A partitioned space arc thruster integrated with attitude and orbit control and a method of use

Abstract

The application discloses a partition type space electric arc thruster integrated with attitude control and orbit control and an application method, relates to the technical field of space electric propulsion of a spacecraft, and comprises an anode assembly, a cathode assembly, an air inlet assembly, a fixing assembly and a power supply. The anode assembly comprises a Laval nozzle and 2N insulating partitions. N is greater than or equal to 2, and is preferably 3 or 4. The 2N insulating partitions uniformly divide the inner cavity of the Laval nozzle into 2N anode partitions, and insulate and divide the shell of the Laval nozzle to form 2N arc-shaped anodes. The cathode assembly comprises a cathode seat and 2N cathode rods. The fixing assembly comprises an outer shell. The air inlet assembly comprises a working medium gas source and 2N air inlet holes. The air inlet ends of the 2N air inlet holes are respectively connected with the working medium gas source through an air inlet valve, and the air outlet ends of the 2N air inlet holes correspond to the 2N anode partitions respectively. The application can precisely adjust the thrust size of the thruster, and realizes that a single thruster has the attitude control and orbit control capabilities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of space electric propulsion technology, and in particular to a partitioned space electric arc thruster with integrated attitude and orbit control and its application method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the space industry, spacecraft, represented by satellites and spaceships, have been launched into orbit in large numbers, finding wide applications in fields such as communication, navigation, remote sensing, and scientific research, greatly facilitating people's lives. However, the vast majority of spacecraft currently use traditional chemical propulsion, which, while generating significant thrust, also has obvious drawbacks:

[0003] 1. Low energy density requires a large amount of propellant, resulting in a very low payload ratio in spacecraft and a high launch cost per kilogram.

[0004] 2. Chemical propulsion is relatively mature, and the specific impulse of the thruster is approaching its limit.

[0005] Electric propulsion, which has received considerable attention in recent years, has demonstrated significant advantages in tasks such as attitude adjustment, position maintenance, and orbital transfer due to its high specific impulse, long lifespan, and low thrust. Because of the diversity of ionization acceleration methods, there are many types of electric propulsion systems. Among them, the electric arc thruster, compared to other electric thrusters, has advantages such as simple structure, relatively large thrust, moderate specific impulse, and a wide range of propellant options, and has already found some application.

[0006] Existing gas-propellant arc thrusters change thrust by controlling the propellant flow rate. However, changes in flow rate significantly affect the position of the arc point, arc voltage, and arc chamber pressure, making the relationship between flow rate and thrust highly complex. Precise thrust control is difficult to achieve simply by controlling the propellant gas flow rate. Therefore, developing a space arc thruster capable of precisely adjusting thrust is of great significance for spacecraft attitude and orbit control.

[0007] Furthermore, current spacecraft attitude and orbit control require multiple thrusters working together. Inventing a thruster that can achieve attitude and orbit control with a single thruster would simplify the attitude and orbit control system and reduce research and development costs. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to address the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a partitioned space arc thruster and its application method that integrates attitude and orbit control. This partitioned space arc thruster and its application method can achieve precise adjustment of the thrust magnitude and enable a single thruster to have both attitude control and orbit control capabilities.

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0010] A partitioned space arc thruster with integrated attitude and orbit control includes an anode assembly, a cathode assembly, an air intake assembly, a stationary assembly, and a power supply.

[0011] The anode assembly includes a Laval nozzle and 2N insulating partitions; where N ≥ 2.

[0012] 2N insulating partitions are arranged radially in the inner cavity of the Laval nozzle, and the inner cavity of the Laval nozzle is evenly divided into 2N anode sections; each anode section includes a contracting discharge cavity, a transition throat and an expanding nozzle cavity arranged sequentially along the axial direction.

[0013] The outer edge of each insulating partition extends into the housing of the Laval nozzle, thereby insulatingly separating the Laval nozzle housing to form 2N arc-shaped anodes; each arc-shaped anode is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply through an anode switch.

[0014] The cathode assembly is coaxially arranged at the upstream end of the Laval nozzle. The cathode assembly includes a cathode seat and 2N cathode rods; the fixing assembly includes a housing.

[0015] The cathode holder and the outer casing are arranged coaxially from the inside to the outside, and the cathode holder is made of insulating material.

