Thermally decomposed hydrogen peroxide for small scale monopropellant propulsion applications

This paper reports on the feasibility and performance of thermal decomposition of hydrogen peroxide for space propulsion applications. Two thrusters were designed and manufactured for experimental tests: a monopropellant thruster with a catalyst bed and a heater around the thruster for preheating, and a resistojet thruster with a heater and heat exchanger in the chamber. Those were also in different scales, the former one was a 10 N class thruster, and the latter was for a 100 mN class, but using the same propellant, 50wt% hydrogen peroxide. With varying preheated temperatures, firing tests were conducted and characteristic velocity performance was investigated in order to understand the decomposition characteristics of hydrogen peroxide depending on thermal load. The characteristic velocity efficiencies of both thrusters, in the range of approximately 60-90%, were analysed with respect to residence time. Regardless of the use of a catalyst in the reaction chambers, the efficiencies of both thrusters were affected by residence time in a similar trend.