Propulsive Performance of a 100 µm Pt/CexZr1-x/Al2O3 Catalytic Bed

The present paper illustrates the results of an experimental campaign carried out using CZ-11-100 catalyst developed by ALTA S.p.A. in collaboration with the Department of Industrial Chemistry and Material Engineering of the University of Messina. It represents an unusual and innovative application of a Pt/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2/Al2O3 catalyst to H2O2 decomposition in rocket thrusters. The CZ-11-100 and the already tested CZ-11-600 catalysts differ in their pellets sizes, respectively 100 μm and 600 μm. The catalytic bed has been integrated into a hydrogen peroxide monopropellant thruster prototype and tested in ALTA’s Green Propellant Rocket Test Facility. The bed has shown high decomposition and propulsive efficiencies, exhibiting C-Star efficiencies higher than 95%. The decrease in the pellets size has allowed for increasing the pressure drop across the catalytic bed with a consequent improvement of the cold start-up transient with respect to that experienced with the C...