SBIR Phase I: High Efficiency, Water-Vapor-Fueled Plasma Propulsion Thruster for Low-Power Satellite Attitude Control and Station-Keeping

SBIR 第一阶段：用于低功率卫星姿态控制和位置保持的高效水蒸气燃料等离子体推进推进器

• 批准号: 0318701
• 负责人: Rodney Petr
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: Science Research Laboratory Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-07-01 至 2003-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0318701&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Efficiency; Water; Vapor

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop a compact,efficient, all-solid-state Gas-Fed Pulsed Plasma Thruster (GF-PPT) that can performcritical orbit phase changes or plane (inclination) changes for near- and intermediate earthorbit satellites. The GF-PPT technology provides fuel-mass utilization efficiency close to 100%, based on solid-state power modulators that allows high repetition rate (10 kHz) pulsing of the thruster plasma discharge. This is achieved by delivering multiple micropulses to the thruster during the entire operating cycle of the gas delivery system. In the project the tasks will consist of designing and fabricating the GF-PPT thruster, integrating the power supply with the GF-PPT thruster and then characterizing and optimizing the electrical performance of the thruster hardware. A detailed plan will be developed with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to test the proposed high efficiency GF-PPT in an appropriate space chamber. Commercially, the GF- PPT developed in this program will have applications to a broad range of space missions in both the government and private sectors. Significant fuel savings will result from reduced propellant mass, which can be lowered by a factor of three or more using an electric thruster, as compared with chemical thrusters. Furthermore, the GF-PPT can operate with a wide range of propellants, including water-vapor and hydrazine, and the solid-state electronics capability of GF-PPTs can extend the useful life in station-keeping satellites 1-3 years, thereby prolonging mission lifetime. The successful development of the proposed GF-PPT can result in substantial (10-20%) reductions in launch costs and orbit maneuvering costs. This can save the Federal Government hundreds of millions of dollars per year, when one considers that the current NASA budget for space transportation is over $2 billion/year, and the DoD invests approximately $4 billion per year launching satellites.

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目建议开发一种紧凑、高效、全固态气体馈电脉冲等离子体推进器（GF-PPT），它可以执行关键的轨道相位变化或平面（倾角）变化以实现近乎和中间地球轨道卫星。 GF-PPT 技术基于固态功率调制器，提供接近 100% 的燃料质量利用率，允许推进器等离子体放电的高重复率 (10 kHz) 脉冲。这是通过在气体输送系统的整个操作周期期间向推进器输送多个微脉冲来实现的。在该项目中，任务将包括设计和制造 GF-PPT 推进器、将电源与 GF-PPT 推进器集成，然后表征和优化推进器硬件的电气性能。将与喷气推进实验室一起制定详细计划，在适当的空间室中测试拟议的高效 GF-PPT。在商业上，该计划中开发的 GF-PPT 将广泛应用于政府和私营部门的太空任务。减少推进剂质量将显着节省燃料，与化学推进器相比，使用电动推进器可以将推进剂质量减少三倍或更多。此外，GF-PPT可以使用多种推进剂，包括水蒸气和联氨，并且GF-PPT的固态电子能力可以将定位卫星的使用寿命延长1-3年，从而延长任务寿命。拟议的 GF-PPT 的成功开发可以大幅降低（10-20%）发射成本和轨道机动成本。考虑到目前 NASA 的太空运输预算超过 20 亿美元/年，而国防部每年发射卫星的投资约为 40 亿美元，这可以为联邦政府每年节省数亿美元。