A Study on the Electrolytic Decomposition of HAN-Based Propellants for Microthruster Applications
Open Access
- Author:
- Kuo, Bo-Han
- Graduate Program:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- None
- Committee Members:
- Richard A Yetter, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Richard A Yetter, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- HAN-based propellants
Electrolytic Decomposition
Microthruster
Ignition - Abstract:
- The characteristics of electrolytic decomposition of HAN-based liquid propellants including 13M HAN and HAN269MEO15 were investigated in a single channel liquid flow reactor which consists of a straight electrolytic channel and a combustion chamber adjacent to it. Both metal (Stainless Steel 316) and Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) reactors were designed and fabricated for complementary types of experiments. Visual observation was made to observe the two-phase flow inside the electrolytic channel of the optically-accessible metal reactor and the evolution of product species was attained in the Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic reactors to study the decomposition process of HAN-based propellants. The liquid propellants were decomposed into warm gases with temperature ~300oC in LTCC reactors when a voltage of 30-50VDC was applied across the electrolytic channel. The initial condensed-phase reaction was observed to be followed by the gas-phase reaction base upon the species evolution and the temperature profile. Major species detected included N2O, NO, and NO2 (in order of decreasing concentration) in 13M HAN decomposition and N2O and CH3ONO in HAN269MEO15 decomposition. A high temperature reaction of HAN269MEO15 was initiated in the combustion chamber loaded with catalyst S 405. The reaction was found to be dominated by electrolytic decomposition at low temperature with major species N2O and CH3ONO and dominated by catalytic reaction at high temperature with major species NO, CO2, and CO indicating a more complete reaction.