Resistance-arc hybrid space water propulsion system

CN118030434BActive Publication Date: 2026-08-21PLA PEOPLES LIBERATION ARMY OF CHINA STRATEGIC SUPPORT FORCE AEROSPACE ENG UNIV
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202410010881.9
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-01-04
Publication Date
2026-08-21
Estimated Expiration
2044-01-04

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

[0003]然而目前国际上绝大多数航天器采用的是传统剧毒化学推进方式,受限于推进剂化学能,其存在比冲较低、推进剂剧毒(主要是肼及其衍生物)等缺点,导致航天器在轨寿命十分有限,有效载荷占比低,每公斤发射成本很高,地面推进剂加注维护等准备工作十分复杂危险,对环境也存在严重污染

Benefits of technology

[0048] 1. This space propulsion system uses gaseous water as the propellant, which has advantages such as extremely low propellant cost, no environmental pollution, and improved resource utilization. Furthermore, the propellant supply system and cooling system share a single water tank, achieving a high degree of propellant reuse. Compared to arc-heated thrusters using hydrazine or argon as the propellant, this invention achieves higher specific impulse and efficiency by using water as the propellant. Figure 1 The working fluid flows from the storage tank, passes through the flow controller, and enters the anode cooling jacket. After cooling the anode, it is heated into hot water. The hot water then passes through a distributor and splits into two branches: a working fluid supply branch and a circulation branch. In the working fluid supply branch, resistance heating is used to heat the hot water to a temperature of T. w1 Water vapor is introduced into the thruster. Temperature sensors and pressure gauges are installed at the thruster inlet to determine the phase of the water inside the pipe based on the relationship between saturation temperature and saturation pressure, ensuring that the water enters the thruster in a gaseous state. The water vapor enters the thruster's intake pipe and becomes swirling water vapor. The electric arc generated between the anode and cathode ionizes the swirling water vapor into plasma, which is then accelerated and ejected by the expansion of the anode. The swirling water vapor also drives the arc point to move, preventing localized anode erosion. In the circulation branch, the hot water is cooled by a chiller and returns to the storage tank, forming a cycle.

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Abstract

The application discloses a resistance-arc hybrid space water propulsion system, comprising a water thruster, a cooling water circulation branch and a water vapor supply branch; the water thruster comprises a shell, an anode, a cathode and a cooling cavity; the anode is a Laval nozzle, is connected with an external power supply, and comprises a converging section, a throat and a diverging section; the cooling cavity is arranged in the anode outside the periphery of the diverging section and the throat; the cathode has a discharge tip, is coaxially inserted into the shell, and the discharge tip points to the throat of the anode; an insulator is arranged between the cathode and the shell; the cooling water circulation branch is used for circulating and supplying cooling water with a set temperature and a set flow rate into the cooling cavity; and the water vapor supply branch is used for swirling and supplying water vapor in a gas phase into the inner cavity of the converging section of the anode. The application can use water as a propellant working medium, has an arc-shaped swirling air inlet channel, and has the characteristics of low cost, green environmental protection and high specific impulse, thereby promoting sustainable development of a spacecraft industry represented by a satellite.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to, in particular, a resistive-arc hybrid space water propulsion system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the space industry, various spacecraft, including satellites, spacecraft, space stations, and probes, are being launched into orbit in rapid succession. These spacecraft propulsion systems have wide applications in communication, navigation, remote sensing, and scientific research, greatly facilitating people's lives. The spacecraft propulsion system is the core component supporting the spacecraft's orbit and attitude control, crucial for its effective, safe, and stable operation in orbit, and is often referred to as the "heart" of the spacecraft.

[0003] However, most spacecraft in the world currently use traditional, highly toxic chemical propulsion. Due to the limited chemical energy of the propellant, it has disadvantages such as low specific impulse and highly toxic propellant (mainly hydrazine and its derivatives), resulting in a very limited on-orbit lifespan, a low payload ratio, a high cost per kilogram of launch, and very complex and dangerous preparation work such as ground propellant refueling and maintenance, which also causes serious environmental pollution.

