PPT working medium supply device and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a PPT working medium supply device and method. The device comprises a thrust chamber frame shell, a cathode plate, an anode plate, a first working medium and a second working medium, and a thrust outlet is formed in one end of the thrust chamber frame shell; the cathode plate and the anode plate are arranged on the inner wall of the thrust outlet; a first bulge and a second bulge are respectively arranged on the cathode plate and the anode plate; the first working medium and the second working medium are arranged in the thrust chamber frame shell side by side, meshed with each other and capable of sliding independently. The first end of the first working medium abuts against the first protrusion, and a first pulling piece is arranged between the negative plate and the second end of the first working medium. The first end of the second working medium abuts against the second protrusion, and a second pulling piece is arranged between the anode plate and the second end of the second working medium. The thruster is applied to the field of spacecraft propulsion, can effectively solve the problem of thruster failure caused by inconsistent ablation speeds of working media on the two sides of the cathode plate and the anode plate, and can effectively prevent carbon deposition on the end face of the working media on one side from affecting propulsion supply of the working media on the other side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of spacecraft propulsion technology, and in particular to a PPT working fluid supply device and method. Background Art

[0002] Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) is an electric propulsion device widely used in micro-satellites and probes. PPT generates pulse thrust by electromagnetic means, which is mainly used for attitude control, orbit adjustment and precise fine-tuning.

[0003] PPT usually uses solid propellant, the most common of which is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The propellant is usually placed in the discharge chamber of the thruster in the form of rods or plates. When working, the high-voltage power supply and energy storage capacitor apply high voltage between the cathode and the anode, and trigger discharge on the surface of the propellant through a spark plug or other triggering device, generating high-temperature and high-pressure plasma. The generated plasma is accelerated by the electric field and ejected out of the nozzle at high speed to form a plasma jet. According to the principle of reaction force, the ejected plasma generates reverse thrust, thereby pushing the spacecraft to adjust its attitude or orbit maneuver.

[0004] However, conventional pulsed plasma thrusters usually use a whole block of solid propellant, the two ends of which are in contact with the cathode and anode plates respectively, and generate plasma through ablation. Since the ablation rate of the propellant on both sides of the cathode and anode plates may be different, this uneven ablation may cause the contact with the electrode on one side to gradually weaken or break, eventually causing the thruster to fail. In addition, since a whole block of solid propellant is used, carbon deposits on the end face of one side of the working fluid often affect the propulsion supply of the working fluid on the other side, which is also prone to cause the risk of thruster failure. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a PPT working fluid supply device and method, which can effectively solve the problem of thruster failure caused by inconsistent working fluid ablation speed on both sides of the cathode plate and the anode plate.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a PPT working medium supply device, comprising a thrust chamber frame shell, a cathode plate, an anode plate, a first working medium, a second working medium, a first pulling member and a second pulling member, wherein one end of the thrust chamber frame shell has a thrust outlet; The cathode plate and the anode plate are symmetrically arranged on the inner walls on both sides of the thrust outlet, and the inner side walls of the cathode plate and the anode plate are respectively provided with a first protrusion and a second protrusion to respectively prevent the first working fluid and the second working fluid from being ejected from the thrust outlet under the action of the first pulling member and the second pulling member; The first working medium and the second working medium are arranged side by side in the thrust chamber frame housing, the first side of the first working medium and the first side of the second working medium are meshed with each other, and the first working medium and the second working medium can slide independently along the length direction of the thrust chamber frame housing; The first end of the first working medium abuts against the first protrusion, and the first pulling member is connected between the cathode plate and the second end of the first working medium; The first end of the second working medium abuts against the second protrusion, and the second pulling member is connected between the anode plate and the second end of the second working medium.

[0007] In one embodiment, the first pulling member is a first coil spring, and the second pulling member is a second coil spring; A first gap and a second gap are respectively formed between the upper and lower sides of the first working medium and the inner wall of the thrust chamber frame shell; The first coil spring is arranged at the second end of the first working medium, and the end of the first coil spring is fixedly connected to the cathode plate after passing through the first gap, and the second end of the first working medium is a cavity structure to wrap the first coil spring as much as possible to prevent the first coil spring and the second coil spring from breaking down and discharging; The second coil spring is arranged at the second end of the second working medium, and the end of the second coil spring is fixedly connected to the anode plate after passing through the second gap, and the second end of the second working medium is a cavity structure to wrap the second coil spring as much as possible to prevent the first coil spring and the second coil spring from breaking down and discharging.

[0008] In one embodiment, the ends of the cathode plate and the anode plate are respectively provided with a first card slot and a second card slot; The end of the first coil spring is inserted into the first clamping slot and fixedly connected to the cathode plate, and the end of the second coil spring is inserted into the second clamping slot and fixedly connected to the anode plate.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first pulling member and the second pulling member are both tension springs.

