Accurate thrust assessment is crucial for characterizing the performance of micro-thrusters.This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the thrust generated by a needle-type indium field emission electric propul...Accurate thrust assessment is crucial for characterizing the performance of micro-thrusters.This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the thrust generated by a needle-type indium field emission electric propulsion(In-FEEP)micro-thruster using three methods based on a pendulum:direct thrust measurement,indirect plume momentum transfer and beam current diagnostics.The experimental setup utilized capacitive displacement sensors for force detection and a voice coil motor as a feedback actuator,achieving a resolution better than 0.1μN.Key performance factors such as ionization and plume divergence of ejected charged particles were also examined.The study reveals that the high applied voltage induces significant electrostatic interference,becoming the dominant source of error in direct thrust measurements.Beam current diagnostics and indirect plume momentum measurements were conducted simultaneously,showing strong agreement within a deviation of less than 0.2N across the operational thrust range.The results from all three methods are consistent within the error margins,verifying the reliability of the indirect measurement approach and the theoretical thrust model based on the electrical parameters of In-FEEP.展开更多
Hollow cathode discharges are widely used as neutralizers for the electric propulsion systems and recently developed into micro-thrusters for the small satellites.In this work,a dualemitter hollow cathode thruster is ...Hollow cathode discharges are widely used as neutralizers for the electric propulsion systems and recently developed into micro-thrusters for the small satellites.In this work,a dualemitter hollow cathode thruster is developed,which can be operated in two different modes—the neutralizer mode and the micro-thruster mode.For characterizing this kind of new device,the Langmuir probe,Faraday probe,and retarding potential analyzer are used to determine the electron temperature,electron density,ion flux,and ion energy distribution function.The operating parameters,including the thrust,and specific impulse,are also measured.A two-dimensional self-consistent extended fluid model is employed to calculate the spatial distribution of plasma parameters and the fluid field of electrons in the region around the emitters.By comparing the diagnostic and modelling results,it is found that the change in the electric field and ionization zone is the essential reason for the different performances of the device in the neutralizer and micro-thruster modes.Variation in the electric field leads to an ion acceleration effect in the micro-thruster mode;moving of the ionization zone raises the plasma pressure in the orifice region of the hollow cathode,and thus leads to enhanced plasma throttling and gas expanding effects.By analyzing the above mechanisms,the possible methods for improving this kind of hollow cathode micro-thruster are discussed.展开更多
Digital micro-thruster arrays can be used for special missions of micro/nano-satellites with the requirements of high precision and small impulse.This paper presents a novel control allocation algorithm for the digita...Digital micro-thruster arrays can be used for special missions of micro/nano-satellites with the requirements of high precision and small impulse.This paper presents a novel control allocation algorithm for the digital micro-thruster array,namely status graph based control allocation(SGBCA)algorithm,which aims at finding the optimal micro thrusters combination scheme to realize the sequential control synthesis for micro/nano-satellite during real-time orbit control tasks.A mathematical model is set up for the control allocation of this multivariate over-actuated system.Through dividing thrusters into disjoint segments by offline calculation and combining segments dynamically online to provide a sequence of the required impulse for the micro/nano-satellite,the time complexity of the control allocation algorithm decreases significantly.All levels of impulse can be generated by the digital micro thruster arrays and the service life of the arrays can be extended using the segment converting strategy proposed in this paper.The simulation indicates that the algorithm can satisfy the requirements of real-time orbit control for micro/nano-satellites.展开更多
The three-dimensional numerical simulation of two-phase plume flow of solid propellant micro-thrusters was developed.Then it was used to investigate the plume interference effect by combining the direct simulation Mon...The three-dimensional numerical simulation of two-phase plume flow of solid propellant micro-thrusters was developed.Then it was used to investigate the plume interference effect by combining the direct simulation Monte Carlo(DSMC) method for multi-component gas flow with the two-way coupling model for two-phase rarefied flow.At different space between the two micro-thrusters and different wall temperature,the plume interference effect was analyzed specifically.The results show that under the plume interference effect the gas is compressed and the flow direction is changed,which resulted in the increasing of gas pressure and temperature;solid phase made no significant effect on the flow parameters of gas phase;with the rising of the space between the two micro-thrusters,the maximum pressure decreased and the maximum temperature increased in the domain under the plume interference effect;the wall temperature could influence the temperature of the gas which is extremely close to the wall,but not the gas pressure.展开更多