[0004] With the improvement of onboard power supply capabilities, space electric propulsion technology has developed rapidly. It has the characteristics of high specific impulse and high thrust accuracy, and has significant advantages in improving spacecraft life and precise attitude control. However, since inert rare gases such as xenon are superior in terms of ionization and stability, current electric propulsion basically uses xenon as the propellant, making the propulsion system extremely expensive, which is obviously unsustainable for large-scale aerospace applications in the future.

[0005] Therefore, designing a high specific impulse space propulsion system based on a green, non-toxic, and readily available working fluid has great market potential. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to address the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a resistance-arc hybrid space water propulsion system. This system can use water as the propellant and has an optimized high-efficiency swirling air intake channel, which makes it low-cost, environmentally friendly and high specific impulse, thereby promoting the sustainable development of the spacecraft industry, represented by satellites.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0008] A resistive-arc hybrid space water propulsion system includes a water thruster, a cooling water circulation branch, and a steam supply branch.

[0009] The water thruster includes a housing, anode, cathode, insulator, and cooling chamber.

[0010] The anode is coaxially sealed and installed at the lower end of the housing. The anode is a Laval nozzle and is connected to an external power supply. The anode includes a contraction section, a throat, and an expansion section arranged sequentially along the axial direction. The contraction section is partially or entirely located inside the housing.

[0011] The cooling chamber is located in the anode on the outer periphery of the expansion section and throat.

[0012] The cathode is grounded and has a discharge tip; the cathode is coaxially inserted into the housing and the discharge tip points towards the throat of the anode.

[0013] An insulator is placed between the cathode and the outer casing.

[0014] The cooling water circulation branch is used to circulate and supply cooling water at a set temperature and flow rate into the cooling chamber.

[0015] The steam supply branch is used to supply gaseous steam to the constriction section cavity of the anode in a swirling flow.

[0016] It also includes a distributor; the distributor is installed at the cooling water outlet of the cooling chamber, thereby dividing the water outlet of the cooling chamber into two paths, namely a cooling flow path and a heating flow path; wherein, the cooling flow path forms the water to be cooled in the cooling water circulation branch; the heating flow path forms the water to be heated in the steam supply branch.

[0017] The steam supply branch includes heating components, temperature sensors, and pressure gauges arranged sequentially along the water flow direction.

[0018] The heating element is an aluminum-magnesium heating plate.

[0019] Let Q be the maximum heat dissipation of water vapor from the end of heating by the heating element until it enters the inner cavity of the contraction section, and let ΔT be the temperature drop of the water vapor. Then the formulas for calculating Q and ΔT are as follows:

[0020]

[0021] And ΔT≤T w1 -T w2

[0022] In the formula, d is the outer diameter of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch.

[0023] l is the length of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch from the end of heating of the heating component to the inlet of the water thruster.

[0024] t is the time required for water vapor to flow through a working fluid pipe of length l;

[0025] m1 is the mass of water vapor inside the working fluid pipe of length l; (this can be calculated using density and volume).

[0026] m2 is the mass of the working fluid pipe of length l;

[0027] h is the surface heat transfer coefficient between the outside air and the working fluid pipe.

[0028] T w1 The temperature of the steam after heating by the heating element, expressed in K.

[0029] T f The ambient air temperature is expressed in Kelvin (K).

[0030] σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant.

[0031] ε is the emissivity of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch, which is a known value.

[0032] c1 is the specific heat capacity of water.

[0033] c2 is the specific heat capacity of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch.

[0034] T w2 This is the boiling point temperature of water when the pressure is P as measured by the pressure gauge, expressed in K.

[0035] The cooling water circulation branch includes a chiller, a water storage tank, a chilled water pump, a switch valve, and a flow controller arranged sequentially along the water flow direction.

[0036] The outer wall of the contraction section of the anode is provided with a swirling channel that communicates with the inner cavity of the contraction section; the swirling channel includes several arc-shaped bends evenly distributed along the circumference of the contraction section.