[0016] 2N cathode rods are evenly embedded in the cathode holder with the Laval nozzle axis as the center; the downstream end of each cathode rod extends into the discharge cavity of the corresponding anode section, and each cathode rod is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply through a cathode switch.

[0017] The air intake assembly includes a working gas source and 2N air intake ports; the air intake ends of the 2N air intake ports are each connected to the working gas source through an air intake valve, and the air outlet ends of the 2N air intake ports correspond to the discharge chambers of the 2N anode zones.

[0018] The central axis of each cathode rod is located on the symmetry plane of the corresponding anode zone.

[0019] Based on the dielectric strength Ec1 of the cathode holder and the voltage U of the cathode rod, the distance D between two adjacent cathode rods is designed, then: D≥U / Ec1.

[0020] By controlling the thickness d of each insulating partition, each cathode rod can only generate an arc between its corresponding anode partitions; the thickness d of the insulating partition must satisfy the formula: d≥U0 / Ec2; where U0 is the voltage between the cathode rod and the corresponding anode partition; and Ec2 is the dielectric strength of the insulating partition.

[0021] N=3 or 4.

[0022] Each air inlet is a variable diameter through-hole. By adjusting the outlet diameter of the air inlet, the flow rate of the working gas entering the discharge chamber from the air inlet can be adjusted.

[0023] A method for operating a zoned space arc thruster with integrated attitude and orbit control includes the following steps:

[0024] Step 1: Set the thrust control mode: The space arc thruster has an orbit control mode and an attitude control mode.

[0025] Two anode zones that are symmetrical about the Laval nozzle axis among the 2N anode zones are called a set of symmetrical anode zones. The two cathode rods, two air inlets, and two arc-shaped anodes corresponding to the symmetrical anode zones are called symmetrical cathode rods, symmetrical air inlets, and symmetrical arc-shaped anodes, respectively. Then the track control mode has N thrust levels, namely: level 1, level 2, level 3, ..., level N.

[0026] In position 1, a set of symmetrical cathode rods, a set of symmetrical air inlets, and a set of symmetrical arc-shaped anodes need to be activated.

[0027] In gear 2, two sets of symmetrical cathode rods, two sets of symmetrical air inlets, and two sets of symmetrical arc-shaped anodes need to be activated.

[0028] Similarly, in the N gear, N sets of symmetrical cathode rods, N sets of symmetrical air inlets, and N sets of symmetrical arc-shaped anodes need to be activated.

[0029] In attitude control mode, the number and specific thrust levels need to be determined according to the required attitude adjustment; the anode partitions corresponding to each thrust level are not symmetrical about the Laval nozzle axis.

[0030] Step 2: Select thrust control mode and thrust level: Based on the control objectives required by the space arc thruster, select the corresponding thrust control mode and thrust level from Step 1.

[0031] Step 3, Thrust Control: According to the thrust control mode and corresponding thrust level selected in Step 2, open the corresponding cathode switch, air inlet valve and anode switch. The downstream end of the cathode rod emits arc-initiating electrons and generates an electric arc between the downstream end of the cathode rod and the transition throat. The working gas source introduces working gas into the corresponding anode zone through the air inlet. After passing through the high-temperature electric arc, the working gas is heated and expanded, and is ejected from the tail end of the nozzle to generate the set thrust.

[0032] In step 1, under attitude control mode, the attitude adjustments required include pitch angle adjustment and yaw angle adjustment.

[0033] When adjusting the pitch angle, simply open the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc-shaped anode corresponding to the anode sections that are symmetrically positioned above or below the Laval nozzle axis.

[0034] When N=3, the pitch angle has 3 thrust levels, namely level 1, level 2 and level 3.

[0035] In position 1, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the anode section located above or below the Laval nozzle axis and in the vertical direction must be activated.

[0036] For gear 2, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

[0037] For gear 3, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the three anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

[0038] When N=4, the pitch angle has two thrust levels, namely level 1 and level 2.

[0039] In position 1, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

[0040] For gear 2, the cathode rods, air inlets, and arc anodes corresponding to the four symmetrical anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

[0041] When adjusting the yaw angle, simply open the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the anode sections located symmetrically to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis.

