Towards a Model for Reacting Flows with Phase Change in Porous Media: Model Formulation and Preliminary Results

Abstract

Recent interest in hydrogen peroxide as green propellant for Space Propulsion applications justifies the efforts put in the development of numerical models and tools for the preliminary design of efficient catalysts. The multiplicity of phenomena involved, from the propellant phase change to the heterogeneous reactions, requires a step-by-step approach in order to identify key parameters and check the pertinence of the model. The phase change in porous media is the subject of the present work. In this instance the H₂O₂ decomposition is neglected. A multiphase mixture model for 1D, steady-state and non-reacting flows in porous media is considered. Governing equations and constitutive laws are shown and discussed. A Matlab code, relying on the SIMPLE algorithm, has been developed to solve the system of equations. Flows of oxygen-saturated water through metal foams have been considered as test cases. Results have highlighted the capabilities of the model and also the difficulties related to the solution of the gas-phase saturation equation to model the complete propellant phase change in the porous bed.