A "Autophagy-style" Space Hierarchical Electric Combined Propulsion System and Propulsion Method

By reusing the structural materials of the chemical propulsion module as electrical propulsion working fluid and combining pulsed plasma propulsion technology, a "autophagic" space-level electrical combination propulsion system was designed, which solved the problem that the existing propulsion system could not be reused after fuel was exhausted, and achieved the extension of the spacecraft's on-orbit life and multi-mode propulsion capability.

CN119429185BActive Publication Date: 2025-06-17PLA PEOPLES LIBERATION ARMY OF CHINA STRATEGIC SUPPORT FORCE AEROSPACE ENG UNIV
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411733149.0
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-11-29
Publication Date
2025-06-17
Estimated Expiration
2044-11-29

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing space propulsion system cannot be effectively reused after fuel is exhausted, resulting in a short spacecraft's orbit life and wasted space resources, making it difficult to meet the multi-mode and long-life work needs of future space exploration tasks.

Method used

A "autophagy" spatially hierarchical electrical combined propulsion system is designed, and the structural materials of the chemical propulsion module are reused as electrical propulsion working fluids, combined with pulsed plasma propulsion technology, the propulsion effect of large thrust, high specific impulse and long life is achieved.

Benefits of technology

It has achieved the extension of the spacecraft's in-orbit life, maximized the performance of the propulsion system, broken the limitation of "depletion is abandoned" in traditional propulsion systems, and has the ability to operate "no working fluid" and is suitable for multi-mode and long-life space detection tasks.

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Abstract

The present invention discloses an "autophagic" space hierarchical electric combined propulsion system and propulsion method, including a chemical propulsion module and an electric propulsion module coaxially arranged from the inside to the outside; the electric propulsion module includes a cathode, an insulating sleeve, an anode, a power supply and a transmission device; the cathode is a metal structure of the chemical propulsion module except for the propellant; the anode is coaxially fixedly sleeved on the outer periphery of the tail of the insulating sleeve, and can perform synchronous axial sliding with the insulating sleeve. The present invention cleverly combines the space chemical propulsion method with the electric propulsion method, and utilizes the characteristics of pulsed plasma propulsion technology that uses solid working fluids such as metals as propellants. It can realize the "autophagic" space hierarchical electric combined propulsion system after the space chemical propulsion fuel is exhausted, and its structural materials can be used as electric propulsion working fluids to achieve re-propulsion, so that the spacecraft can take into account the requirements of large thrust, high specific impulse, long life, etc., and is conducive to reducing space pollution and promoting environmental protection.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a space propulsion system, in particular to an "autophagy-type" space hierarchical electric combined propulsion system and a propulsion method. Background Art

[0002] Space propulsion systems are crucial for the normal in-orbit operation of spacecraft. Their lifespan determines the in-orbit working lifespan of spacecraft. Once a propulsion system fails, it will cause the spacecraft to malfunction or even be scrapped. Currently, the main space propulsion methods for spacecraft are chemical propulsion and electric propulsion. Among them, chemical propulsion mainly uses chemical reactions to generate thrust. With relatively mature technology development, it is the most widely used propulsion method in current space propulsion. Its main characteristics are large thrust, high power, and relatively simple working mechanism. However, compared with electric propulsion, chemical propulsion has a lower specific impulse, shorter lifespan, and higher requirements for propellants. When its fuel is exhausted, the relevant structure will become an ineffective load, causing a certain degree of waste of the spacecraft's space resources. Electric propulsion mainly uses electrical energy to accelerate propellants to form high-speed jets to generate thrust, with advantages such as high specific impulse, small and precisely adjustable thrust, and long lifespan. It has become one of the most effective ways for current spacecraft in various countries to reduce the total mass, improve the payload capacity, and extend the in-orbit lifespan.

[0003] With the continuous development of space exploration technology, space exploration missions are developing towards comprehensiveness and diversification, requiring spacecraft propulsion systems to achieve multi-mode and long-life operation. Currently, a single propulsion technology is difficult to meet the needs of future space exploration missions. Therefore, the development of new high-performance space propulsion systems is crucial for future space exploration.