[0037] The number of curved bends is 4 to 6.

[0038] Let the radius of curvature of each arc bend be R, and the inner diameter of each arc bend be d. With the number of arc bends and the value of d remaining constant, the flow of water vapor inside the arc bends is numerically simulated using Fluent software to determine the R / d corresponding to the minimum total flow loss of water vapor inside the arc bends, and then the radius of curvature R of the corresponding arc bends is calculated.

[0039] It also includes a cathode holder, an upper cover, and a lower cover.

[0040] The tail end of the cathode is mounted on a cathode clamp, which is grounded.

[0041] Insulators include upper insulators, middle insulators, and lower insulators.

[0042] The anode is connected to the outer casing via the lower cover.

[0043] The cathode clamp is connected to the outer shell through the upper cover, and the cathode clamp and the upper cover are insulated from each other by an upper insulator.

[0044] The lower end of the cathode holder is insulated from the outer shell by a middle insulator.

[0045] The cathode rod without a cathode holder is insulated from the outer casing by a lower insulator.

[0046] An axial limiting protrusion extending into the insulator is provided on the outer periphery of the middle part of the cathode.

[0047] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0048] 1. This space propulsion system uses gaseous water as the propellant, which has advantages such as extremely low propellant cost, no environmental pollution, and improved resource utilization. Furthermore, the propellant supply system and cooling system share a single water tank, achieving a high degree of propellant reuse. Compared to arc-heated thrusters using hydrazine or argon as the propellant, this invention achieves higher specific impulse and efficiency by using water as the propellant. Figure 1 The working fluid flows from the storage tank, passes through the flow controller, and enters the anode cooling jacket. After cooling the anode, it is heated into hot water. The hot water then passes through a distributor and splits into two branches: a working fluid supply branch and a circulation branch. In the working fluid supply branch, resistance heating is used to heat the hot water to a temperature of T. w1 Water vapor is introduced into the thruster. Temperature sensors and pressure gauges are installed at the thruster inlet to determine the phase of the water inside the pipe based on the relationship between saturation temperature and saturation pressure, ensuring that the water enters the thruster in a gaseous state. The water vapor enters the thruster's intake pipe and becomes swirling water vapor. The electric arc generated between the anode and cathode ionizes the swirling water vapor into plasma, which is then accelerated and ejected by the expansion of the anode. The swirling water vapor also drives the arc point to move, preventing localized anode erosion. In the circulation branch, the hot water is cooled by a chiller and returns to the storage tank, forming a cycle.

[0049] 2. This invention adopts an improved arc-shaped swirl inlet channel, which makes the airflow flow tangentially into the pipe bifurcation as much as possible, and retains the tangential flow velocity when entering the next pipe. Compared with the existing straight swirl inlet channel, CFD simulation and calculation have proven that it has a higher total pressure recovery coefficient, less energy loss for gas to do work, and a greater gas swirl velocity.

[0050] 3. The working fluid is heated using a combination of resistance heating and arc heating. First, resistance heating condenses the cold water into a gaseous state. Then, the gas enters the thruster's discharge chamber and is reheated by the arc generated at the cathode tip and anode throat. This double heating allows the water vapor to reach a higher total temperature, thus increasing the amount of energy that can be converted into kinetic energy. Because the initial thruster temperature is low, the water vapor will liquefy upon contact with the inner wall of the thruster throat, potentially causing a short circuit between the anode and cathode. Therefore, initially, the thruster's power supply is turned on to preheat the thruster, and the switching valve is opened to cool and protect the anode. Then, water vapor is introduced as the working fluid, effectively preventing water vapor liquefaction at the anode throat and the resulting short circuit. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a resistance-arc hybrid space water propulsion system of the present invention is shown.

[0052] Figure 2 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the water thruster in this invention is shown.

[0053] Figure 3 A schematic diagram is shown when the vortex channel is a DC vortex channel.

[0054] Figure 4 A schematic diagram is shown when the vortex channel is an arc-shaped vortex channel.

