High-integration cold air propeller and satellite

Abstract

The invention discloses a high-integration cold air propeller and a satellite, and relates to the technical field of spacecraft propelling systems.According to the high-integration cold air propeller and the satellite, an independent heating cavity is arranged, and liquid ammonia must flow through the heating cavity, so that the liquid ammonia can be locally heated in the heating cavity, the situation that the heating range is too large is avoided, and the response speed can be increased; and meanwhile, the heating cavity penetrating through the storage cavity can dissipate heat into the storage cavity during heat dissipation, and therefore energy waste is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of spacecraft propulsion systems, and in particular relates to a highly integrated cold air propulsion system. Background Art

[0002] The cold gas propulsion system is a spacecraft propulsion system that uses "cold gas" as propellant. Propellants are mostly nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, argon, etc. With its simple and reliable system, fast response, large thrust change range, and environmental friendliness, it is widely used in many fields such as satellite attitude control and orbit adjustment. However, this system has low specific impulse, fast propellant consumption, and requires large gas storage tanks. There is a risk of gas leakage during long-term on-orbit operation. In order to improve the above problems, an electric heating device is used to heat the propellant gas, increase the system specific impulse by increasing the gas temperature, and extend the working life of the cold propulsion system. The specific impulse of liquid ammonia is relatively high, that is, it can provide greater thrust with the same mass of fuel. Therefore, liquid ammonia is currently used as the propellant of the cold gas propulsion system. Liquid ammonia is liquid at low temperatures, easy to store and relatively safe, and suitable for long-term use in the space environment.

[0003] In order to improve the specific impulse of the liquid ammonia propulsion system, the liquid ammonia will be heated to change it from liquid to saturated vapor state, and then ejected through the nozzle at high speed to generate thrust, realizing the conversion of thermal energy into kinetic energy. In order to output a relatively stable ammonia, the entire tank and liquid ammonia need to be heated to a preset temperature, and then ejected through the nozzle to generate thrust. Although the specific impulse of the cold gas propulsion system is improved after heating, it will require a longer response time at the same time, which in turn reduces the emergency response capability of the spacecraft and consumes more thermal power, thereby bringing a larger electrical power load to the spacecraft. Specifically, the heating range of the prior art is too large. The electric heating system needs to heat the entire tank and liquid ammonia to a preset temperature. However, not all liquid ammonia in the tank will be ejected in time to generate thrust. The tank and the remaining liquid ammonia will radiate heat with the surrounding space environment, resulting in energy waste. In addition, due to the large heating range, the time it takes to heat the liquid ammonia to the required temperature increases, resulting in an increase in the response time of the thruster, affecting the satellite's rapid response and precise orbit entry capabilities.

[0004] In addition, the components are connected by ducts, the envelope is large and the system is complex. Components such as valves need to be installed separately and the pipelines will have additional weight costs, reducing system reliability. However, the miniaturization and lightweighting of satellites is the current technological development direction. Taking the Canadian CANX-4 / 5 formation micro-nano satellite as an example, its envelope size is only 20cm×20cm×20cm, so it is urgent to have cold air thrusters with advantages such as high integration, small size, low power consumption and high specific impulse.

[0005] The information disclosed in this background technology section is only intended to enhance the understanding of the overall background of the invention and should not be regarded as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that the information constitutes the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems existing in the prior art, such as large power load, slow response speed, energy waste and urgent optimization needs for size and weight, and to provide a highly integrated cold air thruster and satellite.

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention provides a highly integrated cold air thruster, comprising a tank, a heating unit, a pressure reducing valve, a solenoid valve, and a nozzle; a storage chamber and a heating chamber are arranged in the tank; the heating unit is arranged in the heating chamber; the solenoid valve and the pressure reducing valve are arranged on the outer wall of the tank; the inlet and outlet of the solenoid valve are respectively connected to the storage chamber and the heating chamber, and the inlet and outlet of the pressure reducing valve are respectively connected to the heating chamber and the nozzle.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the storage tank is provided with a first mounting seat for mounting the pressure reducing valve, the first mounting seat is provided with a first flow channel for connecting the nozzle and the pressure reducing valve; the first mounting seat is provided with a first guide hole for connecting the pressure reducing valve and the heating chamber.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the storage tank is provided with a second mounting seat for mounting the solenoid valve, the second mounting seat is provided with a second flow channel for connecting the storage chamber and the solenoid valve, and the second mounting seat is provided with a second guide hole for connecting the solenoid valve and the heating chamber.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the tank adopts a spherical structure.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the internal space of the storage chamber is spherical in shape.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner space of the heating chamber is cylindrical in shape.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heating chamber penetrates the storage chamber.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the heating unit is an electric heating rod.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a satellite, on which is provided a highly integrated cold air thruster as described above.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the technical effects achieved by the present invention are as follows:

[0017] 1. Liquid ammonia and the storage tank are no longer heated as a whole. Instead, a small amount of liquid ammonia is locally heated in the heating chamber, and the storage tank is not heated. In this way, the required heating amount will be reduced, the response speed will be increased, and the power load will be reduced.