[0010] In one embodiment, the surfaces of the first pulling member and the second pulling member are provided with an insulating coating.

[0011] In one embodiment, a plurality of first slots are provided at intervals along the length direction on the second side of the first working medium; and / or A plurality of second slots are arranged at intervals along the length direction on the second side of the second working medium.

[0012] In one embodiment, a first through hole and a second threaded hole are coaxially arranged on the first side of the thrust chamber frame housing and the cathode plate, so as to be used for fixing the cathode plate on the thrust chamber frame housing with bolts and connecting electricity; and / or A coaxial third through hole and a fourth threaded hole are provided on the second side of the thrust chamber frame shell and the anode plate, so as to be used for fixing the anode plate on the thrust chamber frame shell with bolts and connecting electricity.

[0013] In one of the embodiments, a coaxial fifth through hole and a sixth through hole are provided on the first side of the thrust chamber frame housing and the cathode plate for assembling a spark plug.

[0014] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a PPT working fluid supply method, in which the above-mentioned PPT working fluid supply device is assembled on a pulsed plasma thruster, and working fluid is supplied based on the PPT working fluid supply device.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects: 1. The present invention arranges the first working medium and the second working medium side by side in the thrust chamber, and makes the first working medium and the second working medium mesh with each other, so that the first working medium and the second working medium can slide independently along the length direction of the thrust chamber. At the same time, under the action of the first pulling member and the second pulling member, even if the ablation speed of the working medium on the cathode plate and the anode plate is inconsistent, the first working medium and the second working medium can always keep in contact with the cathode plate and the anode plate, effectively solving the problem of thruster failure caused by inconsistent ablation speed of the working medium on the cathode plate and the anode plate; 2. The present invention can effectively prevent the carbon deposition on the end surface and the plate of the working medium from affecting the propulsion supply of the other working medium by arranging the first working medium and the second working medium that can slide independently side by side in the thrust chamber; 3. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of first grooves and second grooves can be set on the second side of the first working fluid and the second working fluid, so that the carbon deposits on the first working fluid and the second working fluid can fall off by themselves after extending to the first grooves and the second grooves, thereby reducing the blockage of the working fluid propulsion by the carbon deposits on the working fluid end surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 It is an axonometric diagram of a PPT working fluid supply device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a side view of a PPT working fluid supply device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of a PPT working medium supply device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a partial enlarged view of the PPT working fluid supply device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure numbers: thrust chamber frame shell 1, thrust outlet 101, first through hole 102, fifth through hole 103, third through hole 104, cathode plate 2, first protrusion 201, first groove 202, second threaded hole 203, sixth through hole 204, anode plate 3, second protrusion 301, second groove 302, fourth threaded hole 303, first working medium 4, groove 401, first slot 402, second working medium 5, bump 501, second slot 502, first pulling member 6, second pulling member 7, first gap 8, second gap 9, thrust chamber 10.

[0019] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0022] In addition, in the present invention, descriptions such as "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0023] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a physical connection, or a wireless communication connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0024] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in the field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 4 The figure shows a PPT working medium supply device disclosed in this embodiment, which mainly includes a thrust chamber frame shell 1, a cathode plate 2, an anode plate 3, a first working medium 4 and a second working medium 5. Among them, the thrust chamber frame shell 1 is a shell structure with openings at both ends or one end, which is composed of multiple plates spliced ​​together or integrally formed, and the opening at one end of the thrust chamber frame shell 1 is a thrust outlet 101. The cathode plate 2, the anode plate 3, the first working medium 4, the second working medium 5, the spark plug and the part of the thrust chamber frame shell 1 close to the thrust outlet 101 together constitute the thrust chamber 10.

[0026] The cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 3 are symmetrically arranged on the inner wall of the thrust chamber frame shell 1 corresponding to the left and right sides of the thrust outlet 101, and the inner wall of the cathode plate 2 is provided with a first protrusion 201 extending toward the inner direction of the thrust chamber 10, and the inner wall of the anode plate 3 is provided with a second protrusion 301 extending toward the inner direction of the thrust chamber 10. The first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 are both long strip structures, and the length direction is parallel to the axial direction of the thrust chamber 10. The first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 are arranged side by side in the thrust chamber frame shell 1, and the first side of the first working medium 4 and the first side of the second working medium 5 are meshed with each other, so that the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 cannot move independently along the width direction and the height direction of the thrust chamber 10, and at the same time, the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 can slide independently along the length direction of the thrust chamber 10.

