart from space propulsion is used in various industrial applications. Though hydrazine was used initially, the nature of hydrazine which is a toxic, carcinogenic and hazardous fuel resulted in various space agencies’ interest in green propellants. The essential step for high test peroxide (HTP) as a green mono propellant realization is on development of a reliable, effective, long life catalytic beds which are not affected by catalytic poisoning and impurities. In the present study, a 3D model is developed using COMSOL Multiphysics software to know the catalytic decomposition of 30% hydrogen peroxide flowing inside a 3 mm diameter 300 mm length channel. The effect of annular silver catalyst (I.D – 1.6 mm, O.D. – 2 mm, length 10 mm) on decomposition rate is studied in detail. The positioning of silver catalyst bed and number of beds increased the reaction rate with varying pressure drop. Among the variations simulated, the 4 catalyst model gives the better performance and gets decomposed to a greater extent. This model will help in the design of a micro thruster which can operate efficiently with low pressure drop.

Development of Green Storable Hybrid Rocket Propulsion Technology Using 98% Hydrogen Peroxide as Oxidizer

This paper presents the development of indigenous hybrid rocket technology, using 98% hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer. Consecutive steps are presented, which started with interest in hydrogen peroxide and the development of technology to obtain High Test Peroxide, finally allowing concentrations of up to 99.99% to be obtained in-house. Hydrogen peroxide of 98% concentration (mass-wise) was selected as the workhorse for further space propulsion and space transportation developments. Over the course nearly 10 years of the technology’s evolution, the Lukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Aviation completed hundreds of subscale hybrid rocket motor and component tests. In 2017, the Institute presented the first vehicle in the world to have demonstrated in-flight utilization for 98% hydrogen peroxide. This was achieved by the ILR-33 AMBER suborbital rocket, which utilizes a hybrid rocket propulsion as the main stage. Since then, three successful consecutive flights of the vehicle have been performed, and flights to the Von Karman Line are planned. The hybrid rocket technology developments are described. Advances in hybrid fuel technology are shown, including the testing of fuel grains. Theoretical studies and sizing of hybrid propulsion systems for spacecraft, sounding rockets and small launch vehicles have been performed, and planned further developments are discussed.

Design, test and build of a monopropellant thruster using 85% hydrogen peroxide

The objective of this research is to design, build, and test about a 5N Hydrogen Peroxide(H2O2) monopropellant thruster (MPT). It is utilized in remote sensing satellites for attitude control and orbit manoeuvres. The MPT uses high test peroxide (HTP) of 85 % concentration. Firstly, H2O2 ≈85% concertation by weight is prepared in the laboratory. A distillation and filtration units are built. The distillation and filtration processes are performed. Next, the design of the monopropellant thruster is done based on the developed mathematical model using NASA CEA rocket performance code. The test facility is developed which consists of the thruster, the feeding system, static test stand and data acquisition system with measuring sensors. An experimental test stand is designed and fabricated with Pendulum thrust mechanism for measurements of thrust. Finally, the silver catalyst is prepared and packed inside the MPT chamber where silver screens of high purity 99.96 % are used. The 10-firing tests are conducted under atmospheric conditions. The firings performed without heating are not completely successful. The analysis of the results shows that the thruster has a thrust range from 3.8-4.2 N. The performance of thruster starts to decay after consuming 6 kg of stabilized H2O2. The specific impulse (Is) is evaluated to be ≈93-97s at decomposition pressure of ≈10 bars and mass flow rate conf≈4.18 g/s. The performance evaluation is judged to be successful. However, using the whole potential of the 85% concentrated H2O2, is expected to increase (Is) up to ≈111.5s.

Synergistic effect of a hybrid additive for hydrogen peroxide-based low toxicity hypergolic propellants

Hypergolic bipropellants based on high-test peroxide (HTP, >85% H2O2) have traditionally emerged as low-toxicity propellants for space applications. However, the late-ignition performance of HTP-based fuel restricts its potential use in particular applications, such as high-precision auxiliary response thrusters. In this study, the synergistic effects of new hybrid additives (reactive additive: catalytic additive), NaBH4:NaI, and NaBH4:NH4I were, for the first time, demonstrated to improve the ignition performance of low-toxicity fuels with 95 wt.% H2O2. The effect of changes in the weight percentage ratios of the reactive and catalytic additives on the ignition performance was investigated. The fuels without additives were non-hypergolic with 95 wt.% H2O2. However, at specific concentrations, the hybrid additives in fuels markedly lowered the ignition delay time (IDT) to less than 3 ms. Notably, ethylenediamine containing 10 wt.% hybrid additives of NaBH4:NaI and NaBH4:NH4I at a specific additive weight ratio (6.5:3.5) yielded an average IDT of 2.75 and 2.69 ms, respectively. Thermal analysis revealed that the hybrid additive improved the thermal stability of the fuels. The theoretical vacuum-specific impulse of these fuels was calculated using the NASA-CEA code. The results of this study confirm the validity of our approach for developing relatively low-toxicity hypergolic fuels for space propulsion.