[0018] 2. The heating position is inside the tank. The heat will not be directly exchanged and radiated outside the tank, but will be transferred to other liquid ammonia in the tank, thus reducing energy waste.

[0019] 3. The side wall of the heating chamber is used as a support, so there is no need to add additional support structure inside, so it is possible to further reduce the overall weight and wall thickness of the tank and reduce the envelope size.

[0020] 4. By integrating the pipelines and valves into the inner and outer walls of the tank, the outer envelope of the propulsion system is reduced, and the pressure-bearing capacity and reliability of the cold propulsion products are increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a highly integrated cold air thruster according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is a top view of an embodiment of a highly integrated cold air thruster according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a partial cross-sectional view of a heating chamber of an embodiment of a high-integrated cold air thruster according to the present invention.

[0024] Description of main reference numerals:

[0025] 1. Storage tank; 11. Storage chamber; 12. Heating chamber; 13. First mounting seat; 131. First flow channel; 132. First guide hole; 14. Second mounting seat; 141. Second flow channel; 142. Second guide hole; 2. Filling valve; 3. Pressure reducing valve; 4. Solenoid valve; 5. Nozzle; 6. Heating unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term “comprise” or variations such as “include” or “comprising”, etc., will be understood to include the stated elements or components but not to exclude other elements or components.

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention is described below by specific embodiments. It should be understood that one or more steps mentioned in the present invention do not exclude the existence of other methods and steps before and after the combination step, or other methods and steps can be inserted between these explicitly mentioned steps. It should also be understood that these examples are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the numbering of each method step is only for the purpose of identifying each method step, and does not limit the order of arrangement of each method or limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. The change or adjustment of the relative relationship thereof can also be regarded as the scope of implementation of the present invention without substantial changes in the technical content.

[0028] The sources of the raw materials and instruments used in the examples are not particularly limited and can be purchased from the market or prepared according to conventional methods known to those skilled in the art.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a highly integrated cold air thruster according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a tank 1, a heating unit 6, a pressure reducing valve 3, a solenoid valve 4 and a nozzle 5.

[0031] The storage tank 1 adopts a spherical structure. A storage chamber 11 and a heating chamber 12 are provided in the storage tank 1. The storage chamber 11 is used to store liquid ammonia. The internal space of the storage chamber 11 is spherical in shape. The internal space of the heating chamber 12 is cylindrical in shape. The heating chamber 12 runs through the storage chamber 11. Such a structure can obtain better pressure bearing capacity and retain the internal space to the greatest extent. First, the spherical structure can evenly disperse the pressure. Secondly, the side wall of the heating chamber 12 is directly used as a support, so there is no need to add additional support structure inside, so it is possible to further reduce the overall weight and wall thickness of the storage tank 1 and reduce the envelope size. The storage tank 1 is made of TC4 titanium alloy and is formed by 3D printing technology.

[0032] The first mounting seat 13 and the second mounting seat 14 are integrally provided on the outer wall of the tank 1. The first mounting seat 13 is used to mount the pressure reducing valve 3. The first mounting seat 13 is provided with a first flow channel 131 for connecting the nozzle 5 and the pressure reducing valve 3, and is also provided with a first guide hole 132 for connecting the pressure reducing valve 3 and the heating chamber 12. Through the first flow channel 131 and the first guide hole 132, the inlet and outlet of the pressure reducing valve 3 are connected to the heating chamber 12 and the nozzle 5 respectively, but without the aid of any pipeline.

[0033] The second mounting seat 14 is used to mount the solenoid valve 4. The second mounting seat 14 is provided with a second flow channel 141 for connecting the storage chamber 11 and the solenoid valve 4, and is also provided with a second guide hole 142 for connecting the solenoid valve 4 and the heating chamber 12. Through the second flow channel 141 and the second guide hole 142, the inlet and outlet of the solenoid valve 4 are connected to the storage chamber 11 and the heating chamber 12 respectively, also without the need for any pipeline.