[0042] When N=3, the yaw angle has one thrust setting. At this time, the cathode rod, air inlet and arc anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode sections located to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis need to be opened.

[0043] When N=4, the yaw angle has two thrust levels, namely level 1 and level 2.

[0044] In position 1, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode sections located to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

[0045] For gear 2, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the four symmetrical anode zones located to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

[0046] In step 3, by controlling the outlet diameter of the air inlet, the speed at which the working gas enters the corresponding anode zone is increased. The working gas will impact the electric arc, causing the arc point to move, thereby reducing the burn-out of the anode assembly.

[0047] In step 3, an electric arc will be generated between the downstream end of the cathode rod and the transition throat, with a center temperature that can reach over 20,000 K.

[0048] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: by activating different cathode switches, air intake valves and anode switches, the present invention can achieve precise adjustment of the thrust of the thruster, and enable a single thruster to have both attitude control and trajectory control capabilities. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic of the structure of a partitioned spatial arc thruster with integrated attitude and orbit control according to the present invention.

[0050] Figure 2 A half-sectional view of a zoned space arc thruster with integrated attitude and orbit control according to the present invention is shown.

[0051] Figure 3 This is a half-sectional view of the air inlet in this invention.

[0052] Figure 4 The diagram shows a schematic of the anode partition structure when N=3 in this invention.

[0053] Figure 5 A three-dimensional assembly diagram of the cathode rod and cathode holder in this invention is shown.

[0054] Figure 6 The image shows a half-section elevation view of a partitioned spatial arc thruster with integrated attitude and orbit control according to the present invention.

[0055] Among them are:

[0056] 10. Cathode assembly; 11. Cathode rod; 12. Cathode holder;

[0057] 20. Anode assembly;

[0058] 21. Laval nozzle;

[0059] 211. Discharge chamber; 212. Transition throat; 213. Spray chamber; 214. Arc-shaped anode; 215. Inlet pipe;

[0060] 22. Insulating partition;

[0061] 30. Air intake port; 31. Air intake channel one; 32. Air intake channel two; 33. Air intake channel three;

[0062] 40. Fixing component; 41. Housing; 42. Left end cover; 43. Right end cover. Implementation

[0063] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific preferred embodiments.

[0064] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "left side," "right side," "upper part," "lower part," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. "First," "second," etc., do not indicate the importance of components, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. The specific dimensions used in this embodiment are only for illustrating the technical solution and do not limit the scope of protection of the invention.

[0065] like Figure 1 As shown, a partitioned space arc thruster with integrated attitude and orbit control includes a cathode assembly 10, an anode assembly 20, an air intake assembly, a stationary assembly 40, and a power supply.

[0066] like Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the anode assembly includes a Laval nozzle 21 and 2N insulating partitions 22; where N≥2, in this embodiment, N=3 or 4. The specific reasons are as follows: when N is 1, the thrust generated by the subsequent single anode section will be eccentric, making effective trajectory control impossible; when N is 2, the power supply of the symmetrical anode section can be turned on for trajectory control, but there are only two thrust levels; when N is 3 or 4, the power supply of the symmetrical anode section can be turned on for trajectory control, and there are three or four thrust levels. When N is 5, there are too many anode sections, resulting in a large thruster and a complex structure, which is not recommended.

[0067] 2N insulating partitions are arranged radially in the inner cavity of the Laval nozzle, and the inner cavity of the Laval nozzle is evenly divided into 2N anode sections; each anode section includes a contracting discharge cavity 211, a transition throat 212 and an expanding nozzle 213 arranged sequentially along the axial direction.

[0068] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, preferably N=3, six insulating baffles uniformly divide the inner cavity of the Laval nozzle into six anode zones, namely anode zones ①, ②, ③, ④, ⑤ and ⑥.

[0069] The outer edge of each insulating partition extends into the housing of the Laval nozzle, thereby insulatingly separating the Laval nozzle housing to form 2N arc-shaped anodes 214. Each arc-shaped anode is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply via an anode switch. The power supply in this invention is preferably an air plasma cutting power supply.

[0070] Furthermore, by controlling the thickness d of each insulating partition, each subsequent cathode rod can only generate an arc between the corresponding anode partitions; the thickness d of the insulating partition must satisfy the formula: d≥U0 / Ec2; where U0 is the voltage between the cathode rod and the corresponding anode partition; and Ec2 is the dielectric strength of the insulating partition.

