Microscale packed bed reactor for controlled hydrogen peroxide decomposition as a fuel cell oxidant aboard unmanned undersea vehicles

The multiphase catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen is notoriously susceptible to thermal runaway (heat of reaction: −98 kJ mol−1). The high surface area to volume ratio (S/V) in a microscale packed bed (MPB) reactor (radius 0.5 mm) was investigated for reducing the risk of thermal runaway during hydrogen peroxide decomposition to oxygen intended as a fuel cell oxidant aboard an unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV). A microscale reactor channel with a S/V of ∼2 × 103 m2 m−3 simulated under convective cooling generated a significant heat rise (T rise ∼ 100 K), whereas a microreactor with a higher S/V (∼200 × 103 m2 m−3) achieved thermal control (T rise < 10 K) over the simulated reaction zone. Although thermal management was successfully accomplished using the higher S/V, experimental conversions of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen (5–18%) measured from the outlet were lower than simulated conversions (38–63%). Simulation assumptions, such as homogeneously dispersed flow and perfect catalyst interaction among other factors, contributed to the discrepancies between the simulated and experimental degrees of peroxide conversion to oxygen. Even though thermal control of the MPB was achieved, this work indicates that mass transfer limitations are a factor in the MPB reactor during a multiphase reaction, like decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen and water, and suggests means to overcome them even on the microscale level.