[0034] A filling valve 2 is also provided on the outer wall of the tank 1 for adding liquid ammonia into the tank 1. The filling valve 2 and the tank 1, the pressure reducing valve 3 and the first mounting seat 13, and the solenoid valve 4 and the second mounting seat 14 are all connected in the form of threads and end face sealing. A temperature sensor is installed on the inner wall of the tank 1. The temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature in the tank 1, thereby determining the pressure in the tank 1.

[0035] The heating unit 6 is disposed in the heating chamber 12. The heating unit 6 is specifically an electric heating rod. The number of the heating units 6 can be adaptively adjusted according to the use requirements.

[0036] The specific implementation process is as follows: the solenoid valve 4 transports the liquid ammonia from the storage chamber 11 to the heating chamber 12, and the liquid ammonia is heated by the heating unit 6 in the heating chamber 12 until it is in a saturated steam state, and then the saturated steam of the liquid ammonia is ejected from the nozzle 5 after pressure regulation and flow stabilization at the pressure reducing valve 3, thereby generating thrust.

[0037] In this process, the liquid ammonia and the tank 1 are no longer heated as a whole, but a small amount of liquid ammonia is locally heated in the heating chamber 12, and the tank 1 is not heated, so that the required heating amount is reduced, the response speed is improved, and the power load is reduced. Furthermore, the heating position is inside the tank 1, and the heat is not directly exchanged and radiated outside the tank 1, but the heat is transferred to other liquid ammonia in the tank 1, which reduces energy waste. Compared with the prior art, more than 40% of electric energy can be saved under the condition of generating the same impulse.

[0038] In addition, from a structural point of view, no pipes are used, so there are fewer installation interfaces, which not only reduces the number of components and shortens the processing cycle, but also helps to reduce the overall mass and reduce the risk of leakage. Compared with existing technologies, the overall mass is reduced by 8%, the volume is reduced by 20%, the production cost is reduced by 10%, and the R&D cycle is shortened by 15% under the condition of carrying the same volume of liquid ammonia.

[0039] Example 2

[0040] This embodiment proposes a satellite, on which a plurality of highly integrated cold air thrusters as described in Embodiment 1 are provided, and motion control is achieved through the highly integrated cold air thrusters, and thus all the technical effects in Embodiment 1 should be possessed.

[0041] The foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention is for the purpose of illustration and demonstration. These descriptions are not intended to limit the present invention to the precise form disclosed, and it is clear that many changes and variations can be made based on the above teachings. The purpose of selecting and describing the exemplary embodiments is to explain the specific principles of the present invention and its practical application, so that those skilled in the art can realize and utilize various different exemplary embodiments of the present invention and various different selections and changes. The scope of the present invention is intended to be limited by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A highly integrated cold air thruster, characterized in that: It includes a storage tank, a heating unit, a pressure reducing valve, a solenoid valve, and a nozzle; a storage chamber and a heating chamber are arranged in the storage tank; the heating unit is arranged in the heating chamber; the solenoid valve and the pressure reducing valve are arranged on the outer wall of the storage tank; the inlet and outlet of the solenoid valve are respectively connected to the storage chamber and the heating chamber, and the inlet and outlet of the pressure reducing valve are respectively connected to the heating chamber and the nozzle.

2. The highly integrated cold air thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage tank is provided with a first mounting seat for mounting the pressure reducing valve, the first mounting seat is provided with a first flow channel for connecting the nozzle and the pressure reducing valve; the first mounting seat is provided with a first guide hole for connecting the pressure reducing valve and the heating chamber.

3. The highly integrated cold air thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tank is provided with a second mounting seat for mounting the solenoid valve, the second mounting seat is provided with a second flow channel for connecting the storage chamber and the solenoid valve, and the second mounting seat is provided with a second guide hole for connecting the solenoid valve and the heating chamber.

4. The highly integrated cold air thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage tank adopts a spherical structure.

5. The highly integrated cold air thruster according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner space of the storage chamber is spherical in shape.

6. The highly integrated cold air thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner space of the heating chamber is cylindrical in shape.

7. The highly integrated cold air thruster according to claim 6, characterized in that: The heating chamber penetrates the storage chamber.

8. The highly integrated cold air thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating unit is an electric heating rod.

9. A satellite, characterized in that: The satellite is provided with a highly integrated cold gas thruster as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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