A method for high pressure application of a thruster

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of high pressure exerting method of thruster, belong to the high voltage insulation technical field of electric propulsion, solved the problem of easy discharge spark when high voltage is applied to the grid or emitter of thruster in prior art.The high pressure exerting method of thruster includes the following steps: step 1: assemble high voltage connection device: step 2: the grid or emitter is installed on support, and fixed;Step 3: the assembled high voltage connection device is installed on support, and fixed;Step 4: high voltage cable is applied to high voltage, and the high pressure exerting to thruster is completed.The present application realizes the occurrence of high voltage discharge spark phenomenon when high pressure is applied to thruster.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of high-voltage insulation technology for electric propulsion, and more particularly to a method for applying high voltage to a thruster. Background Technology

[0002] Electric propulsion is a technology that uses electrical energy to heat, dissociate, and accelerate a working propellant to form a high-speed jet, thereby generating thrust. Based on different acceleration principles, electric propulsion systems are classified into electrothermal, electromagnetic, and electrostatic types. Electrostatic thrusters mainly include field-effect emitted ion thrusters (FEEP) and ion thrusters (Ion).

[0003] The working principle of FEEP (Feeder-Emitter Electrostatic Propeller) is to use a high-intensity electrostatic field to form a "Taylor cone" structure at the microscopic tip of the propellant, such as liquid metal or molten salt. Through "field ionization and field evaporation," ions are formed and accelerated by the high-intensity electric field to generate thrust. Ion (electrostatic thrusters) work by using plasma generation technology to increase the ionization rate of the propellant. A negatively biased grid extracts cations from the plasma, which are then accelerated in an accelerating electric field with a voltage as high as 5–12 kV to generate thrust. Therefore, in electrostatic thrusters, high voltage needs to be applied to the grid and emitter. This requires high-voltage insulation within the small space of the thruster. If the insulation of the structure is poor, phenomena such as discharge and arcing can easily occur, and the resulting hazards will become increasingly serious over time, affecting the reliability and safety of the product.

[0004] In the existing technology, in order to apply high voltage to the gate and emitter, the high voltage cable is directly fixed to the gate or emitter, which is prone to discharge and arcing, resulting in low reliability and safety of the product. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on the above analysis, the present invention aims to provide a high-voltage application method for a thruster, in order to solve the problem that discharge and arcing easily occur when applying high voltage to the gate or emitter of a thruster in the prior art.

[0006] The objective of this invention is mainly achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] This invention provides a method for applying high pressure to a thruster, comprising the following steps:

[0008] Step 1: Assemble the high-voltage connection device:

[0009] Step 2: Mount the gate or emitter onto the support and secure it.

[0010] Step 3: Install the assembled high-voltage connection device onto the support and secure it.

[0011] Step 4: Apply high voltage to the high voltage cable to complete the application of high voltage to the thruster.

[0012] Optionally, step 1 includes the following steps:

[0013] Step 11: Place the contact and elastic element into the limiting cylinder in sequence, and weld the limiting cylinder to the welding column to obtain the first component;

[0014] Step 12: Pass the first column of the welding column through the center hole of the sealing block, insert one end of the high-voltage cable into the blind hole of the first column, and weld the first column of the welding column to the high-voltage cable to obtain the second component;

[0015] Step 13: Insert the second component into the insulating cylinder.

[0016] Optionally, step 12 may further include insulating and sealing the welding point between the high-voltage cable and the first column of the welding column.

[0017] Optionally, the insulating seal includes wrapping the weld joint with a heat-shrink tubing.

[0018] Optionally, step 13 further includes sealing the tail end of the insulating cylinder with silicone rubber.

[0019] Optionally, step 3 includes: inserting the insulating cylinder from bottom to top into the mounting hole of the support until the contact contacts the gate or emitter, and fixing the high-voltage connection device to the support with screws.

[0020] Optionally, step 3 further includes: using a pressure plate to hold the high-voltage connection device in place, and using screws to pass through the pressure plate to fix the high-voltage connection device to the support.

