A self-coolable air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster

Abstract

The application provides a self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster, which comprises an air inlet channel, an ionization chamber and a nozzle, the air inlet channel is divided into a main air inlet channel and a secondary air inlet channel, the main air inlet channel is communicated with the ionization chamber, a cooling flow channel is arranged on the periphery of the ionization chamber, the secondary air inlet channel is communicated with a gas guide channel, the gas guide channel is communicated with the cooling flow channel through a cooling flow channel inlet, and the cooling flow channel is communicated with the ionization chamber through a cooling flow channel outlet; the gas taken by the main air inlet channel directly enters the ionization chamber to be ionized, the gas taken by the secondary air inlet channel is guided to the cooling flow channel inlet through the gas guide channel, enters the cooling flow channel through the cooling flow channel inlet, cools the ionization chamber, and then enters the ionization chamber through the cooling flow channel outlet to be ionized, and the two gas flows entering the ionization chamber are accelerated through the nozzle after being ionized, so that the thruster generates thrust. The cooling design provided by the application has the advantages of simple structure and high energy utilization rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates primarily to the field of electric thruster technology, and in particular to a self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster. Background Technology

[0002] Earth's ultra-low Earth orbit (ULE) offers significant advantages, including low launch costs and favorable conditions for Earth observation and communication. In recent years, with the development of air-breathing electric propulsion technology, there has been considerable enthusiasm for exploring this orbital altitude. Satellites at this altitude experience substantial aerodynamic drag, making long-term operation impossible. Air-breathing electric thrusters, however, can capture the thin atmosphere of orbital space through specialized air intake devices, ionize and accelerate it to generate thrust. This thrust compensation can offset the impulse loss caused by aerodynamic drag, thus enabling satellites to operate in ULE for extended periods. However, the need for continuous thrust compensation from air-breathing electric thrusters leads to significant Joule heating, necessitating the design of appropriate cooling systems.

[0003] Most existing air-breathing electric thrusters do not consider cooling issues, while electric thrusters designed with cooling devices carry an additional refrigerator to cool the thruster. This undoubtedly increases the size and mass of the thruster, greatly increasing the design and launch costs of the thruster. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problems existing in the prior art, this invention proposes a self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster. Through a special structural design, a portion of the gas it draws in passes through a cooling channel to cool the high-temperature parts of the thruster. Subsequently, this portion of gas enters the ionization chamber for ionization and acceleration. This cooling design has the advantages of simple structure and high energy utilization.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster includes a thruster housing and an air inlet, an ionization chamber, and a nozzle disposed within the thruster housing. The air inlet is divided into a main air inlet and a secondary air inlet. The main air inlet is connected to the ionization chamber, and the ionization chamber is connected to the nozzle. A cooling channel is disposed around the ionization chamber. The secondary air inlet is connected to a guide air channel. The guide air channel and the cooling channel are connected through a cooling channel inlet, and the cooling channel and the ionization chamber are connected through a cooling channel outlet.

[0007] The gas taken in by the main air intake directly enters the ionization chamber for ionization. The gas taken in by the auxiliary air intake is guided to the inlet of the cooling channel through the air guide channel. After entering the cooling channel through the cooling channel inlet and cooling the ionization chamber, the gas enters the ionization chamber through the cooling channel outlet for ionization. The two streams of gas entering the ionization chamber are ionized and then accelerated through the nozzle, thereby generating thrust in the thruster.

[0008] Furthermore, the air intake of the present invention has a honeycomb structure, which is composed of a large number of air intake holes arranged in a honeycomb pattern. The multi-layer air intake holes in the middle serve as the main air intake port, and the remaining one or more air intake holes on the periphery serve as the secondary air intake ports.

[0009] Furthermore, the main air intake of the present invention is trumpet-shaped, and the main air intake has a parabolic cross-section tapering structure along its airflow direction.

[0010] Furthermore, the inner wall of the main air intake duct of the present invention is coated with an aluminum-plated reflective material.

[0011] Furthermore, the ionization chamber and nozzle described in this invention are either assembled as separate units or as an integrated unit.

[0012] Furthermore, the main air intake, ionization chamber, and nozzle described in this invention are connected sequentially and coaxially arranged.

