Propulsion system, method and spacecraft

Abstract

The application discloses a propelling system, a method and a spacecraft, wherein the propelling system comprises: a propelling body, wherein a propellant is arranged in the propelling body, and a nozzle is arranged on the propelling side of the propelling body; a driving assembly, which is used for driving the nozzle to deform; and a control assembly, which is used for controlling the driving assembly to drive the nozzle to deform according to a propelling task, and after the deformation ends, the control assembly controls the nozzle to spray the propellant after the spraying direction of the nozzle reaches a target spraying direction corresponding to the propelling task. According to the propelling system, the spraying direction is changed based on the deformation of the nozzle, the structure is simplified, the machining and assembling difficulty is reduced, the accuracy of the spraying direction is effectively ensured, and the reliability of the propelling system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace technology, and in particular to a propulsion system, method, and spacecraft. Background Technology

[0002] The spacecraft's propulsion system, as an actuator, provides control torque to the satellite to perform attitude and orbit control tasks. Therefore, the reliability and control accuracy of the propulsion system are of paramount importance.

[0003] In related technologies, spacecraft propulsion systems employ multiple nozzles to meet multi-directional propulsion requirements, such as an 8-nozzle configuration for six-axis attitude control of micro-nano satellites, or a 10-nozzle configuration. However, excessive nozzle configurations make the propulsion system structure more complex, which is not conducive to processing and assembly. Moreover, excessively long pipelines can easily increase pressure loss along the pipeline, resulting in reduced control accuracy, compromised system reliability, and a decreased user experience. These issues urgently need to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a propulsion system, method, and spacecraft to solve the technical problems in related technologies, such as the disadvantage of excessive nozzle settings in processing and assembly, the easy increase of pressure loss along the process, the reduction of control accuracy, and the inability to guarantee system reliability.

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides a propulsion system for a spacecraft, comprising: a propulsion body, wherein a propellant is disposed therein, and a nozzle is disposed on the propulsion side of the propulsion body; a drive assembly for driving the nozzle to deform; and a control assembly for controlling the drive assembly to drive the nozzle to deform according to a propulsion mission, and controlling the nozzle to spray the propellant after the deformation ends and the nozzle's spray direction reaches the target spray direction corresponding to the propulsion mission.

[0006] The propulsion system of the spacecraft in this invention can drive the nozzle to deform. During propulsion, the nozzle is controlled to deform so that, after the deformed nozzle's spray direction reaches the target spray direction corresponding to the propulsion mission, the nozzle is controlled to spray propellant, thus propelling the spacecraft. By changing the spray direction based on nozzle deformation, the structure is simplified, the processing and assembly difficulty is reduced, and the accuracy of the spray direction is effectively ensured, improving the reliability of the propulsion system. This solves the technical problems in related technologies, such as excessive nozzle settings being detrimental to processing and assembly, and easily increasing pressure loss along the nozzle, leading to reduced control accuracy and compromised system reliability.

[0007] In addition, the propulsion system of the spacecraft according to the above embodiments of the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0008] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle is made of a deformable shape memory material.

[0009] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the driving component includes: a first heater disposed corresponding to the nozzle; a temperature sensor disposed inside the nozzle for detecting the actual temperature of the nozzle; and a first controller for controlling the first heater to heat the nozzle so that the actual temperature reaches the first deformation temperature corresponding to the target spray direction.

[0010] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the driving component includes: a second heater disposed corresponding to the nozzle; a pressure sensor disposed in the nozzle for detecting the actual pressure of the nozzle; and a second controller for controlling the second heater to heat the nozzle so that the actual temperature obtained based on the actual pressure reaches the second deformation temperature corresponding to the target spray direction.

[0011] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle is converted from a three-dimensional model into an STL (Stereo Lithography) file with layer information by a printer, and the STL file is sliced ​​and printed according to the contour information of each layer.

[0012] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle includes a plurality of sub-nozzles, wherein the spray pattern of the plurality of sub-nozzles is obtained from the propulsion trajectory of the propulsion task to determine the deformation temperature and deformation time of each sub-nozzle.