[0004] In response to this need, the present invention designs a new type of space hierarchical electric combined propulsion system. This propulsion system can effectively utilize the metal structural materials of discarded propulsion systems to serve the propulsion of space exploration spacecraft, achieve "non-propulsive working fluid" operation, and extend the in-orbit lifespan of spacecraft. Combining with the in-orbit recycling technology, the present invention can convert the metal materials of space debris into propulsion working fluids, realizing a "win-win" development of space debris cleaning and propulsion technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an "autophagy-type" space hierarchical electric combined propulsion system and a propulsion method in view of the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art. The "autophagy-type" space hierarchical electric combined propulsion system and the propulsion method cleverly combine the space chemical propulsion method and the electric propulsion method. Utilizing the characteristics of pulse plasma propulsion technology that can use solids such as metals as propellants, an "autophagy-type" space hierarchical electric combined propulsion system is designed that can use the structural materials as electric propulsion working fluids for re-propulsion after the fuel of space chemical propulsion is exhausted, enabling the spacecraft to meet requirements such as large thrust, high specific impulse, and long lifespan.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] An "autophagy-type" spatially hierarchical electric combined propulsion system, comprising a chemical propulsion module and an electric propulsion module coaxially arranged in sequence from inside to outside.

[0008] The chemical propulsion module includes an injection panel, a nozzle, and a propellant tank.

[0009] The injection panel is disposed on the front end face of the nozzle for injecting propellant into the nozzle.

[0010] Two parallel and juxtaposed spiral channels are provided on the outer wall surface of the nozzle, namely spiral channel A and spiral channel B.

[0011] The inlets of the two spiral channels are located at the tail end of the nozzle, and the outlets of the two spiral channels are connected to the corresponding propellant nozzles in the injection panel.

[0012] The propellant tank is coaxially sleeved on the outer periphery of the nozzle and has an annular metal cavity; two partition plates are provided in the annular metal cavity, thereby dividing the annular metal cavity into a sealed propellant A tank and a propellant B tank.

[0013] Propellant A is stored in the propellant A tank and is connected to the inlet of spiral channel A through regulating valve 1.

[0014] Propellant B is stored in the propellant B tank and is connected to the inlet of spiral channel B through regulating valve 2.

[0015] The electric propulsion module includes a cathode, an insulating sleeve, an anode, a power supply, and a transmission device; wherein, the cathode, the insulating sleeve, and the anode are coaxially arranged in sequence from inside to outside.

[0016] The cathode is a metal structure of the chemical propulsion module except for the propellant.

[0017] The insulating sleeve is coaxially sleeved on the outer periphery of the propellant tank. The axial length of the insulating sleeve is greater than the axial length of the propellant tank, and under the drive of the transmission device, it axially slides along the outer wall surface of the propellant tank.

[0018] The anode is coaxially and fixedly sleeved on the outer periphery of the tail of the insulating sleeve and can axially slide synchronously with the insulating sleeve.

[0019] The power supply applies a pulsed voltage to the anode through a discharge circuit.

[0020] The chemical propulsion module further includes a high-pressure gas storage tank, which can supply high-pressure gas to the propellant A tank and the propellant B tank respectively.

[0021] The high-pressure gas storage tank is connected to the propellant A storage tank and the propellant B storage tank respectively through high-pressure gas transmission pipelines.

[0022] The high-pressure gas transmission pipelines include a main transmission pipeline and two branch transmission pipelines that are connected through a three-way valve.

[0023] The input end of the main transmission pipeline is connected to the high-pressure gas storage tank, and a pressure addition and discharge valve is provided on the main transmission pipeline.

[0024] The output ends of the two branch transmission pipelines are connected to the propellant A storage tank and the propellant B storage tank respectively; pressure reducing valves are provided on both of the two branch transmission pipelines.

[0025] The injection panel, the nozzle, the propellant storage tank and the high-pressure gas storage tank are all made of metal materials and together form the cathode; among them, the metal material used for the nozzle is molybdenum or molybdenum alloy; the anode material is aluminum, copper or stainless steel.