[0071] The cathode assembly is coaxially arranged at the upstream end of the Laval nozzle. The cathode assembly includes 2N cathode rods 11 and cathode seats 12.

[0072] The fixing components include a housing 41, a left end cover 42, and a right end cover 43.

[0073] The cathode holder and the outer shell are arranged coaxially from the inside to the outside. The left end cover 42 and the right end cover 43 are respectively provided at the left and right ends of the outer shell. The left end cover can connect and fix the cathode holder to the outer shell, and the right end cover is used to connect the outer shell and the Laval nozzle.

[0074] The cathode holder is made of an insulating material, preferably ceramic, which serves to fix and isolate the cathode rod.

[0075] 2N cathode rods are uniformly embedded in the cathode holder in a ring around the axis of the Laval nozzle, as shown in the following figure. Figure 5 As shown.

[0076] Each cathode rod is a cylinder with a frustum structure at its downstream end, and the frustum structure extends into the discharge cavity of the corresponding anode section. Each cathode rod is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply through a cathode switch.

[0077] Furthermore, the central axis of each cathode rod is located on the symmetry plane of the corresponding anode partition, making the electric arc generated at the top of the cathode rod and the wall of the anode partition relatively uniform.

[0078] Based on the dielectric strength Ec1 of the cathode holder and the voltage U of the cathode rod, the distance D between two adjacent cathode rods is designed, then: D≥U / Ec1.

[0079] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the air intake assembly includes a working gas source and 2N air intake holes 30; the air intake ends of the 2N air intake holes are connected to the working gas source through air intake pipes 215 and air intake valves installed on the air intake pipes, and the air outlet ends of the 2N air intake holes correspond to the discharge chambers of the 2N anode zones.

[0080] Furthermore, each air inlet is preferably a variable diameter through-hole. By adjusting the outlet diameter of the air inlet, the flow rate of the working gas entering the discharge chamber from the air inlet can be adjusted. This design allows the working gas to enter the discharge chamber at a relatively high velocity, which impacts the electric arc, causing the arc point to move continuously. This prevents the arc point from overheating and burning out the anode assembly, thus improving the overall lifespan of the device.

[0081] In this embodiment, each air inlet includes an air inlet channel 31, an air inlet channel 32, and an air inlet channel 33 connected sequentially from the outside to the inside. In this embodiment, air inlet channel 31 is radially arranged in the outer casing, air inlet channel 32 is radially arranged in the cathode holder, and air inlet channel 3 is axially arranged in the cathode holder. Preferably, air inlet channel 31 and air inlet channel 32 have the same diameter, while the diameter of air inlet channel 3 is smaller than that of air inlet channel 31 or air inlet channel 32, thereby accelerating the working gas.

[0082] Furthermore, the aforementioned intake pipe 215 is preferably spirally arranged around the outer periphery of the 2N arc-shaped anodes. With this arrangement, the low-temperature working gas in the intake pipe 215 absorbs heat from the arc-shaped anodes as it passes through them, thereby reducing the heat generated by the arc-shaped anodes, improving the thruster's lifespan, and preheating the working gas. Additionally, the spiral intake pipe can also fix or secure the 2N arc-shaped anodes.

[0083] A method for operating a zoned space arc thruster with integrated attitude and orbit control includes the following steps:

[0084] Step 1: Set the thrust control mode: The space arc thruster has an orbit control mode and an attitude control mode.

[0085] A. Track Control Mode

[0086] Two anode zones that are symmetrical about the Laval nozzle axis among the 2N anode zones are called a set of symmetrical anode zones. The two cathode rods, two air inlets, and two arc-shaped anodes corresponding to the symmetrical anode zones are called symmetrical cathode rods, symmetrical air inlets, and symmetrical arc-shaped anodes, respectively. Then the track control mode has N thrust levels, namely: level 1, level 2, level 3, ..., level N.

[0087] In position 1, a set of symmetrical cathode rods, a set of symmetrical air inlets, and a set of symmetrical arc-shaped anodes need to be activated.

[0088] In gear 2, two sets of symmetrical cathode rods, two sets of symmetrical air inlets, and two sets of symmetrical arc-shaped anodes need to be activated.