[0013] Furthermore, the air guide duct described in this invention is an annular channel between the air guide duct shell and the thruster shell. The air guide duct shell houses the rear section of the main air intake, the ionization chamber, and the nozzle. The annular space between the air guide duct shell and the outer wall of the main air intake, the outer wall of the ionization chamber, and the outer wall of the nozzle forms a cooling flow channel.

[0014] Furthermore, in this invention, a plurality of first air guide holes are provided on the outer shell of the air guide duct near the end of the nozzle, and the first air guide holes serve as the inlet of the cooling flow channel; a plurality of second air guide holes are provided on the outer wall of the main air intake duct inside the cooling flow channel or on the outer wall of the ionization chamber near the end of the main air intake duct, and the second air guide holes serve as the outlet of the cooling flow channel.

[0015] Furthermore, the expansion ratio of the nozzle described in this invention is 2.

[0016] Furthermore, the radio frequency coil diffracted outside the ionization chamber is located in the cooling channel, and the electromagnetic coils diffracted outside the rear section of the ionization chamber and outside the front section of the nozzle are located in the cooling channel, so that the gas flowing through the cooling channel can be fully cooled.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the technical effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0018] This invention proposes a self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster. This thruster operates in Earth's ultra-low orbit and uses a special air intake device to draw gas from the surrounding thin atmosphere as a working fluid. Part of the gas directly enters the ionization chamber for acceleration, while the other part passes through a cooling channel to cool the thruster. Subsequently, this part of the gas enters the ionization chamber for ionization and acceleration. The electric thruster with a self-cooling device can ensure stable on-orbit operation for a long time and has the advantages of simple structure and low cost. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall appearance of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is an airflow direction diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the air duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an integrated structure of the ionization chamber and nozzle in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the air intake duct in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] The image is labeled as follows:

[0029] 100. Thrust housing;

[0030] 200. Air intake duct; 201. Main air intake duct; 202. Secondary air intake duct; 203. Main air intake duct inlet; 204. Secondary air intake duct inlet; 205. Secondary air vent;

[0031] 300. Air duct; 301. Air duct housing; 302. First air duct port; 303. Limiting structure;

[0032] 400. Cooling channel; 401. Cooling channel inlet; 402. Cooling channel outlet;

[0033] 500, Ionization chamber; 501, outer wall of ionization chamber; 502, third air vent;

[0034] 600. Nozzle; 601. Outer wall of the nozzle;

[0035] 700, Radio frequency coil;

[0036] 800. Electromagnetic coil. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] 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 positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0039] Furthermore, in this invention, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. 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, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0040] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a physical connection, or a wireless communication connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0041] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0042] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 One embodiment of the present invention provides a self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster, including a thruster housing 100 and an air inlet 200, an ionization chamber 500 and a nozzle 600 disposed within the thruster housing 100.

[0043] The air intake duct 200 is divided into a main air intake duct 201 and a secondary air intake duct 202. The main air intake duct 201 is connected to the ionization chamber 500, and the ionization chamber 500 is connected to the nozzle 600. A cooling channel 400 is provided around the ionization chamber 500. The secondary air intake duct 202 is connected to the air guide duct 300. The air guide duct 300 and the cooling channel 400 are connected through the cooling channel inlet 401. The cooling channel 400 and the ionization chamber 500 are connected through the cooling channel outlet 402.

[0044] The gas taken in by the main air intake 201 directly enters the ionization chamber 500 for ionization. The gas taken in by the auxiliary air intake 202 is guided by the air guide 300 to the cooling channel inlet 401. After entering the cooling channel 400 through the cooling channel inlet 401 to cool the ionization chamber 500, the gas enters the ionization chamber 500 through the cooling channel outlet 402 for ionization. The two streams of air entering the ionization chamber 500 are ionized and then accelerated by the nozzle 600, thereby generating thrust in the thruster.