[0026] The chemical propulsion module adopts a single-component propulsion method, the propellant A and the propellant B are the same kind of propellant, and self-impinging injection is adopted in the injection panel.

[0027] The chemical propulsion module adopts a bi-component propulsion method, the propellant A is fuel, the propellant B is oxidant, and impinging injection is adopted in the injection panel.

[0028] A "self-phagocytic" space-graded electric combined propulsion method includes the following steps.

[0029] Step 1, chemical propulsion, specifically includes the following steps.

[0030] Step 1-1, pressurization: The high-pressure gas storage tank supplies high-pressure gas to the propellant A storage tank and the propellant B storage tank respectively to form pressurization.

[0031] Step 1-2, propellant preheating: Both the propellant A and the propellant B enter the spiral flow channel, while cooling the nozzle, the propellant A and the propellant B are preheated themselves.

[0032] Step 1-3, combustion: The propellant A and the propellant B located in the spiral flow channel pass through the injection panel and are injected into the combustion chamber for combustion to form chemical thrust.

[0033] Step 2, electric propulsion, specifically includes the following steps:

[0034] Step 2-1, adjust the initial axial position of the anode: Drive the transmission device to axially slip the insulating sleeve and the anode synchronously, so that when the anode is at the initial axial position, it has an axial overlap with the cathode;

[0035] Step 2-2, Inducing Electron Field Emission: When the propellant of the chemical propulsion module is exhausted, the power supply applies a pulsed voltage to the anode, creating a strong electric field between the cathode and the anode. As a result, cathode spots are induced on the front surface of the cathode that axially overlaps with the anode, and electron field emission occurs.

[0036] Step 2-3, Cathode Melting: When cathode spots undergo electron field emission, they emit electrons moving at high speeds and generate Joule heat. The Joule heat heats the cathode, causing the cathode spots to start melting and evaporating, thereby forming neutral metal vapor.

[0037] Step 2-4, Metal Vapor Ionization: The electrons moving at high speeds collide with the metal vapor that has detached from the cathode surface, ionizing the metal vapor and forming a region of metal cationization near the cathode.

[0038] Step 2-5, Continuous Metal Vapor Ionization: The metal cations near the cathode side move towards the cathode under the action of the space electric field and continuously collide with the cathode surface, causing the temperature of the cathode surface to rise. When the local temperature of the cathode surface reaches the set temperature threshold, metal vapor will continue to be ejected, thereby achieving the automatic continuous maintenance of the collision ionization process.

[0039] Step 2-6, Forming Plasma: When electrons continuously collide and ionize with metal vapor, new metal ions and new electrons will be generated, thus forming plasma.

[0040] Step 2-7, Generating Electric Thrust: The plasma is ejected axially along the nozzle of the insulating sleeve, forming a plasma jet, and thus generating electric thrust.

[0041] Step 2-8, Generating Continuous Electric Thrust: As the cathode metal material is consumed, continue to drive the transmission device to axially slip the insulating sleeve and the anode synchronously, so that the anode and the cathode have axial overlap, and repeat steps 2-2 to 2-8, thereby generating continuous electric thrust.

[0042] In steps 2-1 and 2-8, the axial overlap length of the anode and the cathode is 1 / 3 - 1 / 2 of the axial length of the anode.

[0043] In step 2-2, the pulsed voltage range applied by the power supply to the anode through the discharge circuit is 10 - 20 kV, and the strong electric field formed between the cathode and the anode can reach 10 9 V / m.

[0044] In step 2-3, there are convex and concave uneven areas made of metal material on the cathode surface. When cathode spots undergo electron field emission, the convex and concave uneven areas can increase the local electric field strength on the cathode surface by 1 - 100 times, achieving the field enhancement effect, thereby accelerating cathode melting.