[0055] Figure 5 The velocity cloud comparison diagrams of the DC vortex channel and the arc vortex channel are shown; where (a) is the velocity cloud diagram of the DC vortex channel and (b) is the velocity cloud diagram of the arc vortex channel.

[0056] Among them are:

[0057] 100. Water thruster;

[0058] 110. Outer shell;

[0059] 120. Anode; 121. Contraction section; 122. Throat; 123. Expansion section; 124. Swirl channel; 125. Cooling chamber; 126. Cooling inlet; 127. Cooling outlet;

[0060] 130. Cathode; 131. Discharge tip; 132. Axial limiting protrusion; 133. Cathode clamp;

[0061] 140. Top cover; 150. Bottom cover;

[0062] 161. Upper insulator; 162. Middle insulator; 163. Lower insulator;

[0063] 200. Cooling water circulation branch;

[0064] 210. Diverter; 220. Chiller; 230. Water tank; 240. Chiller pump; 250. Switch valve; 260. Flow controller;

[0065] 300. Steam supply branch; 310. Aluminum-magnesium heating plate; 320. Temperature sensor; 330. Pressure gauge;

[0066] 400. External power supply. Detailed Implementation

[0067] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific preferred embodiments.

[0068] 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. They are only for the convenience of describing this 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 the components, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention. The specific dimensions used in this embodiment are only for illustrating the technical solution and do not limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0069] like Figure 1 As shown, a resistance-arc hybrid space water propulsion system includes a water thruster 100, a cooling water circulation branch 200, a steam supply branch 300, and an external power supply 400.

[0070] like Figure 2 As shown, the water thruster includes a housing 110, an anode 120, a cathode 130, an insulator, a cooling chamber 125, an upper cover 140, and a lower cover 150.

[0071] The anode is preferably coaxially sealed and installed at the lower end of the housing via the lower cover 150. The anode is a Laval nozzle and is connected to an external power supply 400. The anode includes a contraction section 121, a throat 122 and an expansion section 123 arranged sequentially along the axial direction. The contraction section is partially or entirely located inside the housing.

[0072] The anode is preferably made of 304 stainless steel.

[0073] The external power supply 400 is preferably a microsecond pulse.

[0074] The cooling chamber 125 is preferably located in the anode of the expansion section, the throat, and the outer periphery of the partial contraction section adjacent to the throat.

[0075] The cooling chamber has a cooling water inlet 126 and a cooling water outlet 127. Preferably, a distributor is provided at the cooling water outlet 127 to divide the water outlet of the cooling chamber into two paths, namely a cooling flow path and a heating flow path.

[0076] The outer wall of the contraction section is provided with swirling channels 124 that communicate with the inner cavity of the contraction section, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the swirl channel is preferably an arc-shaped swirl channel, comprising several arc-shaped bends evenly distributed along the circumference of the contraction section, preferably 4 to 6, and more preferably 4.

[0077] In this invention, the arc-shaped swirling air intake channel is set in the contraction section, which causes the gas to form a swirling flow and the arc point to move continuously, reducing the damage of the arc to the anode throat and helping to improve the anode life.

[0078] The tail end of the cathode is preferably installed on the cathode clamp 133 by a thread, and the cathode clamp is grounded.

[0079] An insulator is disposed between the cathode and the outer casing, preferably including an upper insulator 161, a middle insulator 162 and a lower insulator 163.

[0080] The cathode clamp is connected to the outer shell through the upper cover, and the cathode clamp and the upper cover are insulated from each other by an upper insulator.

[0081] The cathode is provided with a discharge tip 131 at its upper end; the cathode is coaxially inserted into the housing, and the discharge tip points towards the throat of the anode.

[0082] The lower end of the cathode holder is preferably insulated from the outer casing by an intermediate insulator.

[0083] The cathode rod without a cathode holder is insulated from the outer casing by a lower insulator.

[0084] An axial limiting protrusion 133 extending into the insulator is provided on the outer periphery of the middle part of the cathode, which serves to fix and position it axially.

