A nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system, comprising a tank, a valve assembly arranged in the tank, a transducer assembly and a thruster assembly; the nitrous oxide working fluid is stored in the tank, and after being decompressed by the valve assembly, enters the transducer assembly, is converted into a gaseous state, and then enters the thruster assembly and is ejected to generate thrust. The nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system of the present invention has the advantages of modularization, high precision, high integration, and low power consumption, and can meet the application requirements of cubic satellite power, mass, volume, life, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of aerospace, and in particular to a nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system. Background Art

[0002] Traditional satellite propulsion systems have a low degree of integration, and the tanks and valves are directly connected by pipelines, resulting in complex gas paths. Traditional propellants usually use hydrazine, whose high-temperature decomposition products are highly toxic, inconvenient to store, and require strict management and control. In order to ensure the safety of ground storage and transportation, they cannot be refilled in advance and must be refilled at the launch site.

[0003] Therefore, traditional satellite propulsion systems can no longer meet the needs of small size, low power consumption and modular satellite propulsion. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a satellite propulsion system which is highly integrated, safe and reliable.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system, comprising a tank, a valve assembly arranged in the tank, a transducer assembly and a thruster assembly;

[0006] The nitrous oxide working fluid is stored in the tank, and after being decompressed by the valve assembly, enters the transducer assembly, is converted into a gas state, and then enters the thruster assembly and is ejected to generate thrust.

[0007] Optionally, the valve assembly comprises:

[0008] A filling valve, provided at the bottle mouth of the storage tank, for filling the working medium into the storage tank;

[0009] Pressure reducing valve, used to reduce the pressure of high-pressure working fluid to low pressure;

[0010] The switch stop valve and the switch solenoid valve are used to control the output of the working fluid after pressure reduction.

[0011] Optionally, a tank pressure sensor is further provided in the tank for monitoring the pressure of the working fluid in the tank.

[0012] Optionally, the valve assembly and the tank pressure sensor are installed at a base of the tank, and a gas flow channel is opened inside the base to connect the valve assembly and the tank pressure sensor.

[0013] Optionally, the transducer assembly comprises:

[0014] A transducer chamber, in which a transducer chamber heater is placed for converting the working medium into a gas state;

[0015] A transducer chamber pressure sensor, used to monitor the working fluid pressure in the transducer chamber;

[0016] The outlet solenoid valve is used to control the output of the gaseous working fluid to the thruster assembly.

[0017] Optionally, before entering the transducer assembly, the nitrous oxide working fluid is a gas-liquid mixture.

[0018] Optionally, the transducer assembly is placed at a hotter part of the satellite to exchange heat with the part.

[0019] Optionally, the thruster assembly includes a thruster and a thruster heater, wherein the thruster heater heats the gaseous nitrous oxide in the thruster.

[0020] Optionally, the thruster includes a catalyst chamber and a nozzle; the catalyst chamber is filled with a catalyst, and gaseous nitrous oxide is decomposed in the catalyst chamber and ejected from the nozzle.

[0021] Optionally, a microcontroller is also included, and the microcontroller is used to control the valve action and collect pressure signals.

[0022] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0023] (1) The present invention provides a nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system. Nitrous oxide is stable at room temperature, its high-temperature decomposition products are non-toxic, and it is easy to store. It can be filled in advance when the product is delivered and then transported to the launch site, which improves the convenience of use. The system uses the heat released by the decomposition of nitrous oxide to achieve self-sustaining, and the high-temperature combustion gas is ejected from the nozzle to generate thrust. The system structure has high reliability, the working fluid is non-toxic, and the weight and volume of the propulsion system can be reduced to a large extent, thereby improving the reliability of the propulsion system.

[0024] (2) The valve, nozzle and pressure sensor of the present invention are all installed on the base of the satellite. A gas flow channel is opened inside the base to connect the various components together. At the same time, a one-way inflation interface is configured to facilitate repeated verification of the system and is sealed before use in space.

[0025] (3) The present invention solves the problems of low integration level, high propellant toxicity and the need for refueling at the launch site in traditional single-propellant propulsion systems. It adopts nitrous oxide as the working fluid and adopts an integrated and modular design scheme. Therefore, the gas-liquid composite propulsion system has broad application prospects in the field of future spacecraft propulsion technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 It is an axonometric diagram of the nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3It is a top view of the nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system of the present invention.

[0029] In the figure, 1-tank, 11-tank pressure sensor, 2-valve assembly, 21-filling valve, 22-pressure reducing valve, 23-switch stop valve, 24-switch solenoid valve, 25-filter, 3-transducer assembly, 31-transducer chamber, 310-transducer chamber heater, 32-transducer chamber pressure sensor, 33-outlet solenoid valve, 34-throttle hole, 4-thruster assembly, 41-thruster, 42-thruster heater. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 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.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the present invention provides a nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system, comprising a tank 1, a valve assembly 2 arranged in the tank 1, a transducer assembly 3 and a thruster assembly 4. The nitrous oxide working fluid is stored in the tank 1, and after being decompressed by the valve assembly 2, enters the transducer assembly 3, is converted into a gaseous state, and then enters the thruster assembly 4 and is ejected to generate thrust.

