Improving the performance of a water ion thruster using biased electrodes

Ataka, Yasuho; Nakagawa, Yuichi; Koizumi, Hiroyuki; Komurasaki, Kimiya

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.06.020

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The results have demonstrated a thrust of 0.4 mN, specific impulse of 350 sec and thrust-to-power ratio of 4 mN kW, which are comparable to the previously studied performance for the gridded ion thruster operated with (Ataka et al. 2021). However, the above-mentioned mass flow controller cannot be mounted in a unit of small CubeSat satellites due to their size restriction of cm.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Therefore, the authors have previously operated the DCMS with a water propellant that can be stored with no high-pressure gas storage tank, where the gaseous water flow rate is controlled by using a commercial mass flow controller having a size of approximately 81 mm in width, 28.6 mm in depth and 130 mm in height (Shimizu & Takahashi 2023). The results have demonstrated a thrust of 0.4 mN, specific impulse of 350 sec and thrust-to-power ratio of 4 mN kW −1 , which are comparable to the previously studied performance for the gridded ion thruster operated with H 2 O (Ataka et al 2021). However, the above-mentioned mass flow controller cannot be mounted in a unit of small CubeSat satellites due to their size restriction of 10 × 10 × 10 cm.…”

supporting

confidence: 68%

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Temporally resolved measurement of a force induced by a pulsed water-fuelled magnetron sputtering source

Shimizu,

Takahashi

2024

J. Plasma Phys.

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A high-speed solenoid-type pulsed valve is applied to a water-fuelled magnetron sputtering thruster, which can lead a compact and neutralizer-free electric propulsion device by generating a thrust due to the ejection of the sputtered target material, in order to minimize the size of the gas feeding system. The pulsed valve is opened for approximately 5 msec and the gaseous water is introduced into the source via a gas line connected to the source. A dc high voltage is firstly applied between the cathode and the anode; then the discharge is sustained for the period in which a gas pressure enough for the discharge is maintained and a change in the discharge mode is observed during the discharge pulse. To investigate the impact of the mode change on the thrust generation, a temporally resolved measurement of the force is equivalently performed by installing a pulsed voltage power supply and by changing the pulse width of the discharge voltage. The results show the temporal reduction of the thrust-to-power ratio during a pulsed discharge due to the nonlinear correlation between ion energy and sputtering yield. It is suggested that the use of a pulsed valve would be useful for downsizing of the electric propulsion system, while an optimization to properly control the gas flow rate is needed for further development.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 85%

supporting

confidence: 68%

Temporally resolved measurement of a force induced by a pulsed water-fuelled magnetron sputtering source

Shimizu,

Takahashi

2024

J. Plasma Phys.

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“…The performance of the microwave-discharge miniature ion thruster using water as a propellant was tested and characterized at the University of Tokyo [184]. It is based on the University of Tokyo's 1µ thruster and has a similar structure to that of the xenon miniature ion thruster that launched in HODOYOSHI-4.…”

Section: Gridded Ionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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“…This also implies that the vaporization and feeding system can be manipulated near room temperature, which is convenient for microdevices with a small heat capacity. Although such suitability has provoked the studies of gridded ion thrusters using water as the propellant [25][26][27][28], only a limited number of studies have investigated water as a propellant for electrostatic propulsions because of three essential drawbacks: a small ionization cross-section, a relatively small ion mass, and strong oxidation. An ionization cross-section is directly related to propellant utilization, and the smaller it is, the more propellant should be consumed to generate sufficient plasma.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demonstration and experimental characteristics of a water-vapor Hall thruster

et al. 2023

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Water is an attractive candidate for condensable propellants owing to its availability, handleability, and sustainability. This study proposes the use of water vapor as a propellant for a low-power Hall thruster, and experimentally demonstrates the feasibility of this proposal. Based on the performance estimation from the plume diagnostics, a thrust-to-power ratio of 19 mN/kW, specific impulse of 550–860 s, and anode efficiency of 5–8 % were obtained at an anode power of 233–358 W. From further efficiency analysis, the mass utilization efficiency of water was found to be the most deteriorated among the internal efficiencies compared to the conventional xenon propellant, which was consistent with the expectations from a small discharge current oscillation, large beam divergence, and increase in low-energy ions. Moreover, additional power loss via reactions unique to polyatomic molecules was indicated by evaluation of the ionization cost. In this experiment, the mass utilization efficiency was improved with an increase in the anode voltage from 200 to 240 V without degradation of the power utilization. This suggests that operating at a higher voltage is more suitable for a water-vapor Hall thruster.

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Improving the performance of a water ion thruster using biased electrodes

Cited by 14 publications

References 20 publications

Temporally resolved measurement of a force induced by a pulsed water-fuelled magnetron sputtering source

Temporally resolved measurement of a force induced by a pulsed water-fuelled magnetron sputtering source

Propulsion Technologies for CubeSats: Review

Demonstration and experimental characteristics of a water-vapor Hall thruster

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