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.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I阶段项目提议开发紧凑，高效，全稳态的气体脉冲等离子体推进器（GF-PPT），该推进器（GF-PPT）可以进行临界和中间地球卫星的临界轨道相变或平面变化（倾斜度）变化。基于固态功率调节器，GF-PPT技术可提供接近100％的燃油质量利用效率，该固态功率调节剂允许推进器等离子体排放的高重复速率（10 kHz）脉冲。这是通过在气体输送系统的整个操作周期中向推进器传递多个微孔来实现的。在项目中，任务将包括设计和制造GF-PPT推进器，将电源与GF-PPT推进器集成在一起，然后表征和优化推进器硬件的电气性能。喷气推进实验室将制定详细的计划，以测试适当的空间室中提出的高效GF-PPT。从商业上讲，该计划中开发的GF-PPT将在政府和私营部门的广泛太空任务中申请。与化学推进器相比，使用电力推进器可降低推进剂质量的大量燃料节省。此外，GF-PPT可以用各种推进剂（包括水蒸气和氢津）运行，而GF-PPT的固态电子功能可以延长1 - 3年的维持卫星的使用寿命，从而延长任务寿命。拟议的GF-PPT的成功发展可能会导致启动成本和轨道操纵成本的大幅降低（10-20％）。这可以节省每年数亿美元的联邦政府，当时人们认为当前的NASA太空运输预算超过20亿美元/年，而国防部每年投资约40亿美元发射卫星。