[0085] The cathode is preferably cerium-tungsten doped with about 2%, the cathode holder, outer shell, upper cover and lower cover are preferably made of 304 stainless steel, and the upper insulator, middle insulator and lower insulator are preferably alumina ceramic.

[0086] The two ends of the aforementioned cooling water circulation branch are connected to the cooling flow path of the distributor at the cooling water inlet 126 and the cooling water outlet 127, respectively, for circulating and supplying cooling water at a set temperature and a set flow rate into the cooling chamber.

[0087] The preferred cooling water circulation branch includes a chiller 220, a water storage tank 230, a chilled water pump 240, a switch valve 250, and a flow controller 260 arranged sequentially along the water flow direction.

[0088] The steam supply branch is used to supply vapor-phase steam to the swirling cavity inside the contraction section of the anode. In this embodiment, the two ends of the steam supply branch are connected to the heating flow path and the swirling channel of the distributor, respectively.

[0089] The steam supply branch includes a heating element, a temperature sensor 320, and a pressure gauge 330 arranged sequentially along the water flow direction.

[0090] The heating component mentioned above is preferably an aluminum-magnesium heating plate 310, which has a high heating temperature and low heating cost.

[0091] Let Q be the maximum heat dissipation of water vapor from the end of heating by the heating element until it enters the inner cavity of the contraction section, and let ΔT be the temperature drop of the water vapor. Then the formulas for calculating Q and ΔT are as follows:

[0092]

[0093] And ΔT≤T w1 -T w2

[0094] In the formula, d is the outer diameter of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch.

[0095] l is the length of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch from the end of heating of the heating component to the inlet of the water thruster.

[0096] t is the time required for water vapor to flow through a water pipe of length l.

[0097] m1 is the mass of water vapor inside a water pipe of length l, which can be calculated using density and volume.

[0098] m2 is the mass of a water pipe of length l.

[0099] h is the surface heat transfer coefficient between the outside air and the working fluid pipe. It is related to the fluid properties, the shape and size of the heat exchange surface, and the fluid velocity. The surface heat transfer coefficient can be measured through convective heat transfer experiments.

[0100] T w1 The temperature of the steam after heating by the heating element, expressed in K.

[0101] T f The ambient air temperature is expressed in Kelvin (K).

[0102] σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant.

[0103] ε is the emissivity of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch, which can be obtained from a table. It depends on the object itself and is independent of the environment.

[0104] c1 is the specific heat capacity of water.

[0105] c2 is the specific heat capacity of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch.

[0106] T w2 This is the boiling point temperature of water when the pressure is P as measured by the pressure gauge, expressed in K.

[0107] First, turn on the power supply of the thruster unit to preheat the thruster. At the same time, open the switch valve. Water flows out of the water tank, passes through the flow controller to obtain the required flow rate, and then enters the cooling chamber of the anode to cool the anode and protect it. After flowing out of the cooling chamber, the water temperature rises and is divided into two branches: the working fluid supply branch and the cooling water circulation branch.

[0108] In the working fluid supply branch, the working fluid water flows through a flow controller to obtain the required flow rate, and then passes through a magnesium-aluminum heating plate for resistance heating. The temperature of the magnesium-aluminum heating plate is adjusted based on theoretical calculations and experimental conditions to ensure that the liquid water is completely converted into water vapor. This ensures that water vapor, not liquid water, enters the thruster discharge chamber. If liquid water enters the discharge chamber, a short circuit between the anode and cathode can easily occur. A temperature sensor and pressure gauge are installed on the pipeline behind the magnesium-aluminum heating plate to monitor the temperature and pressure of the water vapor in the pipe in real time, and to determine the phase state of the water based on the relationship between saturation pressure and saturation temperature. If liquid is present, the temperature of the magnesium-aluminum heating plate is adjusted promptly to ensure that only water vapor enters the thruster. The water vapor enters the thruster discharge chamber through an optimized arc-shaped swirling air intake channel, forming a swirling flow within the chamber. This causes the arc point at the nozzle throat to continuously move, preventing any single point from remaining at a high temperature and improving the nozzle's lifespan. A high-temperature arc is generated between the cathode tip and the anode throat. The water vapor rapidly expands and accelerates as it passes through the high-temperature arc, generating thrust.

