Lithium propellant supply device used for electric propulsion engine test and supply method thereof

Abstract

The invention brings forward a lithium propellant supply device used for an electric propulsion engine test and a supply method thereof. The device comprises an argon gas circuit subdevice, a cooling water control subdevice and a lithium propellant supply subdevice that is placed in a vacuum cabin. Heating films are arranged on outer walls of a lithium storage tank, a lithium transfer storage tank and propellant pipelines; and cooling valves are arranged on a propellant pipeline between the lithium storage tank and the lithium transfer storage tank and a propellant pipeline between the lithium transfer storage tank and an engine. Besides, the argon gas circuit subdevice provides gas pressure for the lithium storage tank; and the cooling water control subdevice provides cooling water for the cooling valves. According to the supply method, the heating films are used to carry out liquefaction on solid alkali metal lithium and then extrude the processed lithium into the transfer storage tank; and a motor is used to control a piston to realize controllable supply of a flow of a lithium propellant. According to the invention, high maneuverability and practicality are realized; therefore, the flow of the supplied lithium solid propellant is controlled stably as well as a requirement of a ground test of an engine is met.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a set of solid propellant supply device suitable for electric propulsion engine test, in particular to the supply technology of lithium (Lithium), a solid alkali metal propellant of a magnetoplasma dynamic engine (MPDT). Background technique [0002] The magnetoplasma dynamic engine (MPDT) is a typical electromagnetic space electric propulsion engine, which has the advantages of high specific impulse, large thrust range, long life, high control precision, and repeatable start. It has broad application prospects in missions such as space exploration and interstellar navigation. [0003] The propellant of the magnetoplasma dynamic engine can use hydrogen, lithium, neon, argon, xenon, etc., and use the interaction between the magnetic field and the current to generate the Lorentz force to accelerate the plasma state propellant to generate thrust, so it is also called the Lorentz force Accelerator (Lorentz Force Accelerator). The...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Many foreign institutions and departments have carried out experimental research on lithium MPDT engines, but they have not made public reports on the important details of the supply pipeline in the test

At present, the design of gas pipelines and liquid pipelines has reached a relatively high level in China, but there are still great difficulties in applying the existing devices and methods to the experimental research of lithium MPDT engines

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