[0013] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the propulsion body includes: a propellant tank for storing the propellant; and a buffer tank, wherein a pipeline is provided between the buffer tank, the propellant tank, and the nozzle for pre-storing the propellant before injection.

[0014] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the deformable shape memory material may be a NiTi alloy, a copper-based alloy, or an iron-based alloy, and the nozzle may be a Laval nozzle.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a propulsion method for a spacecraft, employing the aforementioned spacecraft propulsion system, wherein the method includes: acquiring a propulsion mission; controlling a drive assembly to drive a nozzle to deform according to the propulsion mission; and controlling the nozzle to spray propellant after the nozzle's spray direction reaches the target spray direction corresponding to the propulsion mission.

[0016] The spacecraft propulsion method of this invention can drive the nozzle to deform. During propulsion, the nozzle is controlled to deform so that, after the deformed nozzle's spray direction reaches the target spray direction corresponding to the propulsion mission, the nozzle is controlled to spray propellant, thus propelling the spacecraft. By changing the spray direction based on nozzle deformation, the structure is simplified, the processing and assembly difficulty is reduced, and the accuracy of the spray direction is effectively ensured, improving the reliability of the propulsion system. This solves the technical problems in related technologies, such as excessive nozzle settings being detrimental to processing and assembly, and easily increasing pressure loss along the nozzle, leading to reduced control accuracy and compromised system reliability.

[0017] A third aspect of this invention provides a spacecraft including the aforementioned spacecraft propulsion system. This spacecraft can drive nozzles to deform, thereby controlling the nozzles to deform during propulsion missions. After the deformed nozzles achieve the target spray direction corresponding to the propulsion mission, the nozzles are controlled to spray propellant, propelling the spacecraft. By changing the spray direction based on nozzle deformation, the structure is simplified, the processing and assembly difficulty is reduced, and the accuracy of the spray direction is effectively ensured, improving the reliability of the propulsion system. This solves the technical problems in related technologies, such as excessive nozzle settings hindering processing and assembly, increasing pressure loss along the nozzle path, reducing control accuracy, and compromising system reliability.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the propulsion system of a spacecraft according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the nozzle state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the nozzle state according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a driving component according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of a spacecraft according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a spacecraft propulsion method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0027] The propulsion system, method, and spacecraft of embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Addressing the problems mentioned in the background art, such as the use of too many nozzles leading to complex structures and control systems, excessively long pipelines causing significant pressure losses along the pipeline, and even high processing and assembly difficulties in some propulsion systems, the present invention provides a spacecraft propulsion system. In this system, the jet direction is adjusted by controlling the deformation of the nozzles. After the deformed nozzles achieve the target jet direction corresponding to the propulsion mission, the nozzles are controlled to spray propellant, thereby achieving the purpose of propulsion of the spacecraft. This not only simplifies the propulsion system in terms of structure and control but also provides high efficiency and ease of implementation. Therefore, it solves the technical problems in the related art, such as the difficulty in processing and assembly due to excessive nozzle settings, the increased pressure losses along the pipeline, reduced control accuracy, and compromised system reliability.

[0028] Specifically, Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a spacecraft propulsion system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the spacecraft's propulsion system 10 includes: a propulsion body 100, a drive assembly 200, and a control assembly 300.

[0030] The propulsion body 100 contains a propellant, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the propulsion side of the propulsion body 100 may be provided with a nozzle 101, which can be used to control the propellant injection direction, thereby realizing the adjustment of different attitudes and trajectories.

[0031] The drive assembly 200 is used to drive the nozzle 101 to deform.

[0032] It is understood that, to distinguish it from the multiple nozzle configurations of related technologies, this embodiment of the invention, when implementing the spacecraft's propulsion direction adjustment function, can achieve the purpose of changing the propulsion direction by deforming the nozzle 101. It should be noted that for more complex propulsion methods, multiple nozzles can also be used for deformation, with a similar principle. This can be configured by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation; to reduce redundancy, no specific limitations are made here.

[0033] The control component 300 is used to control the drive component 200 to drive the nozzle 101 to deform according to the propulsion mission, and after the deformation ends and the nozzle 101 reaches the target spray direction corresponding to the propulsion mission, the control component 300 controls the nozzle 101 to spray propellant to propel the spacecraft.

