Design and Testing of a Throttlable Hydrogen Peroxide/Kerosene Propulsion System Pressurized by Electric Pumps

The electric pump-fed hydrogen peroxide/kerosene propulsion system offers a green and flexible power option for the rapid orbital transfer of space vehicles. A hydrogen peroxide/kerosene feed system was designed, which utilizes electric pumps for pressurization and an adjustable Venturi tube for flow control. To ensure the stability of the combustion process under low-flow conditions, a dual-channel self-impinging kerosene injector was designed. Cold tests of the throttling capabilities of the feed system and the injector were conducted using propellants. The cold tests confirmed that this propulsion system can meet the injection pressure drop required to maintain the combustion process in the rocket engine under a throttling ratio of 10:1. A full-scale hot test platform for this propulsion system was built, and variable-condition hot tests were carried out to test the ignition and throttling performance of the propulsion system. During the tests, the flow rate and thrust of the engine changed smoothly and could quickly respond to the speed changes of the electric pumps. The hot test results verified that the electric pump-fed hydrogen peroxide/kerosene propulsion system can operate under a throttling ratio of 10:1, showing the characteristics of stable ignition, easy adjustment and rapid response, which provides a research basis for the engineering application of this type of propulsion system.