[0045] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0046] 1. Considering the limited space resources on spacecraft and combining with the characteristics of metal plasma propulsion, the present invention optimizes the volume design of the structural layout of the propulsion system. The overall structure adopts a cylindrical configuration, and the high-pressure gas storage tank adopts a cylindrical tank body; the propellant storage tank adopts a hollow sleeve structure, in which partition structures are symmetrically arranged to achieve propellant zoning; the chemical propulsion module is placed at the central axis inside the sleeve-type propellant storage tank. Among them, high-pressure gas enters from the top of the propellant storage tank, squeezes the propellant to flow out from the bottom of the storage tank, and is transported through a pipeline around the spiral nozzle to the liquid inlet, while cooling the nozzle, realizing the preheating and temperature rise of the propellant, and further improving the performance of the propulsion system.

[0047] 2. The present invention realizes the reuse of the structure of the chemical propulsion module with exhausted fuel through metal plasma propulsion, breaks the traditional concept of "discarded when exhausted", introduces an "autophagy" innovation method, enables the spacecraft to carry out space maneuvering tasks without relying on other external working fluids, maximizes the performance of the propulsion system, and extends the on-orbit life of the spacecraft.

[0048] 3. The present invention maintains the metal ionization process by changing the position of the insulating sleeve and the anode, realizing the full reuse of the discarded structure.

[0049] 4. The present invention adopts a bare anode electrode structure with an insulating sleeve, which can reduce the discharge voltage while improving the jet performance of the plasma jet.

[0050] 5. The present invention preferably uses molybdenum alloy as the main structural material of the chemical propulsion module, which can not only ensure the structural stability of each component during the combustion process of chemical propulsion, but also be used as the metal working fluid for electric propulsion to achieve secondary propulsion.

[0051] 6. The present invention directly ablates the cathode metal material by vacuum discharge, which can generate a metal plasma jet with a high ionization rate, supersonic speed (~10 4 m / s), and directional injection, and can further control the generated metal plasma through the design of the electromagnetic field. The metal plasma propulsion technology has the characteristics of simple structure, small volume, etc., requires low power input, and generates small thrust, and is very suitable as the propulsion system of microsatellites. At the same time, it is of great significance for tasks such as spacecraft space position maintenance, orbital altitude maintenance, and future deep space exploration. In addition, in the future, combined with the technology of recovering discarded spacecraft, the spacecraft can use space debris to generate power, solve the problem of space debris while realizing the "non-working fluid" navigation of the spacecraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Figure 1 Shows a longitudinal sectional view of a "self-eating" space hierarchical electric combined propulsion system of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 2 Shows a three - dimensional exploded view of a "self - phagocytic" spatially hierarchical electric combined propulsion system of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 3 Shows the structural schematic diagram of the chemical propulsion module in the present invention.

[0055] Figure 4 Shows a schematic diagram of the three - dimensional layout position of the spiral flow channel in the chemical propulsion module of the present invention.

[0056] Among them:

[0057] 10. Chemical propulsion module;

[0058] 11. Injection panel; 12. Nozzle; 121. Combustion chamber; 122. Tail nozzle; 123. Igniter;

[0059] 13. Propellant tank; 131. Propellant A tank; 132. Propellant B tank; 133. Regulating valve 1; 134. Regulating valve 2; 135. Check valve 1; 136. Check valve 2;

[0060] 14. Spiral flow channel; 141. Spiral flow channel A; 142. Spiral flow channel B;

[0061] 20. Electric propulsion module;

[0062] 21. Cathode;

[0063] 22. Insulating sleeve; 23. Anode; 24. Transmission device;

[0064] 30 High - pressure gas storage tank; 31. Gas addition and discharge valve; 32. Three - way valve; 33. Pressure reducing valve 1; 34. Pressure reducing valve 2. Specific implementation manners

[0065] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific preferred implementation manners.

[0066] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "left side", "right side", "upper part", "lower part", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. "First", "second", etc. do not represent the importance of the components, so it cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention. The specific dimensions adopted in this embodiment are only for illustrating the technical solution and do not limit the protection scope of the present invention.

[0067] Such as Figure 1 And Figure 2As shown in the figure, a "self-phagocytic" space-graded electric combined propulsion system includes a chemical propulsion module 10 and an electric propulsion module 20 that are coaxially arranged from the inside to the outside in sequence.

