Study and Development of a

H2 O2 based
Liquid Rocket Engine

Marco Santi

University of Padova
Centro di Ateneo degli Studi e Attività Spaziali ”Giuseppe Colombo”

September 13th 2018

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 1 / 14

Introduction to Liquid Rocket Motors

Advantages
High specific impulse
Operation flexibility
 Multiple shut down and
re-ignition
 Mass flow throttling
 Mixture ratio control
Long burning times

Main characteristics Disadvantages

Oxidizer and fuel stored in tanks
High manufacturing costs
Two controllable feeding lines
Different cooling system solutions
Technological complexity

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 2 / 14

Cooling systems

Passive methods Active methods

Very expensive materials Regenerative cycle
Small scale thruster Technological complexity
Larger scale engine

200N Bipropellant Thruster,Orbital Propulsion Centre,

Lampoldshausen, Germany RL10, Aerojet Rocketdyne

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 3 / 14

Why Hydrogen Peroxide?

H2 O2 ↔ H2 O + 1/2O2(g ) + 98kJ/mol

Main characteristics
HTP (High Test Peroxide)
Concentration > 80%
No toxicity
High volumetric specific impulse Versatility:
Easy storable at room Monopropellant
temperature Bipropellant → combustion
reaction with fuel
⇓
Reduced management,storage and ⇓
processing costs IspMMH/N2 O4 w IspHTP/Kerosene

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 4 / 14

Aim and innovation of this work

Aim: study and develop a liquid engine based on HTP as a good

substitution for the hydrazine based ones

Innovation: study the coupling of HTP propellant and double vortex

flow field

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 5 / 14

Project parameters

c ∗ cf
Isp = , T = g0 ṁIsp
g0
Kick apogee motor
Oxidizer mass flow 120 [g /s]
Oxidizer HTP
Fuel Kerosene
O/F 6.5
MEOP 10 [bar ]
Throat diameter 16.8 [mm]
c∗ 1599 [m/s]
ε 220 − 330
Thrust vacuum 420 − 440 [N]
Isp 310 − 330 [s]
∆V 1.4688 [km/s]
tb 1.456 [hours]

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 6 / 14

Preliminary design

HTP
TL max = 120◦ C
ṁcool = ṁox

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 7 / 14

Chamber cooling

CFD analysis
CFX/Fluent commercial
code
RANS equations
k − ε turbulent model
HTP Monopropellant
Double vortex
Note:
CR ≥ 30 ⇒ recirculation
on the wall
Negligible injection angle
effect
No distributor effect
Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 8 / 14
Engine design

Main characteristics
Battleship design
Multiple configurations
High safety factor
3D printed components

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 9 / 14

Engine configurations

Short burning time Long burning times

Uncooled nozzle Nozzle cooling
Fuel injection investigation H2 O coolant

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 10 / 14

Fuel injector configurations

Commercial injector Custom configuration

Single injector Multiple injection ports
Axial injection Radial injection
Full cone spray configuration 3D printed plate

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 11 / 14

Work done

Preliminary design of the engine

CFD analysis of the flow structure
Design the engine
Implementation of the fuel feeding line

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 12 / 14

Future work

Conclusion of the test bed implementation

Engine production
Numerical investigation
First fire test campaign

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 13 / 14

 Thank you! Any questions?

Marco Santi H2 O2 based Liquid Rocket Engine September 13th 2018 14 / 14