[0021] Optionally, step 13 may be followed by potting the internal space of the insulating cylinder with potting compound.

[0022] Optionally, the high-voltage connection device includes: a welding column, a contact, and an insulating cylinder, one end of the welding column is connected to the contact, and the other end is connected to the insulating cylinder; the distance by which the contact extends out of the welding column is adjustable.

[0023] Optionally, the high-voltage connection device further includes a sealing block for connecting the insulating cylinder and the welding column.

[0024] Optionally, the sealing block is frustum-shaped, and the insulating cylinder has a groove that matches the outer surface of the sealing block, with the sealing block inserted upside down into the insulating cylinder.

[0025] Optionally, the welding column includes a first column and a second column, wherein the diameter of the first column is smaller than the diameter of the second column; the first column passes through the sealing block, and the second column is located outside the sealing block.

[0026] Optionally, it also includes a limiting cylinder and an elastic element, one end of the limiting cylinder being placed inside the second column; one end of the elastic element abutting against the bottom wall of the limiting cylinder, and the other end abutting against the contact.

[0027] Optionally, the contact, the elastic element, the limiting cylinder, and the welding column are made of metal.

[0028] Optionally, the sealing block and the insulating cylinder are made of insulating materials.

[0029] Optionally, the sealing block includes a central hole, which is a through hole.

[0030] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a thruster voltage loading system, including a support member and the aforementioned thruster high-voltage connection device, wherein the support member is connected to the thruster high-voltage connection device.

[0031] Optionally, it also includes a pressure plate, through which the high-pressure connection device of the thruster is fixed to the support.

[0032] Optionally, the pressure plate includes a snap-fit ​​groove for snapping the insulating cylinder, the snap-fit ​​contact being U-shaped, and the insulating cylinder portion being placed within the snap-fit ​​groove.

[0033] Optionally, the outer wall of the insulating cylinder is provided with a flange, and the portion above the flange is accommodated in the through hole of the support member.

[0034] Optionally, the welding column extends into the insulating cylinder by a length greater than 15 mm.

[0035] Optionally, the outer wall of the lower part of the contact is provided with a limiting protrusion, and the inner diameter of the port of the limiting cylinder is smaller than the outer diameter of the limiting protrusion.

[0036] Optionally, both the first column and the second column are cylindrical, the first column is provided with a blind hole, the opening of the blind hole is away from the second column, and the high-voltage cable extends into the blind hole.

[0037] Optionally, the blind hole has an inclined opening, and the high-voltage cable and the welding column are fixedly connected at the opening of the blind hole.

[0038] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can achieve at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0039] (1) By setting up a combination of welding column, contact and insulating cylinder, this application can make the high voltage connection device have good insulation and avoid the discharge arcing phenomenon when high voltage is applied to the grid or emitter of the thruster.

[0040] (2) By setting a limiting cylinder and an elastic element, this application makes the distance of the contact extending out of the welding column adjustable, so that the contact can reliably contact the gate or emitter, ensuring the stable operation of high voltage loading.

[0041] (3) By setting a frustum-shaped sealing block and inserting the sealing block upside down into the insulating cylinder, this application can effectively seal the gap between the welding column and the insulating cylinder, while facilitating welding operations between the high-voltage cable and the welding column.

[0042] (4) By setting the welding column to include a first column and a second column, and by setting a blind hole on the first column and setting the opening of the blind hole to be inclined, the contact area between the first column and the high voltage cable can be increased, thereby increasing the number of welding points and thus increasing the welding strength.

[0043] In this invention, the above-described technical solutions can be combined with each other to achieve more preferred combinations. Other features and advantages of this invention will be set forth in the following description, and some advantages will become apparent from the description or may be learned by practicing the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0044] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the high-pressure connection device for the thruster in this invention;

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the thruster voltage loading system in this invention;

[0047] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after some components of the thruster high-pressure connection device in this invention are connected.