[0068] As Figure 3 shown in the figure, the chemical propulsion module includes an injection panel 11, a nozzle 12, a propellant tank 13, and a high-pressure gas storage tank 30.

[0069] The nozzle 12 includes a combustion chamber 121 and a tail nozzle 122 that are coaxially and integrally arranged in sequence from the front to the back, and an igniter 123 is arranged inside the combustion chamber.

[0070] The injection panel 11 is arranged on the front end face of the nozzle 12 and is used to inject propellant into the combustion chamber.

[0071] As Figure 4 shown in the figure, two parallel and juxtaposed spiral channels 14 are arranged on the outer wall surface of the nozzle, namely a spiral channel A141 and a spiral channel B142.

[0072] The inlets of the two spiral channels are located at the tail end of the nozzle, and the outlets of the two spiral channels are connected to the corresponding propellant nozzles in the injection panel.

[0073] The propellant tank has an annular metal cavity; preferably, two partition plates are symmetrically arranged in the annular metal cavity, so as to divide the annular metal cavity into a sealed propellant A tank 131 and a propellant B tank 123.

[0074] Propellant A is stored in the propellant A tank and is preferably connected to the inlet of the spiral channel A through a regulating valve 133 and a check valve 135. The regulating valve 1 can realize the secondary regulation of the outlet flow rate of the propellant A tank; the setting of the check valve 1 can prevent the propellant from flowing back.

[0075] Propellant B is stored in the propellant B tank and is preferably connected to the inlet of the spiral channel B through a regulating valve 134 and a check valve 136.

[0076] The high-pressure gas storage tank can supply high-pressure gas to the propellant A tank and the propellant B tank respectively. The high-pressure gas is preferably nitrogen, argon, etc., that is, the squeeze pressurization mode is realized.

[0077] It is connected to the propellant A tank and the propellant B tank respectively through high-pressure gas transmission pipelines.

[0078] The high-pressure gas transmission pipeline includes a main transmission pipeline and two sub-transmission pipelines that are connected through a three-way valve 32.

[0079] The input end of the main transmission pipeline is connected to the high-pressure gas storage tank, and a pressure relief valve 21 is arranged on the main transmission pipeline to prevent the tank pressure from being too high and release the excess pressure.

[0080] The output ends of the two sub-feed pipelines are respectively connected to the propellant A storage tank and the propellant B storage tank; pressure reducing valves are arranged on both of the two sub-feed pipelines, and the two pressure reducing valves are respectively the pressure reducing valve one 33 and the pressure reducing valve two 34. The setting of the pressure reducing valve can realize the injection and flow control of high-pressure gas.

[0081] The electric propulsion module includes a cathode 21, an insulating sleeve 22, an anode 23, a power supply, and a transmission device 24.

[0082] The cathode is a metal structure of the chemical propulsion module except for the propellant, including metal materials such as a spray panel, a nozzle, a propellant storage tank, and a high-pressure gas storage tank. Among them, the metal material of the nozzle is preferably molybdenum or molybdenum alloy, etc. The melting point of molybdenum itself is 2622 °C, and molybdenum alloy also has excellent properties such as high melting point and high strength, and is commonly used in various parts of spacecraft. Considering the actual design of the present invention, molybdenum alloy can be preferably selected as the first choice material for the structure of the chemical propulsion module.

[0083] The insulating sleeve is coaxially sleeved on the outer periphery of the cathode, and is preferably a cylindrical shape made of ceramic material; the axial length of the insulating sleeve is greater than the axial length of the cathode, and under the drive of the transmission device, it axially slides along the outer wall surface of the cathode. In this embodiment, the transmission device is preferably a screw drive, and a sliding screw structure is arranged between the insulating sleeve and the spacecraft platform to control the forward and backward movement of the insulating sleeve and the anode, so as to realize the adjustment and control of the metal plasma propulsion process. However, as an alternative, the transmission device can also be other linear drive mechanisms in the prior art.