Ablation characteristics of rocket nozzle using HfC-SiC refractory ceramic composite

Modern hybrid rockets are susceptible to the highly ablative environment in which they operate, as introducing an adequate cooling system has so far been a challenge. Ablative material has been widely adopted for use in hybrid rockets, which can only survive for the limited operation time. The use of ablative materials such as pyrolytic composite or graphite is advantageous for use in a simple system in an uncooled state. However, ablation causes severe enlarging in the nozzle throat area and a significant drop in the pressure during operation. Recently, Ultra High-Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs) have been noted as superior in terms of ablation and oxidation resistance. The most promising HfC-SiC composite ceramic has demonstrated an enhanced performance for thermal and mechanical properties. In this study, an HfC-SiC composite was embedded in the graphite casing as a nozzle insert throat to analyze the feasibility of its application in rockets. An experimental analysis of the ablation in the HfC-SiC was carried out with a 250 N scale hybrid thruster using High Test Peroxide (HTP) and High-Density Polyethylene. The hot-fire condition was set to above 30 bar for 25 s combustion, with the purpose of producing significant erosion on the nozzle materials. The graphite nozzle of the same shape was also tested under the same experimental conditions for comparison of the erosion. The hot-fire test with the HfC-SiC insert resulted in a stable rocket performance, with improvements to the chamber pressure and the thrust, whereas the combustion performance varied undesirably in the test using the graphite nozzle due to ablation. The rate of ablation in the throat was significantly reduced to 15.81 μm/s using HfC-SiC, which is 46.5% of the erosion rate found in the graphite. The adoption of the HfC-SiC composite effectively inhibited the ablation on the throat. However, substantial erosion occurred on the interfaces due to the different ablation resistances. The feasibility of adopting hafnium-based carbide on the rocket was also evaluated based on a material analysis of the surface oxidation.

EFFECT OF FUEL PROPERTIES ON THE COMBUSTION OF STORABLE BIPROPELLANTS: ALKANES, ETHANOL WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

Recently, the interest in storable propellants for rocket engines has been driven by the need of cost reducing of space launch: safety, easier handling, and gain in mass structure. Therefore, reduced hazards liquid propellants are considered such as hydrogen peroxide in association with green fuels (kerosene or ethyl alcohol) for propulsion. To this purpose, test benches at lab-scale have been developed at PPrime Institute (Poitiers, France): the one used in the present study is dedicated to the combustion of non-hypergolic propellants at moderate mass-flow rate (ACSEL test bench). The spray is generated by impingement of liquid jets in two configurations: either like doublet or unlike triplet. Both configurations are being studied and implemented in reactive tests with HTP875 (High Test Peroxide of 87.5% by weight) as oxidizer and, respectively, ethanol, iso-octane, and n-decane (as a pure alkane substitute of a kerosene) fuels. The injector plate is implemented in a 105 mm long combustion chamber with different nozzle throat diameters. Tests cover a range of equivalence ratio based on stoichiometry from 0.6 to 2.1 with imposed total mass flow of 15 to 20 g/s. A comparison of the combustion performances and stability is proposed in terms of chamber pressure, total mass-flow rate, equivalence ratio, and characteristic velocity. A focus is given to the effect of the fuel properties on the combustion at steady regime, considering first the effect of the miscibility of the fuel and the oxidizer, and secondly its volatility.

Effect of vibration and stirring on 90% and 98% hydrogen peroxide

The influence of vibration and stirring of 90% and 98% hydrogen peroxide (high test peroxide – HTP) of two different purity levels in accordance with MIL-PRF-16005F, was determined. Testing was conducted in order to evaluate safety of use of highly concentrated solutions of hydrogen peroxide. The influence of vibration on HTP was tested at different frequencies up to 100 Hz. Further testing investigated the influence of stirring HTP, at three different speed values: 2000 rpm, 4000 rpm and 6000 rpm. During both tests, decomposition was determined by measuring concentration loss using density assay. Liquid during the tests was visually inspected for visible signs of decomposition such as: foaming, gas emission, turbidity.

Development of the ILR-33 “Amber” sounding rocket for microgravity experimentation

This paper gives an overview of the development of the ILR-33 ”Amber” sounding rocket designated for microgravity experiments, that is under development at Institute of Aviation in Warsaw, Poland. The lack of an easily accessible and affordable platform for this kind of research was one of the key reasons for this work. The proposed design enables performing experiments in microgravity for almost 150 seconds with an apogee over 100 km. Combining these results with a relatively low price per launch and short deployment time gives a possibility to establish a firm position on the dynamic market. This article describes also the rocket structure and the vehicle's capabilities. The proposed design utilizes a hybrid rocket motor with High Test Peroxide as an oxidizer along with two reusable solid rocket boosters. The early phase analysis of the rocket configuration and propellant considerations are also presented in the paper. Furthermore, there have been already several on-ground test performed such as: wind tunnel research and motor firings. The proposed design is considered as an introduction to small launch vehicle technology.

Experimental analysis of hydrogen peroxide film-cooling method for nontoxic hypergolic thruster

The present study focused on experimental studies on the hydrogen peroxide film-cooling method for a 500 N scale nontoxic hypergolic thruster. The nontoxic hypergolic fuel used was Stock 3 and the main oxidizer was 95% high-test peroxide (HTP). Two different liquid film coolants, water and 95% HTP, were tested to qualitatively analyze the effects of the thermal decomposition of hydrogen peroxide on film-cooling performance. The results of the film-cooling performance tests were examined from three different perspectives: propulsive performance analysis, film-cooling performance analysis, and gaseous film-cooling analysis. The thermal decomposition process of the hydrogen peroxide film coolant contributed to alleviating the loss in propulsive performance, but degraded the film-cooling performance. Two simple analytical approaches, the inverse problem method and gaseous film-cooling method, were utilized to predict the interior surface temperatures of the chamber. The Stineman interpolation method was also useful in estimating the temperature profiles of the chamber even without temperature data from the area downstream of the nozzle throat.