[0034] Specifically, in the embodiments of the present invention, when performing a propulsion mission, if the spacecraft needs to change its propulsion direction, the nozzle 101 can be deformed in any way. After deformation, the orientation of the nozzle 101 will change, thereby changing the spray direction of the propulsion system 10 and achieving the purpose of changing the propulsion direction. It should be noted that the confirmation of the target spray direction can be determined based on the current progress of the propulsion mission (such as the first flight phase of the propulsion mission or the second flight phase of the propulsion mission), that is, it can be set by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation, and is not specifically limited here.

[0035] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle 101 can be a Laval nozzle, and the spray direction of the nozzle 101 can be adjusted according to the spray direction requirements, that is, the angle between the nozzle 101 and the propulsion side of the propulsion body 100 can be adjusted according to the spray direction requirements.

[0036] As one possible approach, the direction of nozzle 101 can be adjusted using the memory effect of deformable shape memory materials. For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the angle between the nozzle 101 and the propulsion side of the propulsion body 100 is 90° before the drive assembly 200 drives the nozzle 101 to deform. Figure 3 As shown, the angle will change after the drive assembly 200 drives the nozzle 101 to deform. For example, the angle can become 75°, that is, the nozzle 101 is closer to the propulsion side. Given that the spray direction of the 90° nozzle 101 and the 75° nozzle 101 are significantly different, such as the 90° nozzle 101 can propel the spacecraft to move horizontally, while the 75° nozzle 101 can propel the spacecraft to rotate, thereby achieving the purpose of changing the propulsion direction.

[0037] To enable those skilled in the art to understand the principles of the embodiments of the present invention, a possible implementation method is described in detail below, but it is not limited to this implementation method. Examples are listed below for illustrative purposes.

[0038] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle 101 is made of a deformable shape memory material. The deformable shape memory material may include, but is not limited to, NiTi alloys, copper-based alloys, and iron-based alloys. It should be emphasized that the deformable shape memory material can be NiTi alloys, copper-based alloys (CuZnAl and CuAl), or iron-based alloys; however, compared to copper-based alloys and iron-based alloys, NiTi alloys have a lower specific gravity and superior shape memory function. Preferably, the mass fraction of Ni is 50% to 60%.

[0039] Those skilled in the art should understand that by controlling the deformation of the nozzle 101 to adjust the spray direction, and after the spray direction of the deformed nozzle 101 reaches the target spray direction of the current process of the propulsion mission, controlling the nozzle 101 to spray propellant and propel the spacecraft not only simplifies the propulsion system in terms of structure and control, but also has higher working efficiency and is easy to implement.

[0040] Optionally, in one embodiment of the invention, such as Figure 4 As shown, the drive assembly 200 includes: a first heater 201, a temperature sensor 202, and a first controller (not shown in the figure). The first heater 201 is correspondingly disposed to the nozzle 101; the temperature sensor 202 is disposed inside the nozzle 101 and is used to detect the actual temperature of the nozzle 101; the first controller is used to control the first heater 201 to heat the nozzle 101, so that the actual temperature reaches the first deformation temperature corresponding to the target spray direction.

[0041] Understandably, the angle between the first deformation temperature and the jet direction and the propulsion body 100 is set through drive training.

[0042] In actual implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the temperature sensor 202 can be embedded in the nozzle 101. The temperature of the nozzle 101 can be adjusted by adjusting the first heater 201. For example, after receiving a heating command, the first heater 201 can start working. The nozzle 101 will deform after the temperature reaches the first deformation temperature. The first deformation temperature can be changed according to the spray direction requirements and the phase transition point of the deformable shape memory material. For example, the first deformation temperature is 70°C.

[0043] As can be understood from the description of other related embodiments, the temperature sensor 202 can monitor data in real time and send the detected data to the first controller. The first controller can determine the next operation based on the returned data. For example, if the first deformation temperature corresponding to the target spray direction is 70°C, when the temperature sensor 202 detects that the temperature reaches 70°C, the first controller can control the nozzle 101 to adjust the spray direction. It should be noted that the temperature sensor 202 can be a flexible temperature sensor, which can be conformally fitted to the nozzle 101. Even if the nozzle 101 deforms, it will not fail, thereby ensuring the reliability of the real-time monitoring data.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the deformation purpose of the above embodiment can be achieved by driving the angle between the first deformation temperature and the jet direction and the propulsion body 100 through the following method.

