Alta S.p.A. (Italy) and DELTACAT Ltd. (United Kingdom) are conducting a study, funded by the European Space Agency, into the development of hydrogen peroxide monopropellant thrusters using advanced catalytic beds. The present paper focuses on the design of two different demonstration thrusters with nominal ratings of 5 N and 25 N. Design requirements and specifications are presented, followed by the main results of a concept study, which was conducted to define the approximate dimensions needed. Some details about the specific design of the two prototypes and the choice of the main components are provided, with particular regard to the sensors and transducers to be used during the experimentation. Different catalytic bed configurations, including pure silver gauzes and pellets coated with manganese oxide or platinum, are going to be tested in the prototype thrusters, in order to find the optimum one for further industrial development. A dedicated test bench, designed and realized by Alta S.p.A. for tests on the thruster prototypes, is also illustrated.
Alta S.p.A. (Italy) and DELTACAT Ltd. (United Kingdom) are conducting a study, funded by the European Space Agency, into the development of hydrogen peroxide monopropellant thrusters using advanced catalytic beds. The present paper focuses on the design of a dedicated test bench to assess the effectiveness of different catalyst samples when immersed in hydrogen peroxide. To date, the apparatus has been used to study powdered silver and three oxides of manganese. The evaluation of an analytical technique for determining the observed decomposition rates is also presented. In addition to devising a quantitative method for assessing the efficacy of the candidate catalysts, some qualitative studies of proposed metallic catalysts, in the form of wires immersed in hydrogen peroxide, are also described. Of the catalyst materials tested so far, preliminary results suggest that dimanganese trioxide offers slightly better performance than both manganese dioxide and silver.
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