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Moscow State Aviation Institute. Dept. of Engines for Flying Vehicles. The Use of Hydrogen Peroxide as Propellants. HA, Seong-Up. Brief History of LPRE Propellants. Liquid-propellant rocket propulsion system has been developed for about 100 years. Past works
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Moscow State Aviation Institute Dept. of Engines for Flying Vehicles The Use of Hydrogen Peroxide as Propellants HA, Seong-Up
Brief History of LPRE Propellants • Liquid-propellant rocket propulsion system has been developed for about 100 years. • Past works • More than 1800 different propellants has been estimated • More than 2000 bipropellant combination has been investigated • About 300 combinations were tested in small thrust chambers • About 40 different combinations have been used for actual flight tests • Various chemicals can used as fuel • Hydrogen (H2) • Hydrocarbon family (alcohol, methane, gasoline, kerosene, JP, RP, sintin, etc.) • Hydrazine family (hydrazine, MMH, UDMH, Aerozine-50, etc.) • Ammonia, amine family • But only a few chemicals are used as oxidizer • LO2, H2O2, N2O4, HNO3
Characteristics of H2O2 as Propellants • H2O2 can wok as monopropellant or oxidizer for bipropellant • First utilized monopropellant • Powerful oxidizer for bipropellant (LOx > N2O4 > HNO3≈ H2O2) • Non-toxic, storable propellant * • Environmentally-clean products of combustion • High density * • Non-reaction with atmosphere • Low vapor pressure * • High specific heat * • High O/F ratio * • Water can be used as a quenching fluid * • Various gas can be used as pressurant
First Practical Rocket “V-2” • First actually-utilized rocket • First ballistic missile (SRBM) • Propellants • To main combustion chamber : Liquid Oxygen + Alcohol (75% ethyl alcohol + 25% water) • to gas generator : 80% H2O2 + NaMnO4·H2O(33%) – 685K • After WW2 German rocket technology had been transferred to Soviet Union, United States, UK, etc. • R-1 : soviet version of V-2 • Reassembled V-2 at White Sand in USA • Reassembled V-2 in UK
First Practical Rocket “V-2” Thrust Control Valve H2O2 Catalyst solution
First Practical Rocket “V-2” H2O2 inlet Catalystinlet gasgenerator
Most Reliable Rocket R-7 family • Records • The world’s first ICBM and first orbital launch vehicle, AND STILL BEING USED • Over 1600 R-7 rockets have been launched with the successful rate of 97.5% • About 1/3 of space launch vehicles in the world is “R-7 family” (Soyuz, Vostok, Vosxod, etc) • Engines • RD-107, RD-108 and their modifications • Propellants • To main combustion chamber : Liquid Oxygen + Kerosene • to gas generator : 82% H2O2 + solid catalyst
Most Reliable Rocket R-7 family Thrustcontrolvalve Catalyst
British “Black Arrow” • British satellite launch vehicle based on “Black Knight” sounding rocket • Main propellants : RP-1 + H2O2 (85 or 90%) • Unique UK satellite launch vehicle, which delivered UK satellite to orbit, • In the world, unique satellite launch vehicle, which used H2O2 as oxidizer • After WW2, UK was highly interested in H2O2 • In 1971, Program was canceled owing to the lack of interest and budget of government 2nd stage Gamma 2 1st stage Gamma 8
H2O2 as Monopropellant • Application : GG for TP, RCS, thrusters, etc • Catalyst • NaMnO4, KMnO4, Ba(MnO4)2, Ca(MnO4)2, etc • 1kg dry catalyst can separate 1500~2000 kg 80% H2O2 (0.2 kg / kg sec) • Practically, 80~120 kg H2O2 / 1kg solid catalyst (0.8~1.2 kg / kg sec) • Liquid catalyst • Water solution under 40% (28~35%) • Directly Injected to GG • 1:12 ~ 1:26 (catalyst solution : H2O2) • Solid catalyst • Granule type of permanganates is widely used
H2O2 as Monopropellant • provides lower temperature than the limit temperature of turbine material • Efficiency is not so high like bi-propellant GG system • But system is simple and reliable
H2O2 as Oxidizer for Bipropellants • Chemical Equilibrium Calculation • Equilibrium constants • Mass and energy conservation • Minimization-of-free-energy method • Minimization of Gibbs Energy (T,P) • or Minimization of Helmholtz Energy (T,V or T,ρ) • or Maximization of entropy • Two methods shows almost same results, but in minimization-of-free-energy method each species can be treated independently without specifying a set of reactions