[0048] Figure label:

[0049] 1-Contact; 2-Elastic element; 3-Limiting cylinder; 4-Welding column; 5-Sealing block; 6-Insulating cylinder; 7-High voltage cable; 8-Gate or emitter; 9-Supporting element; 10-Pressure plate; 11-First screw; 12-Second screw; 13-First column; 14-Second column. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of the present invention and are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0051] Example 1

[0052] A specific embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for applying high pressure to a thruster, comprising the following steps:

[0053] Step 1: Assemble the high-pressure connection device for the thruster, including the following steps:

[0054] Step 11: Place the contact 1 and the elastic element 2 into the limiting cylinder 3 in sequence, and weld the limiting cylinder 3 to the welding column 4 to make them a whole, thus obtaining the first component.

[0055] Step 12: Pass the first column 13 of the welding column 4 through the center hole of the sealing block 5, insert one end of the high-voltage cable 7 into the blind hole of the first column 13, and weld the first column 13 of the welding column 4 to the high-voltage cable 7 to obtain the second component.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment, the welding point between the high-voltage cable 7 and the first column 13 of the welding column 4 is insulated and sealed.

[0057] Specifically, insulation sealing at the weld point can be achieved in two ways. The first method is to wrap the weld point with heat shrink tubing; the second method is to fill the internal space of the insulating cylinder 6 with potting compound.

[0058] This embodiment improves the insulation of the welded joint by insulating and sealing the weld point between the high-voltage cable 7 and the welding column 4, thereby further preventing discharge and arcing.

[0059] It should be noted that if the temperature at the soldering point is high, exceeding the melting temperature of the solder, a crimping method can also be used to connect the high-voltage cable 7 to the soldering post 4.

[0060] Step 13: Install the second component into the insulating cylinder 6, seal the tail end of the insulating cylinder 6 with silicone rubber GD414, and complete the assembly to obtain the thruster high-voltage connection device.

[0061] Step 2: Mount the gate or emitter 8 onto the support 9 and secure it with the second screw 12.

[0062] Step 3: Insert the insulating cylinder 6 of the assembled high-voltage connection device into the mounting hole of the support member 9 from bottom to top until the contact 1 makes reliable contact with the grid or emitter 8. Then, use the clamping plate 10 to hold the high-voltage connection device in place, and use the first screw 11 to fix the high-voltage connection device to the support member 9.

[0063] Step 4: Apply DC high voltage to the other end of the high voltage cable 7 to complete the application of high voltage to the thruster.

[0064] Example 2

[0065] See Figures 1-3A specific embodiment of the present invention discloses a high-voltage connection device for a thruster, used to apply high voltage to the thruster as described in Embodiment 1. The high-voltage connection device for the thruster in this embodiment includes a welding post 4, a contact 1, and an insulating cylinder 6. One end of the welding post 4 is connected to the contact 1, and the other end is connected to the insulating cylinder 6. The welding post 4 is connected to a high-voltage cable 7. The contact 1 extends an adjustable distance from the welding post 4 to abut against the gate or emitter 8 of the thruster.

[0066] The thruster high-voltage connection device in this invention is mainly used to apply a high voltage to the gate or emitter 8 of the thruster via the high-voltage cable 7. Specifically, it is used to solve the problem of discharge and arcing that easily occurs when applying a high voltage to the gate or emitter 8 in the prior art.

[0067] In view of the fact that the insulation of the connection between the high-voltage cable 7 and the gate or emitter 8 is not high in the existing technology, by setting up a combination of welding post 4, contact 1 and insulating cylinder 6, the narrow connection space can be insulated and protected, which can effectively enhance the insulation of the connection between the high-voltage cable 7 and the gate or emitter 8.

[0068] In this embodiment, by making the distance of the contact 1 extending out of the welding post 4 adjustable, the contact 1 can reliably contact the gate or emitter 8 of the thruster, ensuring the stability of the high voltage during the application process.