[0089] Similarly, in the N gear, N sets of symmetrical cathode rods, N sets of symmetrical air inlets, and N sets of symmetrical arc-shaped anodes need to be activated.

[0090] The aforementioned cathode rod, air inlet, and arc-shaped anode are symmetrically opened to prevent the thruster from generating torque, thus facilitating track control.

[0091] B. Attitude Control Mode

[0092] In attitude control mode, the number and specific thrust levels need to be determined according to the required attitude adjustment; the anode partitions corresponding to each thrust level are not symmetrical about the Laval nozzle axis.

[0093] The aforementioned attitude adjustments include pitch angle adjustment and yaw angle adjustment.

[0094] When adjusting the pitch angle, simply open the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc-shaped anode corresponding to the anode sections that are symmetrically positioned above or below the Laval nozzle axis.

[0095] When N=3, the pitch angle has 3 thrust levels, namely level 1, level 2 and level 3.

[0096] In position 1, the cathode rod, inlet, and arc-shaped anode corresponding to one of the anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis in the vertical direction must be activated. The thrust setting corresponding to the anode zone above the Laval nozzle axis is called the negative setting, and the thrust setting corresponding to the anode zone below the Laval nozzle axis is called the positive setting, and so on. In this embodiment, the anode zone is activated as follows: Figure 4 Anode partition ① or anode partition ④ in the middle.

[0097] Level 2 requires opening the cathode rods, air inlets, and arc-shaped anodes corresponding to the two symmetrical anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis. In this embodiment, the anode zones are opened as follows: Figure 4 Anode partitions ② and ⑥, or enable Figure 4 The anode partitions ③ and ⑤ are shown in the image.

[0098] Level 3 requires opening the cathode rods, air inlets, and arc-shaped anodes corresponding to the three anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis. In this embodiment, the anode zones are opened as follows: Figure 4 Anode partitions ①, ②, and ⑥, or open. Figure 4 The anode partitions ③, ④, and ⑤ are shown in the image.

[0099] When N=4, the pitch angle has two thrust levels, namely level 1 and level 2.

[0100] In position 1, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

[0101] For gear 2, the cathode rods, air inlets, and arc anodes corresponding to the four symmetrical anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

[0102] When adjusting the yaw angle, simply open the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the anode sections located symmetrically to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis.

[0103] When N=3, the yaw angle has one thrust setting. At this time, the cathode rods, air inlets, and arc-shaped anodes corresponding to the two symmetrical anode sections located to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis must be activated. In this embodiment, the anode sections are activated as follows: Figure 4 Anode partitions ② and ③ in the middle, or enable them. Figure 4 The anode partitions ⑤ and ⑥ are shown in the image.

[0104] When N=4, the yaw angle has two thrust levels, namely level 1 and level 2.

[0105] For the first gear, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc-shaped anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode sections located to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis must be activated. The thrust gear corresponding to the anode section to the left of the Laval nozzle axis is called the negative gear, and the thrust gear corresponding to the anode section to the right of the Laval nozzle axis is called the positive gear, and so on.

[0106] For gear 2, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the four symmetrical anode zones located to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

[0107] Step 2: Select thrust control mode and thrust level: Based on the control objectives required by the space arc thruster, select the corresponding thrust control mode and thrust level from Step 1.

[0108] A. Track control mode: In this embodiment, the first thrust level is selected, and the working gas ammonia is used as an example for explanation.

[0109] B. Attitude control mode: In this embodiment, the pitch angle change is required to be at the negative 1 thrust level, and the working gas is ammonia as an example for explanation.

[0110] Step 3, Thrust Control: Based on the thrust control mode and corresponding thrust level selected in Step 2, open the corresponding cathode switch, air inlet valve and anode switch. The downstream end of the cathode rod emits arc-initiating electrons, and a high-temperature electric arc is generated between the downstream end of the cathode rod and the transition throat (the center temperature of the electric arc can usually reach more than 20,000K). The working gas source introduces working gas into the corresponding anode zone through the air inlet. After passing through the high-temperature electric arc, the working gas is heated and expanded, and is ejected from the tail end of the nozzle, generating the set thrust.

