Development of a Small Green Bipropellant Rocket Engine Using Hydrogen Peroxide as Oxidizer

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the development of an environmental-friendly small bipropellant rocket engine at the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw, Poland. 98% concentration hydrogen peroxide oxidizer and Jet-A fuel are used. A reliable pressure-fed system was chosen and system assembly tests are on-going. The final goal is to enable building and flight-qualifying a larger engine, possible to be used as a large satellite thruster and orbit transfer propulsion system. The paper covers the design and tests of a sub-scale, high contraction ratio, 250-Newton-thrust rocket engine. Fuel is injected into the oxidizer gaseous catalytic decomposition products and pseudo-hypergolic ignition occurs. Results of test firings are presented, with thrust, pressure and temperature measurements given. Special attention is drawn to the process of kerosene autoignition. A novel investigation of kerosene autoignition for very low O/F values, when a high contraction ratio is utilized, was made.