[0069] In a preferred embodiment, the welding post 4 extends out of the insulating cylinder 6 to facilitate contact between the conductive component and the gate or emitter 8.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the high-voltage connection device further includes a sealing block for connecting the insulating cylinder 6 and the welding post 4. The sealing block is press-fitted into the insulating cylinder 6, which can fix the welding post 4. While enhancing structural stability, it allows the contact 1 to reliably elastically expand and contract with the fixed welding post 4 as a stable base, ensuring good contact between the contact 1 and the gate or emitter 8.

[0071] This embodiment uses a sealing block to seal the gap between the insulating cylinder 6 and the welding column 4, which further improves the insulation environment and effectively fixes the welding column 4, thereby facilitating the welding operation between the high-voltage cable 7 and the welding column 4.

[0072] Specifically, the welding post 4 includes a first post 13 and a second post 14 with different diameters, wherein the diameter of the first post 13 is smaller than the diameter of the second post 14. When the gate or emitter 8 presses down on the contact 1, the first post 13 passes through the sealing block 5, and the second post is located outside the sealing block 5.

[0073] Specifically, the sealing block 5 is frustum-shaped and is inserted upside down into the insulating cylinder 6. The insulating cylinder 6 has a groove that matches the outer surface of the sealing block 5. By the mutual contact between the outer surface of the sealing block 5 and the groove, a good seal can be achieved between the sealing block 5 and the insulating cylinder 6, reducing the space exposure of the high voltage discharge part and minimizing the air breakdown of high voltage during the loading process.

[0074] As mentioned above, the welding post 4 extends out of the insulating cylinder 6. In order to reduce the impact of the sealing block 5 on the installation of the welding post 4, the sealing block 5 is completely inserted into the insulating cylinder 6. The upper end face of the sealing block 5 is flush with the end face of the insulating cylinder 6. On the one hand, this can ensure the structural strength of the sealing block pressed onto the insulating cylinder 6. On the other hand, it can reduce the possibility of gaps and enhance the sealing performance. This effectively isolates the conductive space of the high-voltage cable 7 and the welding post 4 from the pressure space of the contact 1 and the grid or emitter 8, fundamentally avoiding the possibility of discharge arcing.

[0075] In addition, the sealing block 5 in this embodiment includes a central hole, specifically a through hole set on the axis of the sealing block 5, through which the first column 13 passes. The second column 14 of the welding column 4 extending outward from the central hole of the sealing block 5 facilitates the installation of the contact 1, while the first column 13 passing through the central hole facilitates welding connection with the high-voltage cable 7. Through the structure of the sealing block 5 itself, the technical purpose of effectively isolating the conductive space and the pressure application space is achieved.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, both the first column 13 and the second column 14 are cylindrical. The first column 13 is provided with a blind hole, the opening of which is far away from the second column 14, and the high-voltage cable 7 extends into the blind hole.

[0077] Furthermore, the blind hole has an inclined opening, and the high-voltage cable 7 and the welding column 4 are fixedly connected at the opening of the blind hole. In this embodiment, by setting the opening of the blind hole to be inclined, the contact area between the first column 13 and the high-voltage cable 7 can be increased, thereby increasing the number of weld points and thus increasing the weld strength.

[0078] like Figure 2 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the high-voltage connection device further includes a limiting cylinder 3 and an elastic element 2. A portion of the limiting cylinder 3 is placed inside the second column 14. The contact 1 that contacts the gate or emitter 8 is limited and installed on the second column of the welding column 4 by the limiting cylinder 3. The distance of the contact 1 extending out of the welding column 4 can be adjusted by the elastic element 2 provided in the limiting cylinder 3.

[0079] Furthermore, the second column 14 of the welding column 4 is provided with a limiting hole, and a part of the limiting cylinder 3 is placed in the limiting hole.

[0080] Specifically, the welding column 4, the limiting cylinder 3, the elastic element 2, and the contact 1 constitute the conductive component in this invention, which conducts the high voltage applied by the high voltage cable 7 to the gate or the emitter 8.

