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BIA-Brukerstyrt innovasjonsarena

CatPack - digital design workflow for H2O2 Catalyst Packs

Alternative title: CatPack - digitalt utviklingsverktøy av H2O2 katalysator

Awarded: NOK 5.8 mill.

Project Number:

309637

Project Period:

2020 - 2024

Funding received from:

In co-operation Nammo and SINTEF are developing new technology used in small and medium sized liquid rocket motors utilizing hydrogen peroxide, a green propellant that only exhaust oxygen gas and steam to the environment. The core technology consists of a catalyst unit rapidly decomposing the propellant to hot gases and, hence, releasing energy for propulsion. A particular challenge is the very short pulses needed for the high precision necessary for the deployment of satellites into orbit. To simulate realistic space conditions parts of the test campaign was conducted at a high-altitude test facility in Germany, the remaining at Nammo's test center at Raufoss. These test results have been used by SINTEF in the development of a digital tool for simulating the flow and thermodynamic processes inside the catalyst unit. Important milestones have been reached by the implementation and testing of models for two-phase flow through porous media, thermodynamics, and reaction kinetics. In the next and last phase of the project these modules will be combined into a software tool for the design and dimensioning of catalyst packs, and which will be demonstrated in the design of an optimized thruster.

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In the CatPack project Nammo Raufoss will develop a physics based digital design workflow for H2O2 catalyst packs used in space propulsion systems, in collaboration with SINTEF Energy Research. This will enable Nammo, a Norwegian space technology vendor, to become the leading provider of H2O2 green propulsion technology in Europe and beyond. The substantial market growth potential for H2O2 technology is within two main segments: reaction control systems (RCS) used to steer launchers and spacecraft, and hybrid rockets where H2O2 is used to burn a solid fuel, enabling cost effective propulsion for sub-orbital and orbital launchers. A critical challenge for H2O2 technology is the design and manufacturing of catalyst packs. These must be able to reliably and instantaneously decompose H2O2 into the hot gases that provide thrust, and to meet extreme performance requirements. Today, Nammo is relying on trial and error for design, leading to long development times and expensive full-scale testing. A digital design workflow requires a computer simulation model that captures the complex interplay of physical phenomena occurring in the catalyst. This includes rapid boiling, heating and chemical reactions. Some of these phenomena are well known, but others such as the specific chemical kinetics of H2O2 reacting in the catalyst pack require experimental research. A complete transient simulation tool for H2O2 catalyst packs is not available today, but will be developed in the CatPack project. This tool will enable Nammo to efficiently develop optimized, high performance and reliable catalyst packs, which will be a critical competitive advantage in order to win emerging markets in green space propulsion and yield large Norwegian value creation.

Funding scheme:

BIA-Brukerstyrt innovasjonsarena