Component-Level Development and Testing of a Colloid Micro-Thruster (CMT) System for the LISA Mission

Demmons, Nathaniel; Courtney, D Dressing; Alvarez, Nereo; Wood, Zack

doi:10.2514/6.2019-3815

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The above equations show that the performance of electrospray propulsion is dependent on the mass-to-charge ratio of the charged particles and the applied voltage which is limited by the current density limit. Busek Co. Inc and JPL developed the Colloid Micro-Thruster (CMT) system for the LISA Pathfinder mission that launched in 2015 [144,145]. Busek started developing this thruster in 2002 and delivered it to JPL in 2008 for integration [145].…”

Section: Electrospraymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Propulsion Technologies for CubeSats: Review

Alnaqbi,

Darfilal,

Swei

2024

Aerospace

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This paper explores the wide-ranging topography of micro-propulsion systems that have been flown in different small satellite missions. CubeSats, known for their compact size and affordability, have gained popularity in the realm of space exploration. However, their limited propulsion capabilities have often been a constraint in achieving certain mission objectives. In response to this challenge, space propulsion experts have developed a wide spectrum of miniaturized propulsion systems tailored to CubeSats, each offering distinct advantages. This literature review provides a comprehensive analysis of these micro-propulsion systems, categorizing them into distinct families based on their primary energy sources. The review provides informative graphs illustrating propulsion performance metrics, serving as beneficial resources for mission planners and satellite designers when selecting the most suitable propulsion system for a particular mission requirement.

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Section: Electrospraymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Busek Co., Inc. (Natick, MA, USA) and JPL developed the Colloid Micro-Thruster (CMT) system for the LISA Pathfinder mission that launched in 2015 [144,145]. Busek started developing this thruster in 2002 and delivered it to JPL in 2008 for integration [145]. The thruster uses EMI-Im as the propellant.…”

Section: Electrospraymentioning

confidence: 99%

Propulsion Technologies for CubeSats: Review

Alnaqbi,

Darfilal,

Swei

2024

Aerospace

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“…An electrically forced jet forms in response to the field singularity, extracting fluid from the meniscus [27]. The conical shape of the meniscus may be sustained by feeding fluid to the emission site, often through use of a capillary tube and an active feed system, as is the case in Busek's Colloid MicroThruster System (CMTS) [28,29].…”

Section: Electrospray Emission Modesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emission Modes in Electrospray Thrusters Operating with High Conductivity Ionic Liquids

Uchizono¹,

Collins²,

Thuppul³

et al. 2020

Aerospace

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Electrospray thruster life and mission performance are strongly influenced by grid impingement, the extent of which can be correlated with emission modes that occur at steady-state extraction voltages, and thruster command transients. Most notably, we experimentally observed skewed cone-jet emission during steady-state electrospray thruster operation, which leads to the definition of an additional grid impingement mechanism that we termed “tilted emission”. Long distance microscopy was used in conjunction with high speed videography to observe the emission site of an electrospray thruster operating with an ionic liquid propellant (EMI-Im). During steady-state thruster operation, no unsteady electrohydrodynamic emission modes were observed, though the conical meniscus exhibited steady off-axis tilt of up to 15°. Cone tilt angle was independent over a wide range of flow rates but proved strongly dependent on extraction voltage. For the geometry and propellant used, the optimal extraction voltage was near 1.6 kV. A second experiment characterized transient emission behavior by observing startup and shutdown of the thruster via flow or voltage. Three of the four possible startup and shutdown procedures transition to quiescence within ∼475 μs, with no observed unsteady modes. However, during voltage-induced thruster startup, unsteady electrohydrodynamic modes were observed.

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“…If the thrust noise is too large or the thrust response speed is too slow, it cannot accurately and timely compensate for non-conservative forces, which will seriously affect the accuracy of the drag-free control system. Therefore, various drag-free control tasks require the propulsion system to have characteristics such as wide adjustable range, fast response, and low thrust noise [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of a drag-free control system for gravity field measurement satellite based on a cusped hall electric propulsion system

Cui,

Zheng,

et al. 2024

Preprint

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To obtain a more accurate gravity field model, gravity field measurement satellites use the drag-free control system to minimize the residual disturbance force of the satellite and improve the measurement accuracy of the gravity field. To meet the drag-free control accuracy, these tasks propose the requirements of wide continuous throttling ability, low noise, and rapid response for the propulsion system, which acts as the actuator of the control system. This research takes a cusped hall electric propulsion system as the research object and constructs a component-level propulsion system model based on experimental data. The drag-free control system design and simulation are conducted with the theory of orbital dynamics, atmospheric drag model, and control method based on the extended state observer. The simulation results show that the slow thrust response speed of the propulsion system limits the bandwidth of the control system, resulting in the control accuracy not meeting the mission requirements. To solve this problem, a thrust response speed optimization method based on coordinated control of input parameters of the propulsion system is proposed. The results show that the thrust response speed is improved and the bandwidth of the control system is increased after the coordinated control of the flow rate and the voltage, which makes the residual accelerations of the satellite meet the drag-free control requirements of the gravity field measurement satellite.

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Component-Level Development and Testing of a Colloid Micro-Thruster (CMT) System for the LISA Mission

Cited by 14 publications

References 6 publications

Propulsion Technologies for CubeSats: Review

Propulsion Technologies for CubeSats: Review

Emission Modes in Electrospray Thrusters Operating with High Conductivity Ionic Liquids

Design of a drag-free control system for gravity field measurement satellite based on a cusped hall electric propulsion system

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