The Taiji program is focused on achieving space-based gravitational wave detection in the frequency range of 0.1 mHz-1 Hz.To achieve drag-free control,Taiji satellites must be equipped with micro-thrusters that satisf...The Taiji program is focused on achieving space-based gravitational wave detection in the frequency range of 0.1 mHz-1 Hz.To achieve drag-free control,Taiji satellites must be equipped with micro-thrusters that satisfy stringent requirements,including a continuously adjustable thrust,thrust resolution of 0.1μN,thrust noise of 0.1μN·Hz^(-0.5)and response time of less than 100 ms.This paper presents the progress of a variable cold gas micro-thruster being developed for the Taiji program.A series of technologies such as a bidirectional piezoelectric drive,spherical valve core,conical nozzle seal,miniature gas chamber,high thruster integration,combined digital and analogue communication and high-frequency closed-loop thrust control were employed to achieve engineering prototypes of a low-noise and fast-response micro-thruster.Ground performance tests indicate that the micro-thruster achieved a minimum thrust of close to 1.1 nN,a thrust resolution of 0.05μN and a maximum specific impulse of 69.1 s using nitrogen gas as the working fluid.The thrust noise was less than 0.1μN·Hz^(-0.5)in the frequency band of 10 mHz-1 Hz,and the thrust response time was 140 ms.The control parameters were further optimised to achieve a flow response time of 50 ms.The results indicate that the developed micro-thruster essentially met the performance requirements for drag-free control to facilitate space-based gravitational wave detection.展开更多
微推力器是实现卫星姿态与轨道控制不可或缺的执行机构,精确测量其推力性能至关重要.针对传统微推力测量装置存在的推力力臂难以精确测定,羽流随扭摆转动而偏转以及装配调试复杂等问题,设计并研制了一种基于罗伯威尔平衡结构的新型微推...微推力器是实现卫星姿态与轨道控制不可或缺的执行机构,精确测量其推力性能至关重要.针对传统微推力测量装置存在的推力力臂难以精确测定,羽流随扭摆转动而偏转以及装配调试复杂等问题,设计并研制了一种基于罗伯威尔平衡结构的新型微推力测量装置.该装置的推力力臂长度固定,不受微推力器安装位置的干扰,有效消除了力臂测量引入的不确定度,同时降低了微推力器的装配与调试难度.此外,该装置确保了推力羽流在扭摆转动过程中不发生偏转,便于同步监测推力器羽流信息.本研究利用电磁标准力对其开环和闭环两种测量模式开展了性能测试与评估,并使用该装置对一套冷气微推力器进行了标定.性能测试结果显示,在开环模式下,该装置量程为2 m N,分辨力优于1μN,包含因子为3时的测量不确定度为2.33μN+0.99%T(其中T为实测力值).在闭环模式下,测量量程达到100 mN,分辨力优于5μN,测量不确定度则为18.00μN+0.31%T.该装置可满足多种微牛级至毫牛级微推力器的推力测量需求,为我国商业航天的快速发展提供助力.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2020YFC2201001)the Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research(Grant No.2019B030302001)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12105373,12105374,and 11927812)the Science and Technology Research Project of Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education(Grant No.GJJ2402105).
文摘Accurate thrust assessment is crucial for characterizing the performance of micro-thrusters.This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the thrust generated by a needle-type indium field emission electric propulsion(In-FEEP)micro-thruster using three methods based on a pendulum:direct thrust measurement,indirect plume momentum transfer and beam current diagnostics.The experimental setup utilized capacitive displacement sensors for force detection and a voice coil motor as a feedback actuator,achieving a resolution better than 0.1μN.Key performance factors such as ionization and plume divergence of ejected charged particles were also examined.The study reveals that the high applied voltage induces significant electrostatic interference,becoming the dominant source of error in direct thrust measurements.Beam current diagnostics and indirect plume momentum measurements were conducted simultaneously,showing strong agreement within a deviation of less than 0.2N across the operational thrust range.The results from all three methods are consistent within the error margins,verifying the reliability of the indirect measurement approach and the theoretical thrust model based on the electrical parameters of In-FEEP.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.61571166,11775063 and 51736003)。
文摘Hollow cathode discharges are widely used as neutralizers for the electric propulsion systems and recently developed into micro-thrusters for the small satellites.In this work,a dualemitter hollow cathode thruster is developed,which can be operated in two different modes—the neutralizer mode and the micro-thruster mode.For characterizing this kind of new device,the Langmuir probe,Faraday probe,and retarding potential analyzer are used to determine the electron temperature,electron density,ion flux,and ion energy distribution function.The operating parameters,including the thrust,and specific impulse,are also measured.A two-dimensional self-consistent extended fluid model is employed to calculate the spatial distribution of plasma parameters and the fluid field of electrons in the region around the emitters.By comparing the diagnostic and modelling results,it is found that the change in the electric field and ionization zone is the essential reason for the different performances of the device in the neutralizer and micro-thruster modes.Variation in the electric field leads to an ion acceleration effect in the micro-thruster mode;moving of the ionization zone raises the plasma pressure in the orifice region of the hollow cathode,and thus leads to enhanced plasma throttling and gas expanding effects.By analyzing the above mechanisms,the possible methods for improving this kind of hollow cathode micro-thruster are discussed.