H2O2 as Oxidizer for Bipropellants • Minimization of Gibb’s free energy • Gibb’s energy per unit mass • Chemical potential • Mass balance constraints for the minimization of free energy • Define • Chemical potential can be written as
H2O2 as Oxidizer for Bipropellants • Rocket performance calculation • Equilibrium method • Chemical reactions progress in nozzle • Predict higher performance than actual values • Frozen method • Chemical reactions finish in combustion chamber, and in nozzle chemical species are not changed • Predict lower performance than actual values • Actual performance can be assumed between those two values
Comparison of RP-1/H2O2 and RP-1/LOx RP-1 : 800 LOx : 1140 H2O2 : 1460 H2O : 1000
Comparison of RP-1/H2O2 and RP-1/LOx • Isp of RP-1/H2O2(90%) is lower than Isp of RP-1/Lox (5~9%) • Lower combustion temperature (21~25 %) – • Lower molecular weight (12~14 %) + • Bulk density of propellants is higher (27%) +
Comparison of RP-1/H2O2 and RP-1/LOx • Compare ΔV • Assume Launchers have same size • Take 90% H2O2 as oxidizer • Consider Pc=50 bar and ε=1000 • Take average value of equilibrium and frozen decomposition as Isp value • Assume the mass fraction of propellants is 0.9 when RP-1/LOx is used RP-1 / LOx RP-1 / 90% H2O2 Because of higher bulk density of propellants, the launcher with RP-1/H2O2 can show almost same or even better performance than the launcher with RP-1/LOx
Comparison of RP-1/H2O2 and RP-1/LOx Products of combustion (Pc=100bar, ε=1000, mole fraction)
New interests “LR-40” • In 1950’s LR-40 was developed for rocket-assisted aircraft by RMI (Rocket Motor Inc.) • Thrust 1.6~4.6 ton • Isp 220~257 sec. • Pc 36.5 bar • Mass 100 kg • Propellant kerosene / 90% H2O2 • Single burn with continuous throttling for 5400 sec • Program was canceled owing to frequent accidents on ground tests and budget problems
New interests “LR-40” • Recently GK (General Kinetics Inc.) has interested in the modification of LR-40 • Extend nozzle (250:1 - area ratio) • Upgrade injectors • Upgrade the concentration of H2O2 up to 98% • Increase camber pressure up to 38.4 bar • Thrust 6.9 ton • Isp 324 sec.
New interests “AR2-3” • In 1950’s AR2-3 was developed for rocket-assisted aircraft by Rocketdyne • Used for FJ-4, F-86, NF-104 • Thrust 3 ton • Isp 246 sec. • Pc 38.6 bar • Mass 100 kg • Propellant kerosene / 90% H2 O2 • Engine life >150 min. NF-104 with AR2-3
New interests “AR2-3” • NASA/Boing is developing “X-34 Advanced Technology Demonstrator” to test future launch technologies. • can replace STS with X-34 • to orbit and reentry • reusable • with single engine AR 2-3 2006.04 atmospheric drop test
New interests “AR2-3” • AR2-3 for X-34 is being tested at NASA E-3 Cell 2 Test Facility, which is located in SSC Test Complex • NASA’s primary center for testing and flight certifying rocket propulsion systems • In E3 test facilities, propulsion components and assemblies with methane and hydrogen peroxide are mainly tested.
New interests “RD-161P” • RD-5xx engines use hydrogen peroxide as oxidizer • RD-502, RD-510, RD-511, RD-512, RD-550 • Developments were finished until 1974 • “RD-161P” is modification of RD-161 • Developed for 3rd stage of Soyuz • Staged combustion cycle • GG : H2O2 + Solid catalyst (850℃) • even engine can work without fuel (kerosene)
Activities of MAI Moscow State Aviation Institute Depart of the Liquid Rocket Engines Group of the Small Thrust Liquid Rocket Engines • MAI is interested in the developments of thrusters (low-thrust rocket engine) with ecologically-clean propellants • Various ignition systems are applied and verified • Electric spark ignition • Glow plug ignition • Catalyst-based ignition ( Mn(C5H7O2)3 ) • Gasdynamic ignition
Activities of MAI • Characteristics of ignition system
Activities of MAI Catalyst imbedded head Kerosene – GO2 or H2O2 engines GH2-GO2 engine Laminated head design Electric spark ignition Glow plug ignition system NT-UDMH or MMH engine
Conclusion • Recently one of research tendencies in rocket propulsion system is the development of ecologically-clean, low-cost propulsion system. • For this purpose hydrogen peroxide can work as reasonable propellant • easier to handle (non-toxic, storable…) • easier to make system components • reasonable ballistic performance, even though thrust performance is lower