[0045] The radio frequency coil 700, which is diffracted around the outer side of the ionization chamber 500, is located in the cooling channel 400. The electromagnetic coil 800, which is diffracted around the outer side of the rear section of the ionization chamber 500 and the outer side of the front section of the nozzle 600, is also located in the cooling channel 400. The gas flowing through the cooling channel 400 can be sufficiently cooled. The electric thruster ionizes the gas through the radio frequency coil 700, and then accelerates the gas through the magnetic nozzle. The electromagnetic coil 800 generates a coaxial accelerating magnetic field. This invention achieves thrust by radio frequency ionization of the gas, followed by acceleration and ejection of the ionized gas under the action of the magnetic nozzle. The radio frequency ionization method has the advantages of low power, high ionization rate, and no electrode corrosion.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the air intake 200 is divided into a main air intake 201 and a secondary air intake 202. The gas taken in by the secondary air intake 202 is sent to the cooling channel 400 through the air guide 300 to cool the high-temperature part of the thruster. Subsequently, this part of the gas will also merge with the gas taken in by the main air intake 201 and enter the ionization chamber 500 for ionization and acceleration. This cooling design has the advantages of simple structure and high energy utilization.

[0047] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 7 In one embodiment, the air intake inlet is a honeycomb structure, consisting of numerous air intake holes arranged in a honeycomb pattern. The multiple layers of air intake holes in the center serve as the main air intake inlet 203, while the remaining one or more layers of air intake holes on the periphery serve as secondary air intake inlets 204. (Refer to...) Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the main air intake 203 is composed of multiple hexagonal air intake holes, and the secondary air intake 204 is composed of a single hexagonal air intake hole. The size of the hexagonal air intake hole is 10-30mm.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 In one embodiment of the present invention, the main air intake 201 is trumpet-shaped, and the main air intake 201 has a parabolic cross-section tapering structure along its airflow direction. Furthermore, the inner wall of the main air intake 201 is coated with an aluminum-plated reflective material.

[0049] The ionization chamber 500 and nozzle 600 of this invention can be designed as separate, assembled units, meaning they are manufactured separately and then assembled together. Alternatively, the ionization chamber 500 and nozzle 600 can be designed as a single unit, as described below. Figure 6 In one embodiment, the ionization chamber 500 and nozzle 600 are integrated structures, preferably made of quartz glass. This eliminates the need for a connecting structure, resulting in good overall integrity and stable, reliable performance. The nozzle 600 is a trumpet-shaped nozzle, with its flow channel area continuously expanding in the direction of airflow exit. In one embodiment, the expansion ratio of the nozzle 600 is 2.

[0050] Reference Figure 3 In this embodiment, the main air intake 201, the ionization chamber 500 and the nozzle 600 are connected in sequence and coaxially arranged.

[0051] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4The air duct 300 is an annular channel between the air duct housing 301 and the thruster housing 100. The air duct housing 301 houses the rear section of the main air intake, the ionization chamber 500, and the nozzle 600. The annular space between the air duct housing 301 and the outer wall of the main air intake, the outer wall of the ionization chamber 501, and the outer wall of the nozzle 601 forms a cooling channel 400. Multiple annularly distributed first air guide holes 302 are formed on the air duct housing 301 near the end of the nozzle 600, serving as cooling channel inlets 401. Multiple annularly distributed air guide holes are formed on the outer wall of the main air intake within the cooling channel 400 and / or on the outer wall of the ionization chamber 501 near the end of the main air intake, serving as cooling channel outlets 402. The air duct housing is preferably made of a low-density composite material.

[0052] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 7 The ionization chamber 500 and nozzle 600 shown are integrally formed. Multiple annularly distributed second air guide holes 205 are provided on the outer wall of the rear section of the main air intake duct 201, and correspondingly, multiple annularly distributed third air guide holes 502 are provided on the outer wall of the front section of the ionization chamber 500. Figure 6 The main air intake 201 shown and Figure 7 The ionization chamber 500 and nozzle 600 are connected in an integrated design. Multiple annularly distributed second air guide holes 205 are connected to multiple annularly distributed third air guide holes 502 in a one-to-one correspondence, forming a through air guide hole, which serves as the cooling flow channel outlet 402.

