Phase II Final Report - NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts

Planetary Exploration Using Biomimetics
An Entomopter for Flight on Mars
E = m c p ∆T Equation 3-56
Figure 3-161: Liquid Hydrogen Storage System
3.5.3.4 Hydrogen Peroxide Reactor
Hydrogen peroxide is a clear syrupy liquid in its pure form. It has a density of 1,470 kg/m 3 , a
boiling point of 424° K, and a freezing point of 261.5° K. Concentrated hydrogen peroxide is a
highly reactive substance. It decomposes exothermically in the presence of a catalyst to form
water and oxygen gas. Common catalysts are carbon, steel, and copper. To avoid an inadvertent
reaction, the reactor and any lines or components that may be in contact with the hydrogen peroxide
will need to be manufactured of materials that will not cause decomposition. These materials
include aluminum, tin, glass, polyethylene, and coatings such as Teflon and Kel-F. The
decomposition reaction for hydrogen peroxide is shown below:
2H 2 O 2 (l) → 2H 2 0(l) + O 2 (g) Equation 3-57
Hydrogen peroxide can be generated electrochemically by reacting water and oxygen [155].
Hydrogen peroxide is generated by supplying liquid water to an anode that in turn breaks apart
some of the water to form ozone and hydrogen ions, as shown in Equation 3-58. The ozone is
released, and the hydrogen ions and water electroosmotically pass through an ionically conduct-
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Phase II Final Report