AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF HYBRID/LIQUID ROCKET ENGINE APPLIED ROCKET GRADE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

The Japanese domestic production of commercial grade (C/G) hydrogen peroxide (HP) for chemical industries are more than 300,000 tons/year (reduced 100%) but its concentration has been currently regulated below 60% for handing, storages and shipping safety, no 90% rocket grade (R/G) HP has been produced after late of 1960s. However, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI) has been developing the C/G HP/JP-4 liquid rocket engine as clean turbofan driver gas generator for ATR engine. Utilizing the similar liquid rocket as igniter torch for solid fuel, the C/G HP oxidizer/ polyethylene (PE) or polymethylmet acrylate (PMMA) solid fuel hybrid rocket studies have been carried out so far, the oxidizer switched from the C/G HP to the R/G HP, obtained lab-scale concentration of the C/G HP. By the substitution, storing and handling safety of the oxidizer is slightly deteriorated though, keeping low environmental impact of rocket exhaust, the stability of rocket combustion and the Isp were considerably improved. Since the temperature of the decomposed products of R/G HP attain higher than auto-ignition with almost fuels, the ignition devices, indispensable for the C/G HP rockets were dispensable, but continuously utilized for reduction of the pressure built -up time. 3-way catalyst utilized for decomposition of the C/G HP was utilizable even for the R/G HP, but its dimension has to be reduced due to the intensive catalytic activity.