[0053] Reference Figure 1 One end of the air guide duct housing 301 is sealed to the outer wall of the main air intake near the rear end of the main air intake duct 201, and the other end of the air guide duct housing 301 is sealed to the outer wall of the nozzle 601 near the end of the nozzle 600. In one embodiment of the present invention, referring to... Figure 8 The ionization chamber 500 and nozzle 600 are integrally formed. The secondary air inlet 202 is mounted on the thruster housing 100. The remaining structures, including the main air inlet 201 and the air guide housing 301, are designed as separate units. These parts are manufactured separately and then assembled to form a self-cooling, air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster. Limiting structures can be provided between the individual units; assembly can be completed simply by fixing the front and rear ends. (Refer to...) Figure 5 In one embodiment, a limiting structure 303 is provided in the air duct 300.

[0054] The self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster provided in the above embodiments of the present invention does not need to carry its own propellant. It can draw gas from the surrounding thin atmosphere as propellant, and the thruster can work in orbit for a long time.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a parabolic honeycomb-shaped air intake is used, which has the advantages of high gas capture efficiency and high gas compression ratio.

[0056] The self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster provided in the above embodiments of the present invention has a designed self-cooling structure that can fully cool the high-temperature parts of the thruster, increase the thruster's operational stability and service life, and improve the thruster's energy utilization rate.

[0057] The self-cooling gas-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster provided in the above embodiments of the present invention uses radio frequency ionization to ionize the gas. This ionization method has the advantages of low power, high ionization rate and no electrode corrosion.

[0058] Matters not covered in this invention are common knowledge.

[0059] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0060] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster, comprising a thruster housing and an air inlet, an ionization chamber, and a nozzle disposed within the thruster housing, characterized in that, The air intake is divided into a main air intake and a secondary air intake. The main air intake is connected to the ionization chamber, which is connected to the nozzle. A cooling channel is provided around the ionization chamber. The secondary air intake is connected to the guide air channel. The guide air channel and the cooling channel are connected through the cooling channel inlet, and the cooling channel and the ionization chamber are connected through the cooling channel outlet. The main air intake, ionization chamber, and nozzle are connected sequentially and coaxially. The guide air channel is an annular channel between the guide air channel shell and the thruster shell. The guide air channel shell houses the rear section of the main air intake, the ionization chamber, and the nozzle. The annular space between the guide air channel shell and the outer wall of the main air intake, the outer wall of the ionization chamber, and the outer wall of the nozzle forms a cooling channel. The gas taken in by the main air intake directly enters the ionization chamber for ionization. The gas taken in by the auxiliary air intake is guided to the inlet of the cooling channel through the air guide channel. After entering the cooling channel through the cooling channel inlet and cooling the ionization chamber, the gas enters the ionization chamber through the cooling channel outlet for ionization. The two streams of gas entering the ionization chamber are ionized and then accelerated through the nozzle, thereby generating thrust in the thruster.

2. The self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air intake is a honeycomb structure, consisting of numerous air intake holes arranged in a honeycomb pattern. The multi-layered air intake holes in the middle serve as the main air intake, while the remaining air intake holes on the periphery, one or more layers deep, serve as the secondary air intakes.

3. The self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main air intake is funnel-shaped, and the main air intake has a parabolic cross-section that gradually narrows in the direction of airflow.

4. The self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma thruster according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner wall of the main air intake is coated with aluminum-plated reflective material.

5. The self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, characterized in that: The ionization chamber and nozzle can be either assembled as separate units or integrated into one unit.

6. The self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster according to claim 5, characterized in that: Multiple first air guide holes are provided on the outer shell of the air guide duct near the end of the nozzle, which serve as the inlet of the cooling channel; multiple second air guide holes are provided on the outer wall of the main air intake duct or on the outer wall of the ionization chamber near the end of the main air intake duct, which serve as the outlet of the cooling channel.

7. The self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6, characterized in that: The expansion ratio of the nozzle is 2.

8. The self-cooling air-breathing radio frequency plasma electric thruster according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6, characterized in that: The radio frequency coil diffracted outside the ionization chamber is located in the cooling channel, and the electromagnetic coils diffracted outside the rear section of the ionization chamber and outside the front section of the nozzle are located in the cooling channel, so that the gas flowing through the cooling channel can be fully cooled.

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