[0084] The anode is coaxially and fixedly sleeved on the outer periphery of the tail of the insulating sleeve, and can axially slide synchronously with the insulating sleeve. Further, the anode material is preferably aluminum, copper, or stainless steel, etc.

[0085] The power supply applies a pulsed voltage to the anode through a discharge circuit, and the pulsed voltage range is 10 - 20 kV.

[0086] The chemical propulsion module can adopt a single-component propulsion mode. At this time, propellant A and propellant B are the same kind of propellant, and self-impinging injection is adopted in the spray panel.

[0087] The chemical propulsion module can also adopt a two-component propulsion mode. At this time, propellant A is the fuel and propellant B is the oxidizer, and impinging injection is adopted in the spray panel. For a space propulsion two-component propulsion system, the combustion chamber temperature is between 1300 °C and 2200 °C, the chamber pressure is between 1.8 MPa and 5 MPa, the generated thrust is between 100 and 2000 N, and the specific impulse is between 180 and 320 s.

[0088] Based on the selection principles of propellants such as being green and low-toxicity, having good performance, moderate cost, simplicity, and light weight, for monopropellants, considering comprehensively, it is preferred to choose liquid normal-temperature working fluids that are easy to store, reducing the additional costs in structures such as gas leakage protection and thermal protection. Propellants such as 85% hydrogen peroxide and hydroxylammonium nitrate with low freezing point, non-toxicity, high density specific impulse, and high stability can be selected; for bipropellants, propellant combinations with low toxicity and high specific impulse such as liquid hydrogen / liquid oxygen combination and nitrous oxide / kerosene combination can be selected.

[0089] After the chemical propulsion module finishes working and the fuel is exhausted, the structural shell and other materials will directly serve as the solid working fluid of the electric propulsion module to achieve re-propulsion.

[0090] A "self-phagocytic" space-graded electric combined propulsion method includes the following steps.

[0091] Step 1, Chemical propulsion, specifically including the following steps:

[0092] Step 1-1, Pressurization: High-pressure gas storage tanks respectively supply high-pressure gas to the propellant A storage tank and the propellant B storage tank to form pressurization.

[0093] Step 1-2, Propellant preheating: Both propellant A and propellant B enter the spiral flow channel. While cooling the nozzle, propellant A and propellant B are preheated themselves.

[0094] Step 1-3, Combustion: Propellant A and propellant B located in the spiral flow channel are injected through the injection panel into the combustion chamber for combustion to form chemical thrust.

[0095] Step 2, Electric propulsion, specifically including the following steps:

[0096] Step 2-1, Adjust the initial axial position of the anode: Drive the transmission device to axially slip the insulating sleeve and the anode synchronously, so that when the anode is in the initial axial position, it has axial overlap with the cathode (preferably the propellant storage tank here), and the axial overlap length is preferably 1 / 3 - 1 / 2 of the axial length of the anode.

[0097] Step 2-2, Induce electron field emission: When the propellant of the chemical propulsion module is exhausted, the power supply applies a pulsed voltage of 10 - 20 kV to the anode through the discharge circuit, forming a strong electric field of 10 9 V / m between the cathode and the anode, and then inducing cathode spots on the front end face of the cathode axially overlapping with the anode, resulting in electron field emission.

[0098] When the cathode spots undergo electron field emission, they will emit high-speed electrons and generate Joule heat; the Joule heat will heat the cathode, causing the cathode spots to start melting and evaporating, thus forming neutral metal vapor.

[0099] Furthermore, the cathode surface preferably has a convex and concave uneven area made of a metal material. When field emission of cathode spots occurs, the convex and concave uneven area can increase the local electric field strength on the cathode surface by 1 - 100 times, achieving the field enhancement effect, thereby accelerating the melting of the cathode.

[0100] Step 2 - 4, Metal vapor ionization: The high - speed electrons collide with the metal vapor detached from the cathode surface, ionizing the metal vapor and forming a metal cationized region near the cathode.