[0109] In the cooling water circulation branch, hot water is cooled to liquid state by the cooling device and then returns to the storage tank, where it can be reused as working fluid or cooling water, achieving a high degree of reuse of the working fluid. During this process, the cooling water exchanges heat with the nozzle to cool it down, preventing it from being in a continuously high-temperature state and extending its lifespan.

[0110] Furthermore, during the operation of the water thruster, a high-temperature arc is generated at the discharge tip of the cathode and the throat of the anode. Sustained high temperatures can reduce the anode's lifespan. When the gas swirling velocity within the discharge chamber (i.e., the inner cavity of the contraction section) is high, it impacts the arc, causing the arc point on the anode to continuously move. This prevents the arc point from overheating and burning out the anode, thus improving its lifespan. Additionally, for water vapor to reach its target flow rate, the greater the resistance during gas flow, the greater the pressure required in the water vapor supply branch. Therefore, reducing the resistance during gas flow can also reduce the pressure required in the water vapor supply branch.

[0111] This invention employs an arc-heated thruster. The arc temperature generated between the cathode tip and the anode throat is very high, and water vapor expands rapidly as it passes through the throat. Therefore, in this invention, not only does the nozzle increase the gas velocity, but the arc heating also increases the gas velocity. Furthermore, the arc-heated thruster used in this invention has a relatively simpler structure, fewer power limitations, and no issues with plume or electromagnetic interference. Moreover, the swirling air intake method continuously moves the arc point, effectively reducing anode erosion.

[0112] Furthermore, in this invention, water vapor is heated by an electric arc at the anode throat. Due to the narrow space in the throat and the cathode being located on the central axis of the nozzle, the electric arc generated at the cathode tip and the anode throat is umbrella-shaped, resulting in more thorough heating of the gas.

[0113] The resistance losses in a swirling channel include frictional resistance and local resistance losses. Frictional resistance is caused by frictional resistance along the flow path. Local energy losses occur when the fluid flow changes locally. Flow characteristics mainly include several basic forms such as the expansion or contraction of the flow cross-section, changes in flow direction (bends), and the convergence and divergence of flow (tees). When fluid passes through local obstacles, vortices are generated. The energy of the vortex region comes from the main flow path; therefore, the larger the vortex region, the greater the energy loss. In general engineering calculations, the local resistance coefficient is considered to be determined only by the local shape.

[0114] Existing electric arc heating thrusters all use, for example Figure 3 The straight swirl intake channel shown includes several straight pipes evenly distributed along the circumference of the contraction section, preferably 4 to 6 pipes.

[0115] In this embodiment, the vortex channel is preferably as follows: Figure 4 The arc-shaped vortex channel shown has four arc-shaped bends. Let the radius of curvature of each arc-shaped bend be R, and the inner diameter of each arc-shaped bend be d.

[0116] The R / d ratio mentioned above determines the bending shape of the arc-shaped bend. When R / d increases, the friction loss along the pipe increases, while the local friction loss decreases. In this embodiment, with the number of arc-shaped bends and the d value remaining constant, the flow of water vapor inside the arc-shaped bend is numerically simulated using Fluent software to determine the R / d corresponding to the minimum total flow loss of water vapor inside the arc-shaped bend, and then the radius of curvature R of the corresponding arc-shaped bend is calculated.

[0117] Furthermore, this invention utilizes CFD numerical simulation to simulate the airflow process in two types of intake channels and compares the total pressure recovery coefficient and airflow outlet velocity of the two intake channels. Figure 5As shown, based on the comparison of the outlet velocity cloud maps of the two types of pipelines, it is found that the gas outlet velocity in the arc-shaped swirl channel is greater than that in the straight swirl inlet channel. Furthermore, calculations show that the total pressure recovery coefficient of the straight swirl inlet channel is 99.426%, while that of the arc-shaped swirl channel is 99.794%, proving that the energy loss of the arc-shaped swirl inlet channel is smaller.