[0027] refer to Figure 2, a groove 401 with a trapezoidal cross section is provided on the first side of the first working medium 4, and the length direction of the groove 401 is parallel to the axial direction of the thrust chamber 10. At the same time, a convex block 501 with a trapezoidal cross section is provided on the first side of the second working medium 5, and the length direction of the convex block 501 is also parallel to the axial direction of the thrust chamber 10. During assembly, the convex block 501 is embedded in the groove 401, and there is a clearance fit between the convex block 501 and the groove 401, thereby limiting the independent movement of the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 along the width direction and the height direction of the thrust chamber 10, and at the same time, the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 can slide independently along the length direction of the thrust chamber 10.

[0028] It is worth noting that in the specific application process, the meshing method between the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 is not limited to the method of Figure 2 The structure shown may also be provided in other ways, for example, using grooves and convex blocks with T-shaped or other cross-sectional shapes, or providing the grooves on the second working medium 5 and the convex blocks on the first working medium 4, etc.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first end of the first working medium 4 abuts against the first protrusion 201, and a first pulling member 6 is connected between the cathode plate 2 and the second end of the first working medium 4; the first end of the second working medium 5 abuts against the second protrusion 301, and a second pulling member 7 is connected between the anode plate 3 and the second end of the second working medium 5. The first pulling member 6 and the second pulling member 7 have a pre-tightening force, and cooperate with the first protrusion 201 and the second protrusion 301, so that the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 always have a tendency to slide toward the cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 3.

[0030] Therefore, in this embodiment, the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 are arranged side by side in the thrust chamber 10, and the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 are meshed with each other, so that the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 can slide independently along the length direction of the thrust chamber 10. At the same time, under the action of the first pulling member 6 and the second pulling member 7, even if the ablation speed of the working medium on both sides of the cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 3 is inconsistent, the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 can always keep in contact with the cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 3, effectively solving the problem of thruster failure caused by inconsistent ablation speed of the working medium on both sides of the cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 3. At the same time, since the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 can slide independently in the thrust chamber 10, it can also effectively prevent the carbon deposition on the end face of one working medium from affecting the propulsion supply of the working medium on the other side.

[0031] In the specific implementation process, the first pulling member 6 is a first coil spring, the second pulling member 7 is a second coil spring, a first gap 8 is provided between the second side of the first working medium 4 and the inner wall of the thrust chamber frame shell 1, and a second gap 9 is provided between the second side of the second working medium 5 and the inner wall of the thrust chamber frame shell 1. A first ring can be provided at the first end of the first coil spring, and an insulating first pillar is provided at the second end of the first working medium 4, and the first ring is fixedly sleeved on the first pillar, so that the first coil spring is fixedly connected to the second end of the first working medium 4, and the second end of the first coil spring is fixedly connected to the cathode plate 2 after passing through the first gap 8. Similarly, a second ring can be provided at the first end of the second coil spring, and an insulating second pillar is provided at the second end of the second working medium 5, and the second ring is fixedly sleeved on the second pillar, so that the second coil spring is fixedly connected to the second end of the second working medium 5, and the second end of the second coil spring is fixedly connected to the anode plate 3 after passing through the second gap 9. Preferably, the second ends of the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 can be configured as a cavity or groove structure to wrap the first coil spring and the second coil spring as much as possible to prevent the first coil spring and the second coil spring from breaking down and discharging.

[0032] As a preferred embodiment, a first slot 202 is provided at the end of the cathode plate 2, and the second end of the first coil spring is inserted into the first slot 202 and fixedly connected to the cathode plate 2 with a bolt. Similarly, a second slot 302 is provided at the end of the anode plate 3, and the second end of the second coil spring is inserted into the second slot 302 and fixedly connected to the anode plate 3 with a bolt.

[0033] It is worth noting that in the specific application process, the first pulling member 6 and the second pulling member 7 are not limited to the coil springs shown in the figure, and tension springs can be directly used as the first pulling member 6 and the second pulling member 7, or other structural members with elastic preload can be used.

[0034] As a preferred embodiment, the surfaces of the first pulling member 6 and the second pulling member 7 are both provided with an insulating coating to prevent the first pulling member 6 and the second pulling member 7 from discharging and causing damage to the thruster.

[0035] As a preferred embodiment, a plurality of first slots 402 are provided at intervals along the length direction on the second side of the first working medium 4, and the depth direction of the first slots 402 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the thrust chamber 10. And / or a plurality of second slots 502 are provided at intervals along the length direction on the second side of the second working medium 5, and the depth direction of the second slots 502 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the thrust chamber 10. By providing the first slots 402 and the second slots 502, the carbon deposits on the first working medium 4 and the second working medium 5 can fall off by themselves after extending to the first slots 402 and the second slots 502, thereby reducing the blockage of the working medium propulsion by the carbon deposits at the working medium end. It is worth noting that in the specific application process, according to the model of the thruster, it is also possible to choose not to provide the first slots 402 and the second slots 502.

