Performance of a Monopropellant Thruster Prototype Using Advanced Hydrogen Peroxide Catalytic Beds

The present paper illustrates different firing tests carried out on advanced catalytic beds for hydrogen peroxide decomposition in a new monopropellant thruster prototype designed for easier adjustment and control of the main operational and propulsive parameters. The tests refer to the comparison between a pt/α-Al 2 O 3 catalyst (named FC-LR-87) and a similar commercially available space propulsion catalyst. Up to 2 kg of 87.5 % hydrogen peroxide have been decomposed by a single sample of the FC-LR-87 catalyst. Both steady-state and pulsed firings have been carried out in the same reactor configuration. A fresh sample of the FC-LR-87 catalyst has also been tested at a different bed load. Both the FC-LR-87 and the commercial catalysts showed equivalent propulsive performances, with a slightadvantage in favor of the FC-LR-87 catalyst in terms of the c* and temperature efficiencies (up to 94 and 93%, respectively).

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