Performance Parameter Estimation of Hybrid Rocket with Varying Concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is gaining interest as a green oxidizer for rocketry applications due to its non-toxic characteristics and easy availability at a lower cost. This study investigates the combustion efficiency and regression rate of paraffin wax fuel with H2O2 as an oxidizer at three concentrations: 50 %, 70 %, and 90 %. Since it also aims to avoid using any catalyst for H2O2 decomposition, gaseous oxygen was used to initiate and sustain combustion. Experiments were conducted using a lab-scale hybrid rocket motor to evaluate performance parameters. Results show that ignitability and combustion stability improved with increasing H₂O₂ concentration. The regression rate at 90 % H₂O₂ is 1.93 mm/s higher than at lower concentrations, and the average combustion efficiency improved to 60.2 %, indicating significant enhancement compared to lower concentrations. In contrast, the 50 % H₂O₂ exhibited poor ignition and negligible combustion efficiency due to high water content acting as a flame quencher. Also, the influence of residual oxidizer from prior firings was observed to improve combustion behavior in subsequent tests. The findings confirm that higher H₂O₂ concentrations significantly enhance combustion performance in hybrid systems, providing insights into practical oxidizer selection strategies for green propulsion applications.