[0111] A. Track Control Mode: When the zoned space arc thruster is working, the cathode switches, air inlet valves, and anode switches corresponding to anode zones ① and ④ are opened. Arc-initiating electrons are emitted from the downstream ends of the symmetrical cathode rods corresponding to anode zones ① and ④, and a high-temperature arc is generated between the downstream ends of the cathode rods and the transition throat. After ammonia gas enters the discharge chambers of anode zones ① and ④, the high-temperature arc heats the ammonia gas (generating a small amount of plasma), causing the ammonia gas to expand rapidly, be ejected from the nozzle, and generate thrust. Because the ammonia gas has a certain velocity when entering the discharge chamber through the air inlet channel (generally, the greater the velocity, the faster the arc point changes, and the better the effect), part of the arc breaks under the impact of the airflow. Subsequently, two closely spaced break points form a new arc, causing the arc point to shift. This effectively reduces anode component burn-out caused by continuous high temperatures at the arc point, thus improving the overall lifespan of the thruster.

[0112] When anode zones ① and ④ are in operation, each zone generates a thrust of magnitude F. The principal vector of the two thrusts is 2F, and the principal moment about the center of mass O is 0. Therefore, the thrust passes through the center of mass without generating a torque, thus achieving orbital control of the spacecraft.

[0113] B. Attitude Control Mode: When the partitioned spatial arc thruster is working, the cathode switch, air inlet valve, and anode switch corresponding to anode partition ① are opened. The cathode rod corresponding to anode partition ① will emit arc-initiating electrons, and then a high-temperature arc will be generated between the downstream end of the cathode rod and the transition throat. After ammonia gas enters the discharge chamber of anode partition ①, the high-temperature arc will heat the ammonia gas (generating a small amount of plasma), and the ammonia gas will rapidly expand, be ejected from the nozzle, and generate thrust.

[0114] When anode section ① is in operation, it generates a thrust of magnitude F. The thrust direction passes through the center of mass O and is along the z-axis. The thruster can then rotate around the z-axis, achieving pitch attitude control of the spacecraft. Here, the z-axis is an axis that passes through the center of mass O and is symmetrical about anode sections ① and ④.

[0115] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, various equivalent transformations can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these equivalent transformations all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A zoned space electric arc thruster with integrated attitude and trajectory control, characterized in that: Includes anode assembly, cathode assembly, intake assembly, stationary assembly, and power supply; The anode assembly includes a Laval nozzle and 2N insulating baffles; where N ≥ 2; 2N insulating partitions are arranged radially in the inner cavity of the Laval nozzle, and the inner cavity of the Laval nozzle is evenly divided into 2N anode sections; each anode section includes a contracting discharge cavity, a transition throat and an expanding nozzle cavity arranged sequentially along the axial direction; The outer edge of each insulating partition extends into the housing of the Laval nozzle, thereby insulatingly separating the Laval nozzle housing to form 2N arc-shaped anodes; each arc-shaped anode is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply through an anode switch; The cathode assembly is coaxially arranged at the upstream end of the Laval nozzle. The cathode assembly includes a cathode seat and 2N cathode rods; the fixing assembly includes a housing. The cathode holder and the outer casing are coaxially arranged from the inside to the outside, and the cathode holder is made of insulating material; 2N cathode rods are evenly embedded in the cathode seat with the Laval nozzle axis as the center; the downstream end of each cathode rod extends into the discharge cavity of the corresponding anode section, and each cathode rod is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply through a cathode switch. The air intake assembly includes a working gas source and 2N air intake ports; the air intake ends of the 2N air intake ports are each connected to the working gas source through an air intake valve, and the air outlet ends of the 2N air intake ports correspond to the discharge chambers of the 2N anode zones.

2. The integrated attitude and orbit control partitioned space arc thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central axis of each cathode rod is located on the symmetry plane of the corresponding anode zone.

3. The integrated attitude and trajectory control partitioned space arc thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: Based on the dielectric strength Ec1 of the cathode holder and the voltage U of the cathode rod, the distance D between two adjacent cathode rods is designed, then: D≥U / Ec1.

4. The integrated attitude and trajectory control partitioned space arc thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: By controlling the thickness d of each insulating partition, each cathode rod can only generate an arc between its corresponding anode partitions; the thickness d of the insulating partition must satisfy the formula: d≥U0 / Ec2; where U0 is the voltage between the cathode rod and the corresponding anode partition; and Ec2 is the dielectric strength of the insulating partition.

