Affiliation:
1. University of Canterbury, 8041 Christchurch, New Zealand
Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide thrusters rely on catalysts to generate steam and oxygen, and yet relatively little is known about the processes that occur within the catalyst bed. Previous models have assumed that both diffusional resistances and temperature differences between the catalyst and the fluid can be ignored. In this paper a 1D, multiscale, transient, heterogeneous, and diffusion-enabled model of catalytic hydrogen peroxide decomposition was developed and applied to a 3D-printed catalyst bed, which offers potentially significant benefits over conventional silver mesh catalysts. A triply periodic minimal surface was the chosen geometry. Simulation results suggest that the heterogeneous and diffusion-limited nature of the reaction cannot be ignored if accurate predictions about the catalyst bed performance are to be made. Through the newfound capabilities of the present model, the influence of various parameters, such as the hydrogen peroxide concentration, pressure, geometric unit cell size, bed void fraction, and support material, were characterized. Increasing the concentration, decreasing the unit cell size, and increasing the void fraction are all effective strategies for improving the performance of hydrogen peroxide thrusters, made possible by new catalytic materials and the advent of 3D-printing.
Funder
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Publisher
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Subject
Space and Planetary Science,Mechanical Engineering,Fuel Technology,Aerospace Engineering
Cited by
2 articles.
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