[0081] The elastic element 2 is a compression spring, which is installed inside the limiting cylinder 3. One end of the elastic element 2 abuts against the bottom wall of the limiting cylinder 3, and the other end abuts against the contact head 1. The contact head 1 extends out of the limiting cylinder 3 and elastically expands and contracts under the action of the elastic element 2.

[0082] In this embodiment, the contact 1 is retractably mounted on the limiting cylinder by setting the elastic element 2, which enables the contact 1 to abut against the gate or emitter 8 of the thruster, ensuring reliable contact between the contact 1 and the gate or emitter 8, so that the high voltage applied by the high voltage cable 7 can reliably act on the gate or emitter 8 through the welding column 4, the limiting cylinder 3, the elastic element 2 and the contact 1.

[0083] Meanwhile, the retractable installation of contact 1 under the action of elastic element 2 ensures good contact between contact 1 and gate or emitter 8, so that high voltage can be reliably and well applied.

[0084] In a preferred embodiment, a limiting protrusion is provided on the outer wall of the lower part of the contact 1, and the inner diameter of the port of the limiting cylinder 3 is smaller than the outer diameter of the limiting protrusion, which can prevent the contact 1 from being detached from the constraint of the limiting cylinder 3.

[0085] Furthermore, the limiting cylinder 3 is inserted into the second column of the welding column 4. The second column is provided with a groove for accommodating the limiting cylinder 3. The welding column 4 and the limiting cylinder 3 are connected by interference fit, threaded connection or welding. It is necessary to ensure the effective contact area between the two to facilitate the conduction of high voltage.

[0086] Based on the basic composition of the conductive component in this invention and its function of conducting the high voltage applied by the high voltage cable 7 to the gate or emitter 8, the contact 1, elastic element 2, limiting cylinder 3 and welding column 4 are made of metal.

[0087] To ensure good weldability between the welding column 4 and the high-voltage cable 7 and enhance the stability and reliability of high voltage application, the welding column 4 is preferably made of gold-plated copper, which ensures good weldability between the welding column 4 and the high-voltage cable 7 and greatly improves the welding conditions.

[0088] For effective insulation and sealing purposes, the sealing block 5 and the insulating cylinder 6 are made of polymer insulating materials, such as polyether ether ketone or polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0089] One end of the high-voltage cable 7 extends into the insulating cylinder 6 and is welded to the first column 13 of the welding column 4. To further enhance the insulation effect of the welded part and prevent high-voltage arcing, the weld point between the high-voltage cable 7 and the welding column 4 is insulated and sealed. This can be done by wrapping the weld point with heat-shrink tubing or by filling the internal space of the insulating cylinder 6 with potting compound to improve the insulation of the welded part.

[0090] It should be noted that the length of the welding post 4 extending into the insulating cylinder 6 cannot be too short. If the length of the welding post 4 extending into the insulating cylinder 6 is less than 15mm, arcing is likely to occur during the application of high voltage to the gate or emitter 8. Therefore, in this embodiment, the length of the welding post 4 extending into the insulating cylinder 6 is limited to more than 15mm to increase the insulation distance between the welding part and the bottom of the insulating cylinder 6 and prevent arcing.

[0091] Example 3

[0092] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a thruster voltage loading system, including the thruster high-voltage connection device of Embodiment 2, the support member 9, and the pressure plate 10.

[0093] The high-voltage connection device of the thruster is fixedly installed in the through hole of the support member 9. The gate or emitter 8 of the thruster is connected to the support member 9, and the contact 1 abuts against the gate or emitter 8 of the thruster.

[0094] Specifically, the support member 9 includes a mounting plane at the top, and the insulating cylinder 6 of the thruster high-voltage connection device extends from bottom to top into the mounting hole of the support member 9, causing the contact 1 to protrude from the mounting plane of the support member 9. The outer wall of the insulating cylinder 6 is provided with a flange, and the portion of the insulating cylinder 6 above the flange is accommodated in the through hole of the support member 9.

[0095] like Figure 2 As shown, the pressure plate 10 is located below the flange, and the high-pressure connection device is fixed to the support member 9 by the first screw 11 passing through the pressure plate 10.

