Journal of Propulsion and Power ( IF 1.7 ) Pub Date : 2020-03-30 , DOI: 10.2514/1.b37603 Mahadevan Krishnan 1 , Katherine Velas 1 , Simon Leemans 1
This paper describes a metal plasma thruster (MPT) that is suited to nano- and microsatellites. The MPT uses solid metal propellant (hence requires no liquids, gases, flow valves, or flow controls), has no moving parts, generates approximately , and may be packaged into , 1-U, and multiple-U increments. A vacuum arc generates a metal plasma plume that accelerates into space at (platinum, Pt) to (magnesium, Mg) to generate thrust (). The range of specific impulse is from 693 s (Pt) up to 3119 s (Mg). Spacecraft interface is simple: the autonomous MPT requires only a DC input (7–28 V) and a start/stop control pulse from the satellite. The MPT is simpler and more rugged than ion engines and Hall thrusters, which are not easily scaled down in mass and power for satellites, and provides superior total impulse per kilogram. The MPT is easier to operate than equivalent-sized alternatives: field emission electric propulsion thruster, xenon gas radiofrequency thruster, and pulsed plasma thruster.
中文翻译:
小型卫星用金属等离子推进器
本文介绍了适用于纳米和微卫星的金属等离子推进器(MPT)。MPT使用固体金属推进剂(因此不需要液体,气体,流量阀或流量控制器),没有活动部件,可产生大约,并且可以打包成 ,1-U和多U增量。真空电弧产生金属等离子羽流,并加速进入太空 (铂,铂)到 (镁,镁)产生推力()。比脉冲的范围从693 s(Pt)到3119 s(Mg)。航天器接口很简单:自主MPT仅需要一个DC输入(7–28 V)和来自卫星的启动/停止控制脉冲。MPT比离子发动机和霍尔推力器更简单,更坚固,而离子发动机和霍尔推力器不容易按比例缩小质量和功率,卫星,并提供每千克出色的总脉冲。MPT比同等尺寸的替代产品更易于操作:场发射电动推进器,氙气射频推进器和脉冲等离子推进器。