[0045] For example, the additively manufactured nozzle 101 is loaded and bent to a set angle, such as 75°. Then, it is unloaded, and the first heater 201 is activated to heat the nozzle 101. After the nozzle 101 reaches its deformation point, such as 70°C, it returns to its initial angle, and the first heater 201 stops working, allowing the nozzle 101 to cool down. This process is repeated multiple times, such as 10 times, to complete the drive training of the nozzle 101. This ensures that the nozzle deforms with temperature during subsequent actual execution, guaranteeing accurate control in a simple and reliable manner.

[0046] It should be noted that additive manufacturing methods include, but are not limited to, powder-based metal additive manufacturing, such as selective laser melting, selective plasma melting, laser near-net-shape forming, and inkjet printing; and filament-based metal additive manufacturing, such as arc additive manufacturing, which are not specifically limited here.

[0047] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle 101 is converted from a three-dimensional model into an STL file with layer information by a printer, and after the STL file is sliced, it is printed according to the contour information of each layer.

[0048] For example, the additive manufacturing process can be as follows: the nozzle 101 is converted from a 3D model into an STL file with layer information by a printer, and after slicing the STL file, it is printed according to the contour information of each layer. In short, the embodiments of the present invention can use dedicated software to slice the STL file to obtain the contour information of each layer, thereby importing the file into the printer for printing, simplifying the structure and effectively reducing the difficulty of processing and assembly.

[0049] In summary, the propulsion system 10 of the spacecraft in this embodiment is manufactured using additive manufacturing, which not only simplifies the manufacturing process but also reduces assembly and weight.

[0050] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the drive assembly 200 includes: a second heater, a pressure sensor, and a second controller. The second heater is disposed corresponding to the nozzle 101; the pressure sensor is disposed inside the nozzle 101 and is used to detect the actual pressure of the nozzle 101; the second controller is used to control the second heater to heat the nozzle 101, so that the actual temperature obtained based on the actual pressure reaches the second deformation temperature corresponding to the target spray direction.

[0051] Understandably, the second deformation temperature and the 100° angle between the jet direction and the propulsion body are set through drive training.

[0052] Understandably, the pressure sensor can be embedded in the nozzle 101. The temperature of the nozzle 101 can be adjusted by regulating the second heater. For example, after receiving a heating command, the second heater can start working. The nozzle 101 will deform after the temperature reaches the second deformation temperature. The pressure sensor can collect the pressure generated by the deformation. The second deformation temperature can be changed according to the spray direction requirements and the phase transition point of the deformable shape memory material. For example, the second deformation temperature is equal to the first deformation temperature, which is 70°C.

[0053] Based on the description of other related embodiments, it can be understood that the pressure sensor can monitor data in real time and send the detected data to the second controller. The second controller can determine the next operation based on the returned data. For example, if the second deformation temperature corresponding to the target spray direction is 70°C, when the pressure sensor detects that the pressure generated by deformation reaches a preset value, the second controller can control the nozzle 101 to adjust the spray direction. It should be noted that the pressure value is directly proportional to the temperature value. The pressure sensor can be a flexible sensor that is conformal to the nozzle 101, so it will not fail even if the nozzle 101 deforms, thereby ensuring the reliability of the real-time monitoring data.

[0054] Based on the above-mentioned temperature and pressure sensors, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the deformation method, nor are they limited to the temperature detection method.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the invention, the angle between the second deformation temperature and the jet direction and the propulsion body 100 is set through drive training, which is the same as the method described above for setting the angle between the first deformation temperature and the jet direction and the propulsion body 100 through drive training. To avoid redundancy, it will not be described in detail here.

[0056] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle 101 includes multiple sub-nozzles, wherein the spray pattern of the multiple sub-nozzles is obtained from the propulsion trajectory of the spacecraft to determine the deformation temperature and deformation time of each sub-nozzle. It is understood that, to further improve the practicality of the spacecraft propulsion system 10 of the present invention, it can be equipped with multiple sub-nozzles, for example, six sub-nozzles to achieve six-axis translation and rotation. That is, in the specific propulsion process, the precision and applicability of control are improved through the collaborative operation of multiple sub-nozzles, effectively meeting the propulsion requirements of the spacecraft and enhancing the user experience.