[0096] Specifically, the pressure plate 10 includes a snap-fit ​​groove for snapping the insulating cylinder 6, the snap-fit ​​contact is U-shaped, and part of the insulating cylinder 6 is placed in the snap-fit ​​groove.

[0097] The gate or emitter 8 of the thruster is attached to the mounting plane of the support 9, so that the contact 1 protruding from the mounting plane abuts against the bottom wall of the gate or emitter 8, and the gate or emitter 8 is fixed to the top of the support 9 by the second screw 12.

[0098] To further improve the insulation of the high-voltage connection device of the thruster, the support member 9 and the pressure plate 10 in this invention are made of insulating material. The materials of the support member 9, sealing block 5, insulating cylinder 6 and pressure plate 10 can be insulating materials such as polyether ether ketone or polytetrafluoroethylene, depending on the different use environments, to meet the actual insulation and sealing requirements.

[0099] The thruster high-voltage connection device and voltage loading system in this invention can effectively solve the high-voltage insulation problem of electrostatic thrusters. While providing a stable high voltage to the gate or emitter 8 of the thruster, it enhances the insulation and sealing performance, avoids high-voltage discharge arcing and other phenomena, and improves product reliability and safety.

[0100] In addition, the thruster high-voltage connection device of the present invention has the advantages of miniaturization and convenient connection and installation, which can meet the usage requirements of electrostatic thrusters.

[0101] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for applying high pressure to a thruster, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Assemble the high-voltage connection device: Step 2: Mount the gate or emitter onto the support and secure it. Step 3: Install the assembled high-voltage connection device onto the support and secure it. Step 4: Apply high voltage to the high voltage cable to complete the application of high voltage to the thruster; The high-voltage connection device includes: a welding column, a contact, and an insulating cylinder. One end of the welding column is connected to the contact, and the other end is connected to the insulating cylinder. The distance by which the contact extends beyond the welding column is adjustable. The high-voltage connection device also includes a sealing block for connecting the insulating cylinder and the welding column; The sealing block is truncated cone-shaped, and the insulating cylinder has a groove that matches the outer surface of the sealing block. The sealing block is inserted upside down into the insulating cylinder. The welding column includes a first column and a second column, wherein the diameter of the first column is smaller than the diameter of the second column; the first column passes through the sealing block, and the second column is located outside the sealing block; One end of the high-voltage cable extends into the insulating cylinder and is welded to the first column of the welding column; the welding point between the high-voltage cable and the welding column is insulated and sealed by using potting compound to fill the internal space of the insulating cylinder to improve the insulation of the welded part; It also includes a limiting cylinder and an elastic element, one end of the limiting cylinder being placed inside the second column; one end of the elastic element abutting against the bottom wall of the limiting cylinder, and the other end abutting against the contact; Step 1 includes the following steps: Step 11: Place the contact and elastic element into the limiting cylinder in sequence, and weld the limiting cylinder to the welding column to obtain the first component; Step 12: Pass the first column of the welding column through the center hole of the sealing block, insert one end of the high-voltage cable into the blind hole of the first column, and weld the first column of the welding column to the high-voltage cable to obtain the second component; Step 13: Insert the second component into the insulating cylinder; Step 3 includes: inserting the insulating cylinder into the mounting hole of the support from bottom to top until the contact contacts the gate or emitter, and fixing the high-voltage connection device to the support with screws; Step 3 also includes: using a pressure plate to hold the high-voltage connection device in place, and using screws to pass through the pressure plate to fix the high-voltage connection device to the support.

2. The thruster high-pressure application method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step 12 also includes insulating and sealing the welding point between the high-voltage cable and the first column of the welding column.

3. The thruster high-pressure application method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The insulation seal includes wrapping the weld joint with heat shrink tubing.

4. The thruster high-pressure application method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step 13 further includes sealing the tail end of the insulating cylinder with silicone rubber.

5. The thruster high-pressure application method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step 13 is followed by potting the internal space of the insulating cylinder with potting compound.

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