[0118] 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 resistive-arc hybrid space water propulsion system, characterized in that: This includes a water thruster, a cooling water circulation branch, a steam supply branch, and a distributor; The water thruster includes a housing, anode, cathode, insulator, and cooling chamber; The anode is coaxially sealed and installed at the lower end of the housing. The anode is a Laval nozzle and is connected to an external power supply. The anode includes a contraction section, a throat, and a dilatation section arranged sequentially along the axial direction. The contraction section is partially or entirely located inside the housing. The cooling chamber is located in the anode on the outer periphery of the expansion section and the throat; The cathode is grounded and has a discharge tip; the cathode is coaxially inserted into the housing and the discharge tip points towards the throat of the anode. An insulator is placed between the cathode and the outer casing; The cooling water circulation branch is used to circulate and supply cooling water at a set temperature and flow rate into the cooling chamber; The steam supply branch is used to supply gaseous steam to the converging section cavity of the anode in a swirling flow. The distributor is installed at the cooling water outlet of the cooling chamber, thereby dividing the water outlet of the cooling chamber into two paths: a cooling flow path and a heating flow path. The cooling flow path forms the inlet water to be cooled in the cooling water circulation branch, and the heating flow path forms the inlet water to be heated in the steam supply branch. The steam supply branch includes heating components, temperature sensors, and pressure gauges arranged sequentially along the water flow direction; The outer wall of the contraction section of the anode is provided with a swirling channel that communicates with the inner cavity of the contraction section; the swirling channel includes several arc-shaped bends evenly distributed along the circumference of the contraction section. Let the radius of curvature of each curved bend be... R The inner diameter of each curved bend is d In the number of curved bends and d With the value unchanged, the flow of water vapor inside the curved bend is numerically simulated using Fluent software to determine the value corresponding to the minimum total flow loss of water vapor inside the curved bend. R / d Then, the radius of curvature of the corresponding curved bend can be calculated. R .

2. The resistance-arc hybrid space water propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating element is an aluminum-magnesium heating plate.

3. The resistive-arc hybrid space water propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Assume that the maximum heat dissipation of water vapor during the process from the end of heating by the heating element to the entry into the inner cavity of the contraction section is: Q The temperature drop of water vapor is ,but Q and The calculation formulas are as follows: ; ; In the formula, The outer diameter of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch; The length of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch from the end of heating of the heating component to the inlet of the water thruster; The length through which the water vapor flows is The time required for the working fluid water pipe; For length is The mass of water vapor inside the working fluid pipe; For length is The quality of the working fluid water pipe; The surface heat transfer coefficient between the outside air and the working fluid pipe; The temperature of the steam after heating by the heating element, in units of... K ; The ambient air temperature, in units of K ; It is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant; The emissivity of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch is known. This is the specific heat capacity of water; The specific heat capacity of the working fluid pipe in the steam supply branch; The boiling point temperature of water when the pressure is P as measured by the pressure gauge, in units of... K .

4. The resistive-arc hybrid space water propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling water circulation branch includes a chiller, a water storage tank, a chilled water pump, a switch valve, and a flow controller arranged sequentially along the water flow direction.

5. The resistance-arc hybrid space water propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of curved bends is 4 to 6.

6. The resistance-arc hybrid space water propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a cathode holder, an upper cover, and a lower cover; The tail end of the cathode is mounted on a cathode holder, which is grounded. Insulators include upper insulators, middle insulators, and lower insulators; The anode is connected to the outer casing via the lower cover; The cathode clamp is connected to the outer shell through the upper cover, and the cathode clamp and the upper cover are insulated from each other by an upper insulator; The lower end of the cathode holder is insulated from the outer shell by a middle insulator; The cathode rod without a cathode holder is insulated from the outer casing by a lower insulator; An axial limiting protrusion extending into the insulator is provided on the outer periphery of the middle part of the cathode.

Citation Information

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