[0057] The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes. Figure 2 As shown, when the temperature of nozzle 101 is lower than the first deformation temperature, the spray direction of nozzle 101 remains perpendicular to the propulsion side of propulsion body 100; at this time, when nozzle 101 sprays propellant, it will achieve translation of the propulsion unit along the -x direction. When the temperature is higher than the first deformation temperature, the spray direction of nozzle 101 changes, and the angle with the propulsion side of propulsion body 100 changes, as shown... Figure 3 As shown, when nozzle 101 ejects propellant, the thruster will rotate along the +y direction. If nozzle 101 is mounted on the +y surface of the propulsion body 100 and remains perpendicular to the +y surface without deformation, the ejection of propellant will result in translation along the -y direction. When nozzle 101 deforms and ejects propellant, rotation along the -x direction will occur. It should be noted that the effects of mounting nozzle 101 on other surfaces of the propulsion body 100 are the same as those of mounting nozzle 101 on the +y surface of the propulsion body 100. To avoid redundancy, these effects will not be elaborated upon here.

[0058] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the propulsion body 100 includes a propellant tank and a buffer tank. The propellant tank is used to store propellant; a pipeline is provided between the buffer tank and the propellant tank and the nozzle 101 for pre-storing propellant before injection.

[0059] It is understood that the propulsion body 100 of this embodiment of the invention may be equipped with a propellant storage tank and a buffer tank, which can be used for the storage and transportation of propellant. The buffer tank can be connected to the propellant storage tank and the nozzle 101 respectively through pipelines. The buffer tank can store propellant in advance, which not only facilitates spraying when needed, but also effectively ensures the accuracy of control.

[0060] The propulsion system of the spacecraft in this invention can drive the nozzle to deform. During propulsion, the nozzle is controlled to deform so that, after the deformed nozzle's spray direction reaches the target spray direction for the current stage of the propulsion mission, the nozzle is controlled to spray propellant, thus propelling the spacecraft. By changing the spray direction based on nozzle deformation, the structure is simplified, the processing and assembly difficulty is reduced, and the accuracy of the spray direction is effectively ensured, improving the reliability of the propulsion system. This solves the technical problems in related technologies, such as excessive nozzle settings being detrimental to processing and assembly, and easily increasing pressure loss along the nozzle, leading to reduced control accuracy and compromised system reliability.

[0061] like Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also proposes a spacecraft 20, which includes the aforementioned spacecraft propulsion system 10. According to the spacecraft proposed in this embodiment, the propulsion method of this embodiment can drive the nozzle to deform. During propulsion, the nozzle is controlled to deform so that after the deformed nozzle's spray direction reaches the target spray direction of the current process of the propulsion mission, the nozzle is controlled to spray propellant, thus propelling the spacecraft. By changing the spray direction based on nozzle deformation, the structure is simplified, the processing and assembly difficulty is reduced, and the accuracy of the spray direction is effectively ensured, improving the reliability of the propulsion system. This solves the technical problems in related technologies, such as excessive nozzle settings being detrimental to processing and assembly, and easily increasing pressure loss along the process, leading to reduced control accuracy and compromised system reliability.

[0062] like Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also proposes a spacecraft propulsion method, employing the spacecraft propulsion system described in the above embodiments, wherein the method includes:

[0063] Step S601: Obtain the propulsion task.

[0064] Step S602: Drive the nozzle to deform according to the propulsion task control drive component.

[0065] Step S603: After the nozzle's spray direction reaches the target spray direction of the propulsion mission, control the nozzle to spray propellant.