[0101] Step 2 - 5, Continuous ionization of metal vapor: The metal cations near the cathode side move towards the cathode under the action of the space electric field and continuously collide with the cathode surface, causing the temperature of the cathode surface to rise; when the local temperature of the cathode surface reaches the set temperature threshold, metal vapor will continue to be ejected, thereby realizing the automatic continuous maintenance of the collision ionization process.

[0102] Step 2 - 6, Plasma formation: When the electrons continuously collide and ionize with the metal vapor, new metal ions and new electrons will be generated, thus forming a plasma.

[0103] Step 2 - 7, Generation of electric thrust: The plasma is ejected axially along the nozzle of the insulating sleeve, forming a plasma jet, and then generating electric thrust.

[0104] Step 2 - 8, Generation of continuous electric thrust: As the cathode metal material is consumed, continue to drive the transmission device to axially slip the insulating sleeve and the anode synchronously, so that the anode and the cathode have an axial overlap. Repeat steps 2 - 2 to 2 - 8, thereby generating continuous electric thrust. In this step, the axial overlap length of the anode and the cathode is preferably 1 / 3 - 1 / 2 of the axial length of the anode.

[0105] The present invention adopts the idea of using the remaining shell material of the chemical propulsion module as the ablative cathode, breaking through the limitation that the traditional solid propellant has a regular geometric shape and needs to be evenly forced into the ionization chamber, providing a brand - new idea for the recycling of abandoned spacecraft.

[0106] 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 - mentioned 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 belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An "autophagic" space-classified electric combined propulsion system, characterized by: It includes a chemical propulsion module and an electric propulsion module coaxially arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside; The chemical propulsion module includes the injection panel, nozzle and propellant tank; The injection panel is arranged on the front end surface of the nozzle and is used for injecting propellant into the nozzle; The outer wall of the nozzle is provided with two parallel spiral flow channels, namely spiral flow channel A and spiral flow channel B; The inlets of the two spiral flow channels are located at the tail end of the nozzle, and the outlets of the two spiral flow channels are connected to the corresponding propellant nozzles in the injection panel; The propellant tank is coaxially sleeved on the outer periphery of the nozzle and has an annular metal cavity; two partitions are arranged in the annular metal cavity, thereby dividing the annular metal cavity into a sealed propellant A tank and a propellant B tank; The propellant A storage tank stores propellant A and is connected to the inlet of the spiral flow channel A through a regulating valve 1; The propellant B storage tank stores propellant B and is connected to the inlet of the spiral flow channel B through the regulating valve 2; The electric propulsion module includes a cathode, an insulating sleeve, an anode, a power source and a transmission device; wherein the cathode, the insulating sleeve and the anode are coaxially arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside; The cathode is the metal structure of the chemical propulsion module excluding the propellant; The insulating sleeve is coaxially sleeved on the outer periphery of the propellant tank, the axial length of the insulating sleeve is greater than the axial length of the propellant tank, and the insulating sleeve is driven by the transmission device to slide axially along the outer wall of the propellant tank; The anode coaxial fixed sleeve is arranged on the outer periphery of the tail of the insulating sleeve and can perform synchronous axial sliding with the insulating sleeve; The power supply applies a pulse voltage to the anode through a discharge circuit.

2. The "autophagic" space-classified electric combined propulsion system according to claim 1 is characterized by: The chemical propulsion module also includes a high-pressure gas storage tank, which can provide high-pressure gas to the propellant A tank and the propellant B tank respectively.

3. The "autophagic" space-classified electric combined propulsion system according to claim 2 is characterized by: The high-pressure gas storage tank is connected to the propellant A tank and the propellant B tank respectively through high-pressure gas delivery pipelines; The high-pressure gas delivery pipeline includes a main delivery pipeline and two branch delivery pipelines connected through a three-way valve; The input end of the main delivery pipeline is connected to the high-pressure gas storage tank, and a filling and discharging valve is arranged on the main delivery pipeline; The output ends of the two branch delivery pipelines are connected to the propellant A tank and the propellant B tank respectively; and pressure reducing valves are arranged on the two branch delivery pipelines.