文摘Digital micro-thruster arrays can be used for special missions of micro/nano-satellites with the requirements of high precision and small impulse.This paper presents a novel control allocation algorithm for the digital micro-thruster array,namely status graph based control allocation(SGBCA)algorithm,which aims at finding the optimal micro thrusters combination scheme to realize the sequential control synthesis for micro/nano-satellite during real-time orbit control tasks.A mathematical model is set up for the control allocation of this multivariate over-actuated system.Through dividing thrusters into disjoint segments by offline calculation and combining segments dynamically online to provide a sequence of the required impulse for the micro/nano-satellite,the time complexity of the control allocation algorithm decreases significantly.All levels of impulse can be generated by the digital micro thruster arrays and the service life of the arrays can be extended using the segment converting strategy proposed in this paper.The simulation indicates that the algorithm can satisfy the requirements of real-time orbit control for micro/nano-satellites.
文摘The three-dimensional numerical simulation of two-phase plume flow of solid propellant micro-thrusters was developed.Then it was used to investigate the plume interference effect by combining the direct simulation Monte Carlo(DSMC) method for multi-component gas flow with the two-way coupling model for two-phase rarefied flow.At different space between the two micro-thrusters and different wall temperature,the plume interference effect was analyzed specifically.The results show that under the plume interference effect the gas is compressed and the flow direction is changed,which resulted in the increasing of gas pressure and temperature;solid phase made no significant effect on the flow parameters of gas phase;with the rising of the space between the two micro-thrusters,the maximum pressure decreased and the maximum temperature increased in the domain under the plume interference effect;the wall temperature could influence the temperature of the gas which is extremely close to the wall,but not the gas pressure.
基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Nos.2021YFC2202800 and 2021YFC2202604)the Opening Project of the Key Laboratory of Microgravity of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.NML202401)+1 种基金the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.2023022)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA1502110105)。
文摘The Taiji program is focused on achieving space-based gravitational wave detection in the frequency range of 0.1 mHz-1 Hz.To achieve drag-free control,Taiji satellites must be equipped with micro-thrusters that satisfy stringent requirements,including a continuously adjustable thrust,thrust resolution of 0.1μN,thrust noise of 0.1μN·Hz^(-0.5)and response time of less than 100 ms.This paper presents the progress of a variable cold gas micro-thruster being developed for the Taiji program.A series of technologies such as a bidirectional piezoelectric drive,spherical valve core,conical nozzle seal,miniature gas chamber,high thruster integration,combined digital and analogue communication and high-frequency closed-loop thrust control were employed to achieve engineering prototypes of a low-noise and fast-response micro-thruster.Ground performance tests indicate that the micro-thruster achieved a minimum thrust of close to 1.1 nN,a thrust resolution of 0.05μN and a maximum specific impulse of 69.1 s using nitrogen gas as the working fluid.The thrust noise was less than 0.1μN·Hz^(-0.5)in the frequency band of 10 mHz-1 Hz,and the thrust response time was 140 ms.The control parameters were further optimised to achieve a flow response time of 50 ms.The results indicate that the developed micro-thruster essentially met the performance requirements for drag-free control to facilitate space-based gravitational wave detection.
文摘微推力器是实现卫星姿态与轨道控制不可或缺的执行机构,精确测量其推力性能至关重要.针对传统微推力测量装置存在的推力力臂难以精确测定,羽流随扭摆转动而偏转以及装配调试复杂等问题,设计并研制了一种基于罗伯威尔平衡结构的新型微推力测量装置.该装置的推力力臂长度固定,不受微推力器安装位置的干扰,有效消除了力臂测量引入的不确定度,同时降低了微推力器的装配与调试难度.此外,该装置确保了推力羽流在扭摆转动过程中不发生偏转,便于同步监测推力器羽流信息.本研究利用电磁标准力对其开环和闭环两种测量模式开展了性能测试与评估,并使用该装置对一套冷气微推力器进行了标定.性能测试结果显示,在开环模式下,该装置量程为2 m N,分辨力优于1μN,包含因子为3时的测量不确定度为2.33μN+0.99%T(其中T为实测力值).在闭环模式下,测量量程达到100 mN,分辨力优于5μN,测量不确定度则为18.00μN+0.31%T.该装置可满足多种微牛级至毫牛级微推力器的推力测量需求,为我国商业航天的快速发展提供助力.