5. The integrated attitude and trajectory control partitioned space arc thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: N=3 or 4.

6. The integrated attitude and trajectory control partitioned space arc thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each air inlet is a variable diameter through-hole. By adjusting the outlet diameter of the air inlet, the flow rate of the working gas entering the discharge chamber from the air inlet can be adjusted.

7. A method for operating a zoned space arc thruster with integrated attitude and trajectory control according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: Step 1: Set the thrust control mode: The space arc thruster has an orbit control mode and an attitude control mode; Two anode zones that are symmetrical about the Laval nozzle axis out of 2N anode zones are called a set of symmetrical anode zones. The two cathode rods, two air inlets, and two arc-shaped anodes corresponding to the symmetrical anode zones are called symmetrical cathode rods, symmetrical air inlets, and symmetrical arc-shaped anodes, respectively. Then the trajectory control mode has N thrust levels, namely: level 1, level 2, level 3, ..., level N. In position 1, a set of symmetrical cathode rods, a set of symmetrical air inlets, and a set of symmetrical arc anodes need to be activated. In gear 2, two sets of symmetrical cathode rods, two sets of symmetrical air inlets, and two sets of symmetrical arc-shaped anodes need to be activated. Similarly, in the N gear, N sets of symmetrical cathode rods, N sets of symmetrical air inlets, and N sets of symmetrical arc-shaped anodes need to be activated. In attitude control mode, the number and specific thrust levels need to be determined based on the required attitude adjustment; the anode zones corresponding to each thrust level are not symmetrical about the Laval nozzle axis. Step 2: Select thrust control mode and thrust level: Based on the control objectives required by the space arc thruster, select the corresponding thrust control mode and thrust level from Step 1. Step 3, Thrust Control: According to the thrust control mode and corresponding thrust level selected in Step 2, open the corresponding cathode switch, air inlet valve and anode switch. The downstream end of the cathode rod emits arc-initiating electrons and generates an electric arc between the downstream end of the cathode rod and the transition throat. The working gas source introduces working gas into the corresponding anode zone through the air inlet. After passing through the high-temperature electric arc, the working gas is heated and expanded, and is ejected from the tail end of the nozzle to generate the set thrust.

8. The operation method of the integrated attitude and orbit control zoned space arc thruster according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step 1, under attitude control mode, the required attitude adjustments include pitch angle adjustment and yaw angle adjustment; When adjusting the pitch angle, simply open the cathode rod, air inlet and arc anode corresponding to the left and right symmetrical anode sections located above or below the Laval nozzle axis; When N=3, the pitch angle has 3 thrust levels, namely level 1, level 2 and level 3; In position 1, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the anode section located above or below the Laval nozzle axis and in the vertical direction must be activated. For gear 2, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated. For gear 3, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the three anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated; When N=4, the pitch angle has two thrust levels, namely level 1 and level 2. In position 1, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated. For gear 2, the cathode rods, air inlets, and arc anodes corresponding to the four symmetrical anode zones located above or below the Laval nozzle axis must be activated. When adjusting the yaw angle, simply open the cathode rod, air inlet and arc anode corresponding to the anode section located symmetrically above and below the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis. When N=3, the yaw angle has one thrust setting. At this time, the cathode rod, air inlet and arc anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode sections located to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis need to be opened. When N=4, the yaw angle has two thrust levels, namely level 1 and level 2. In position 1, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the two symmetrical anode sections located to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis must be opened. For gear 2, the cathode rod, air inlet, and arc anode corresponding to the four symmetrical anode zones located to the left or right of the Laval nozzle axis must be activated.

9. The operation method of the integrated attitude and orbit control zoned space arc thruster according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step 3, by controlling the outlet diameter of the air inlet, the speed at which the working gas enters the corresponding anode zone is increased. The working gas will impact the electric arc, causing the arc point to move, thereby reducing the burn-out of the anode assembly.

10. The operation method of the integrated attitude and orbit control zoned space arc thruster according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step 3, an electric arc will be generated between the downstream end of the cathode rod and the transition throat, with a center temperature that can reach over 20,000 K.

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