Electric Propulsion Systems Flashcards
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Orbit Achievement requirements
High Thrust, High efficiency, Low precision
Orbit adjustment requirements
High precision, efficiency not an issue
Disposal requirements
High Dormant reliability, High efficiency, low precision
Advantages of Electrical over Chemical propulsion?
Less propellant used
Higher efficiency
able to provide low thrust for a long period of ime
Three major categories of electric propulsion
Electrostatic
Electromagnetic
Electrothermal
Types of electrostatic propulsion
Ion bombardment Colloid Ion Contact Ion Field Emission Microwave (radiofrequency) ion Plasma seperator Ion Radioisotopic Ion Hall effect
Types of Electromagnetic propulsion
MagnetoPlasmoDynamic -Steady state vs Quasi-steady state -Self-field vs applied field Pulsed plasma Helicon plasma Inductive pulsed plasma Electron-cyclotron resonance Variable specific impulse plasma
Types of electrothermal
Resistojet Arcjet (Dc vs Ac vs Pulsed) Electrothermal Hydrazine Microwave Electrothermal Pulsed Electrothermal
Characteristics of an Electric propulsion system
Typically uses much less propellant than chemical rockets due to a higher exhaust velocity
Due to limited momentum change the thrust is much weaker than chemical rockets (unsuitable for launch from earths surface)
Electric propulsion can provide a small thrust for a long period of time (ideal for deep space)
Why choose Electric propulsion?
Used in low-thrust manoeuvres
Attractive mass savings
Applications requiring high velocity increments
for N-S station keeping (50 m/s per year)
for orbit raising (1 to 5 km/s)
for orbit transfer from LEO to GEO (6km/s)
Attitude control in LEO
what is an ion
A charged atom or molecule
What is Ionisation
The process of electrically charging an atom or molecule by adding or removing electrons
What is Plasma?
An electrically neutral medium of unbound positive and negative particles
What is the net charge on a plasma?
roughly zero
Main principles of a Resistojet
Propellant is heated
Usually using an incandescent filament
Thermal Energy converted into Kinetic energy in nozzle with a high expansion ratio
Common propellants for a resistojet
Hydrogen, Helium, Water, Ammonia and Hydrazine
Principles of an Arcjet
Centrally located cathode surrounded by an anode, High voltage electric field is generated between them.
Propellant is injected between the two electrodes, passing through an arc and being electrically heated.
Hot gas is then accelerated through a nozzle thermodynamically
Arcjet Propellants
Hydrogen
Ammonia
Hydrazine
Hydrogen Considerations
Advantages
High specific heat and thermal conductivity
Disadvantages
Difficulty in storage
Suffers from Frozen Flow losses in Nozzle Expansion
Ammonia Considerations
Advantage
Liquid does not require refrigeration
Disadvantage
Heavy molecule which dissociates into low-molecular-mass constituents which introduces frozen flow losses
Hydrazine Considerations
Advantages:
Can be dual used for a combination propulsion system on satellites. Can be easily stored
Disadvantages
Chemical erosion problems are intensified at higher specific impulses. Heat transfer problems at the nozzle and chamber.
What is FAC?
Flow Accelerated Corrosion
What is MET?
Microwave Electrothermal
Principles of MET
Heat a propellant gas using a microwave-generated plasma
CD gas-dynamic nozzle expansion
How many electrodes does a MET use to generate plasma?
none; plasma generated without electrodes
What is Flemings left hand rule used for?
Electric motors
What is Flemings right hand rule used for?
Electric Generators
What does MPD stand for?
MagnetoPlasmoDynamic
Advantages of MPD?
Isp in the range of 1500-8000s
Efficiencies of 30-40%+
Exhaust Velocity beyond 110,000 m/s