[0036] In this embodiment, the first side of the thrust chamber frame housing 1 is provided with a first through hole 102 and a fifth through hole 103, the second side of the thrust chamber frame housing 1 is provided with a third through hole 104, the cathode plate 2 is provided with a second threaded hole 203 and a sixth through hole 204, and the anode plate 3 is provided with a fourth threaded hole 303. Among them, the first through hole 102 is coaxially arranged with the second threaded hole 203, so as to be used for fixing the cathode plate 2 on the thrust chamber frame housing 1 with bolts and realizing the connection of the cathode plate 2 with electricity. The third through hole 104 is coaxially arranged with the fourth threaded hole 303, so as to be used for fixing the anode plate 3 on the thrust chamber frame housing 1 with bolts and realizing the connection of the anode plate 3 with electricity. The fifth through hole 103 is coaxially arranged with the sixth through hole 204, so as to be used for assembling the spark plug.

[0037] This embodiment also discloses a PPT working fluid supply method, that is, assembling the above-mentioned PPT working fluid supply device on the pulsed plasma thruster, and supplying working fluid based on the PPT working fluid supply device, thereby solving the problem of thruster failure caused by inconsistent working fluid ablation speed on both sides of the cathode plate 2 and the anode plate 3.

[0038] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A PPT working fluid supply device, characterized in that: It includes a thrust chamber frame shell, a cathode plate, an anode plate, a first working medium, a second working medium, a first pulling member and a second pulling member, wherein one end of the thrust chamber frame shell has a thrust outlet; The cathode plate and the anode plate are symmetrically arranged on the inner walls on both sides of the thrust outlet, and the inner side walls of the cathode plate and the anode plate are respectively provided with a first protrusion and a second protrusion to respectively prevent the first working fluid and the second working fluid from being ejected from the thrust outlet under the action of the first pulling member and the second pulling member; The first working medium and the second working medium are arranged side by side in the thrust chamber frame housing, the first side of the first working medium and the first side of the second working medium are meshed with each other, and the first working medium and the second working medium can slide independently along the length direction of the thrust chamber frame housing; The first end of the first working medium abuts against the first protrusion, and the first pulling member is connected between the cathode plate and the second end of the first working medium; The first end of the second working medium abuts against the second protrusion, and the second pulling member is connected between the anode plate and the second end of the second working medium.

2. The PPT working medium supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first pulling member is a first coil spring, and the second pulling member is a second coil spring; A first gap and a second gap are respectively formed between the upper and lower sides of the first working medium and the inner wall of the thrust chamber frame shell; The first coil spring is arranged at the second end of the first working medium, and the end of the first coil spring is fixedly connected to the cathode plate after passing through the first gap, and the second end of the first working medium is a cavity structure to wrap the first coil spring as much as possible to prevent the first coil spring and the second coil spring from breaking down and discharging; The second coil spring is arranged at the second end of the second working medium, and the end of the second coil spring is fixedly connected to the anode plate after passing through the second gap, and the second end of the second working medium is a cavity structure to wrap the second coil spring as much as possible to prevent the first coil spring and the second coil spring from breaking down and discharging.

3. The PPT working medium supply device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ends of the cathode plate and the anode plate are respectively provided with a first card slot and a second card slot; The end of the first coil spring is inserted into the first clamping slot and fixedly connected to the cathode plate, and the end of the second coil spring is inserted into the second clamping slot and fixedly connected to the anode plate.

4. The PPT working medium supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first pulling member and the second pulling member are both tension springs.

5. The PPT working medium supply device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: The surfaces of the first pulling member and the second pulling member are provided with an insulating coating.

6. The PPT working medium supply device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: A plurality of first slots are provided at intervals along the length direction on the second side of the first working medium; and / or A plurality of second slots are arranged at intervals along the length direction on the second side of the second working medium.

7. The PPT working medium supply device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: A first through hole and a second threaded hole are coaxially arranged on the first side of the thrust chamber frame housing and the cathode plate, so as to be used for fixing the cathode plate on the thrust chamber frame housing with bolts and connecting electricity; and / or A coaxial third through hole and a fourth threaded hole are provided on the second side of the thrust chamber frame shell and the anode plate, so as to be used for fixing the anode plate on the thrust chamber frame shell with bolts and connecting electricity.

8. The PPT working medium supply device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: A coaxial fifth through hole and a sixth through hole are provided on the first side of the thrust chamber frame housing and the cathode plate for assembling a spark plug.

9. A PPT working fluid supply method, characterized in that: The PPT working fluid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is assembled on a pulsed plasma thruster, and working fluid supply is performed based on the PPT working fluid supply device.

Images