[0066] It should be noted that the foregoing explanation of the spacecraft propulsion system embodiment also applies to the spacecraft propulsion method of this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0067] The spacecraft propulsion method of this invention can drive the nozzle to deform. During propulsion, the nozzle is controlled to deform so that, after the deformed nozzle's spray direction reaches the target spray direction corresponding to the propulsion mission, the nozzle is controlled to spray propellant, thus propelling the spacecraft. By changing the spray direction based on nozzle deformation, the structure is simplified, the processing and assembly difficulty is reduced, and the accuracy of the spray direction is effectively ensured, improving the reliability of the propulsion system. This solves the technical problems in related technologies, such as excessive nozzle settings being detrimental to processing and assembly, and easily increasing pressure loss along the nozzle, leading to reduced control accuracy and compromised system reliability.

[0068] To implement the above embodiments, the present invention also proposes an electronic device, comprising: at least one processor and a memory. The memory is communicatively connected to the at least one processor, and the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions being configured to perform the spacecraft propulsion method of the above embodiments, such as for:

[0069] Obtain the mission.

[0070] The nozzle is deformed according to the propulsion mission control drive component.

[0071] After the deformed nozzle reaches the target spray direction for the propulsion mission, the nozzle is controlled to spray propellant.

[0072] To implement the above embodiments, the present invention also proposes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores computer instructions for causing a computer to execute the spacecraft propulsion method of the above embodiments.

[0073] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0074] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "N" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0075] Any process or method description in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more N executable instructions for implementing custom logic functions or processes, and the scope of preferred embodiments of the invention includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, as should be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of the invention pertain.

[0076] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device). For the purposes of this specification, "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit programs for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include: an electrical connection having one or more wires (electronic device), a portable computer disk drive (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disc read-only memory (CDROM). Alternatively, the computer-readable medium may be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, since the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpreting, or otherwise processing as necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0077] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, the N steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0078] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the methods in the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, the program includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0079] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into a processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0080] The storage medium mentioned above can be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc. Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A propulsion system for a spacecraft, characterized by, The application relates to a propelling system of a spacecraft, comprising: a propelling body, wherein a propellant is arranged in the propelling body, and a nozzle is arranged on a propelling side of the propelling body, the nozzle is made of a deformable shape memory material; a driving assembly for driving the nozzle to deform; and a control assembly for controlling the driving assembly to drive the nozzle to deform according to a propelling task, and after the deformation, controlling the nozzle to spray the propellant after the spray direction of the nozzle reaches a target spray direction corresponding to the propelling task; the driving assembly comprises: a first heater arranged corresponding to the nozzle; a temperature sensor arranged in the nozzle for detecting an actual temperature of the nozzle; a first controller for controlling the first heater to heat the nozzle so that the actual temperature reaches a first deformation temperature corresponding to the target spray direction; a second heater arranged corresponding to the nozzle; a pressure sensor arranged in the nozzle for detecting an actual pressure of the nozzle; and a second controller for controlling the second heater to heat the nozzle so that an actual temperature obtained based on the actual pressure reaches a second deformation temperature corresponding to the target spray direction. The nozzle is converted into an STL file with layer information from a three-dimensional model by a printer, and after slicing processing of the STL file, the nozzle is printed according to the contour information of each layer. The nozzle comprises a plurality of sub-nozzles, wherein the spraying mode of the plurality of sub-nozzles is obtained from a propelling track of the propelling task to determine the deformation temperature and the deformation time of each sub-nozzle. The propelling body comprises: a propellant storage tank for storing the propellant; and a buffer tank, wherein a pipeline is arranged between the propellant storage tank, the nozzle and the buffer tank, and the pipeline is used for pre-storing the propellant before spraying. The deformable shape memory material is a NiTi alloy, a copper-based alloy or a iron-based alloy, and the nozzle is a Laval nozzle. The application further discloses a propelling method of a spacecraft, wherein the method comprises: acquiring a propelling task; controlling a driving assembly to drive a nozzle to deform according to the propelling task; and controlling the nozzle to spray a propellant after a spray direction of the nozzle reaches a target spray direction of the propelling task. The application further discloses a spacecraft, comprising: a propelling system according to any one of claims 1-5. ​ ​ ​ ​ 2. The system of claim 1, wherein, ​ 3. The system of claim 1, wherein, ​ 4. The system of claim 1, wherein, ​ ​ ​ 5. The system of claim 2, wherein, ​ 6. A method of propelling a spacecraft, characterized by, ​ ​ ​ ​ 7. A spacecraft, characterized by, ​ ​

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