[0034] The valve assembly 2 includes: a filling valve 21, which is arranged at the bottle mouth of the storage tank and is used to fill the working medium into the storage tank; a pressure reducing valve 22, which is used to reduce the pressure of the high-pressure working medium to a low pressure; a switch stop valve 23 and a switch solenoid valve 24, which are used to control the output of the working medium after pressure reduction. The filling valve 21, the pressure reducing valve 22, the switch stop valve 23 and the switch solenoid valve 24 are connected in sequence. Optionally, a filter 25 is also provided between the filling valve 21 and the pressure reducing valve 22. A tank pressure sensor 11 is also provided in the storage tank for monitoring the working medium pressure in the storage tank 1. The valve assembly 2 and the tank pressure sensor 11 are installed at the base of the storage tank 1, and a gas flow channel is opened inside the base to connect the valve assembly 2 and the tank pressure sensor 11.

[0035] The transducer assembly 3 includes: a transducer chamber 31, in which a transducer chamber heater 310 is placed, which is used to convert the working fluid into a gas state; a transducer chamber pressure sensor 32, which is used to monitor the working fluid pressure in the transducer chamber 31; and an outlet solenoid valve 33, which is used to control the output of the gaseous working fluid to the thruster assembly 4. The transducer assembly 3 is placed in a hotter part of the satellite to exchange heat with the part. Before entering the transducer assembly 3, the nitrous oxide working fluid is a gas-liquid mixture. After heat exchange, the working fluid is completely converted into a gas state. A throttle hole 34 is provided before the outlet solenoid valve 33.

[0036] The thruster assembly 4 includes a thruster 41 and a thruster heater 42, and the thruster heater 42 heats up the gaseous nitrous oxide in the thruster 41. The thruster 41 includes a catalyst chamber and a nozzle; the catalyst chamber is filled with a catalyst, and after receiving a working instruction, the outlet solenoid valve 33 of the transducer assembly 3 is opened, and the gaseous nitrous oxide enters the catalyst chamber, and is decomposed into high-temperature and high-pressure gas under the joint action of the catalyst and the thruster heater 42, and is self-sustaining, and is ejected from the nozzle to generate thrust.

[0037] The present invention controls the switch mode of the switch solenoid valve 24 and the outlet solenoid valve 33, so that the thrust can be output continuously or in pulses, thereby realizing precise control of the satellite platform in the form of pulse force. The switch solenoid valve 24 and the outlet solenoid valve 33 are arranged in series to reduce leakage of the working fluid and improve the reliability of the system.

[0038] The present invention also includes a microcontroller, which is used to control the valve action and collect pressure signals from the tank pressure sensor 11 and the transducer chamber pressure sensor 32. The microcontroller can communicate directly with the platform and is compatible with 422 and CAN communications. It adopts a miniaturized design and can be directly integrated into the propulsion module.

[0039] The valve, nozzle and pressure sensor of the present invention are all installed on the base of the satellite. A gas flow channel is opened inside the base to connect the various components together. At the same time, a filling valve 21 is configured as a one-way inflation interface to facilitate repeated verification of the system and is sealed before use in space.

[0040] In summary, the gas-liquid composite propulsion system of nitrous oxide of the present invention has the advantages of modularity, high precision, high integration, and low power consumption, and can meet the application requirements of cubic satellite power, mass, volume, life, etc. An integrated and modular design scheme is adopted, and valves and other components are integrated into the base. The overall volume is less than 1U, which can greatly reduce the space size and weight occupied by the system. A microcontroller is used to communicate directly with the satellite platform without the need for the satellite platform to provide a control signal. The thruster can work continuously or in pulse mode. The shortest working time is less than 10ms, and precise control can be achieved. The gas-liquid composite propulsion system has a relatively broad application prospect in the field of spacecraft.

[0041] Although the content of the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. After reading the above content, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and substitutions of the present invention will occur. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system, It is characterized in that It includes a tank, a valve assembly arranged in the tank, a transducer assembly and a thruster assembly; The nitrous oxide working fluid is stored in the tank, and after being decompressed by the valve assembly, enters the transducer assembly, is converted into a gas state, and then enters the thruster assembly and is ejected to generate thrust; The valve assembly comprises: A filling valve, provided at the bottle mouth of the storage tank, for filling the working medium into the storage tank; Pressure reducing valve, used to reduce the pressure of high-pressure working fluid to low pressure; The switch stop valve and the switch solenoid valve are used to control the output of the working fluid after pressure reduction; The transducer assembly comprises: A transducer chamber, in which a transducer chamber heater is placed for converting the working medium into a gas state; The transducer chamber pressure sensor is used to monitor the working fluid pressure in the transducer chamber; An outlet solenoid valve, used to control the output of the gaseous working fluid to the thruster assembly; The transducer assembly is placed at a hotter part of the satellite to exchange heat with the part.

2. The nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A tank pressure sensor is also provided in the tank for monitoring the working fluid pressure in the tank.

3. The nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The valve assembly and the tank pressure sensor are installed at the base of the tank, and a gas flow channel is provided inside the base to connect the valve assembly and the tank pressure sensor.

4. The nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that Before entering the transducer assembly, the nitrous oxide working fluid is a gas-liquid mixture.

5. The nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The thruster assembly includes a thruster and a thruster heater that heats gaseous nitrous oxide within the thruster.

6. The nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The thruster comprises a catalyst chamber and a nozzle; the catalyst is filled in the catalyst chamber, and gaseous nitrous oxide is decomposed in the catalyst chamber and ejected from the nozzle.

7. The nitrous oxide gas-liquid composite propulsion system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The device also includes a microcontroller, which is used to control the valve action and collect pressure signals.

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