4. The "autophagic" space-classified electric combined propulsion system according to claim 2 is characterized by: The injection panel, nozzle, propellant tank and high-pressure gas tank are all made of metal materials and together form a cathode; the metal material used in the nozzle is molybdenum or molybdenum alloy; the anode material is aluminum, copper or stainless steel.

5. The "autophagic" space-classified electric combined propulsion system according to claim 1 is characterized by: The chemical propulsion module adopts a single-component propulsion method. Propellant A and propellant B are the same propellant, and self-impact injection is adopted in the injection panel.

6. The "autophagic" space-classified electric combined propulsion system according to claim 1 is characterized by: The chemical propulsion module adopts a two-component propulsion method, with propellant A as fuel and propellant B as oxidizer, and mutual impact injection is adopted in the injection panel.

7. An "autophagic" spatial hierarchical electric combined propulsion method, characterized in that: The steps include: Step 1, chemical propulsion, specifically includes the following steps: Step 1-1, pressurization: the high-pressure gas storage tank provides high-pressure gas to the propellant A tank and the propellant B tank respectively to form pressurization; Step 1-2, propellant preheating: both propellant A and propellant B enter the spiral flow channel, and the propellant A and propellant B are preheated while cooling the nozzle; Step 1-3, combustion: propellant A and propellant B in the spiral flow channel are injected into the combustion chamber through the injection panel for combustion to form chemical thrust; Step 2, electric propulsion, specifically includes the following steps: Step 2-1, adjusting the initial axial position of the anode: driving the transmission device to make the insulating sleeve and the anode slide axially synchronously, so that the anode overlaps the cathode axially when in the initial axial position; Step 2-2, inducing electron field emission: When the propellant of the chemical propulsion module is exhausted, the power supply applies a pulse voltage to the anode, so that a strong electric field is formed between the cathode and the anode, thereby inducing a cathode spot on the front surface of the cathode axially overlapping with the anode, and electron field emission occurs; Step 2-3, cathode melting: During electron field emission, the cathode spot will emit high-speed electrons and generate Joule heat; the Joule heat will heat the cathode, causing the cathode spot to begin to melt and evaporate, thereby forming neutral metal vapor; Step 2-4, metal vapor ionization: high-speed electrons collide with metal vapor detached from the cathode surface, ionizing the metal vapor and forming a metal cationization area near the cathode; Step 2-5, continuous ionization of metal vapor: metal cations close to the cathode side move toward the cathode under the action of the spatial electric field and continuously collide with the cathode surface, causing the temperature of the cathode surface to rise; when the local temperature of the cathode surface reaches the set temperature threshold, metal vapor will be continuously ejected, thereby realizing the automatic continuous maintenance of the collision ionization process; Step 2-6, forming plasma: When electrons and metal vapor continuously collide and ionize, new metal ions and new electrons will be generated, thereby forming plasma; Step 2-7, generating electric thrust: plasma is ejected along the nozzle axial direction of the insulating sleeve to form a plasma jet, thereby generating electric thrust; Step 2-8, generating continuous electric thrust: as the cathode metal material is consumed, the transmission device is continuously driven to make the insulating sleeve and the anode slide axially synchronously, so that the anode and the cathode have axial overlap, and steps 2-2 to 2-8 are repeated to generate continuous electric thrust.

8. The "autophagic" spatial hierarchical electric combined propulsion method according to claim 7 is characterized in that: In step 2-1 and step 2-8, the axial overlapping length of the anode and the cathode is 1 / 3-1 / 2 of the axial length of the anode.

9. The "autophagic" spatial hierarchical electric combined propulsion method according to claim 7 is characterized in that: In step 2-2, the power supply applies a pulse voltage of 10-20 kV to the anode through the discharge circuit, and a strong electric field of 10 9 V / m.

10. The "autophagic" spatial hierarchical electric combined propulsion method according to claim 7 is characterized in that: In step 2-3, there is an uneven area of ​​metal material on the cathode surface. When the cathode spot electron field is emitted, the uneven area can cause the local electric field strength on the cathode surface to increase by 1-100 times, achieving a field enhancement effect, thereby accelerating cathode melting.

Citation Information

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