Automatic energy complementing circuit and method for Hall electric propulsion power processing and control unit

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic energy complementing circuit and method for a Hall electric propulsion power processing and control unit. The automatic energy complementing circuit comprises a low-power anode current source module, an energy storage module, an ignition flicker detection and automatic energy complementing control module and a high-power anode voltage source module. According to the invention, the condition that the Hall thruster flashes and flashes to cause overcurrent protection of a primary bus or the Hall thruster is extinguished due to too low anode voltage can be greatly reduced, and the problem that the Hall thruster flashes and flashes to cause overcurrent protection of the power processing and control unit and extinguishment of the thruster is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a Hall effect electric propulsion technology applied to spacecraft, and in particular to a Hall effect electric propulsion power processing and control unit automatic energy replenishment circuit and method. Background Art

[0002] Hall electric propulsion systems are widely used in various types of aircraft to complete tasks such as north-south position keeping, east-west position keeping, state control, inclination correction and repositioning.

[0003] Patent document CN119435334A discloses a time-sharing Hall-effect thruster power supply system. Single-pole double-throw switches K1 and K2 are connected to the positive and negative poles of the thruster's excitation power supply, respectively. Switching between switches K1 and K2 allows the excitation power supply to power the excitation coil or the cathode heating wire. A current-limiting resistor is connected to the positive pole of the anode power supply, and a single-pole single-throw switch K3 is connected in series. K3 delivers a high-voltage ignition pulse to the cathode contactor, igniting the thruster. The simplified filter circuit is a large-capacity capacitor, simplifying the coupling between the thruster and the anode power supply. The large-capacity capacitor also provides sufficient energy during the ignition process, improving the system's ignition success rate.

[0004] However, the ignition and flickering of the Hall thruster is an inherent characteristic of the electric propulsion system. The electric propulsion power processing and control unit provides power to the Hall thruster. The ignition and flickering of the Hall thruster causes the primary bus current to be too large, triggering overcurrent protection, or the thruster anode voltage is too low, and then the thruster is extinguished. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the defects in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a Hall electric propulsion power processing and control unit automatic energy replenishment circuit and method.

[0006] According to the present invention, a Hall electric propulsion power processing and control unit automatic energy replenishment circuit includes: a low-power anode current source module 1, an energy storage module 2, an ignition flicker detection and automatic energy replenishment control module 3, and a high-power anode voltage source module 4;

[0007] The ignition flicker detection and automatic energy replenishment control module 3 identifies the thruster ignition flicker according to the discharge state of the Hall thruster anode;

[0008] Energy storage module 2 provides transient electrical energy for thruster ignition flashing;

[0009] The low-power anode current source module 1 supplements and maintains the stored electrical energy for the energy storage module 2;

[0010] The high-power anode voltage source module 4 provides electrical energy for the stable operation of the Hall thruster.

[0011] Preferably, the low-power anode current source module 1 is a constant current source, and the open circuit is in a constant voltage mode.

[0012] Preferably, the ignition flicker detection and automatic energy replenishment control module 3 includes: an ignition flicker detection circuit 5, an automatic energy replenishment control circuit 8, an automatic energy replenishment switch circuit 6, and an automatic energy replenishment interface circuit 7;

[0013] During normal operation of the electric thruster, the ignition flicker detection circuit 5 measures a voltage of Vo. If the automatic energy replenishment control circuit 8 detects that Vo is less than VR1, the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 is disconnected, and the energy storage module 2 starts charging with a charging current of I1. If the automatic energy replenishment control detection circuit 8 detects that Vo is greater than VR2, the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 is closed.

[0014] The automatic energy replenishment interface circuit 7 is used to match the thruster anode impedance to prevent the anode load from suddenly changing and causing the automatic energy replenishment circuit loop to fail to respond in time, thereby causing over-electrical stress on components.

[0015] Preferably, the high-power anode voltage source module 4 includes: an anode voltage source 10, an anode voltage source interface circuit 9;

[0016] The anode voltage source 10 converts the primary bus voltage into an anode voltage to provide electrical energy for the thruster anode;

[0017] The anode voltage source interface circuit 9 is used to filter out interference during thruster operation and to match impedance between the anode voltage source 10 and the thruster anode.

[0018] Preferably, when in the normal working mode of the electric thruster:

[0019] The high-power anode voltage source module 4 outputs a rated voltage Vuo and an output rated current Iuo; the low-power anode current source module 1 outputs an open-circuit voltage Vco and an output current of 0;

[0020] Among them, Vuo is higher than Vco, and the low-power anode current source module 1 has no power output.

[0021] Preferably, when in the electric thruster ignition flashing instant working mode:

[0022] The electric thruster draws power from the anode voltage source interface circuit 9 when it ignites and flashes. When the output voltage VY of the high-power anode voltage source module 4 is lower than the open-circuit voltage Vco of the low-power anode current source module 1, the diode D1 in the automatic energy replenishment interface circuit 7 breaks down, and the energy storage module 2 provides power for the ignition and flashing.

[0023] The capacitance of capacitor C2 of energy storage module 2 is more than 20 times that of capacitor C1 of anode voltage source interface circuit 9, and provides power for most of the ignition flash. That is, after the ignition flash ends, Vo in ignition flash detection circuit 5 is still greater than VR1, and power switch K1 of automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 remains closed, entering normal ignition flash recovery mode;

[0024] If the ignition flash energy is extremely large, the capacitor of the energy storage module 2 is insufficient to provide electrical energy for the ignition flash, that is, Vo in the ignition flash detection circuit 5 is less than VR1 during the ignition flash process, and the system enters the maximum energy ignition flash recovery mode.

[0025] Preferably, when in the conventional energy ignition flashing recovery mode of the electric thruster ignition flashing recovery mode:

[0026] During the ignition flashing process, the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 remains in a closed state; when the ignition flashing ends, the voltage of the capacitor C2 of the energy storage module 2 decreases from Vco to Vcod, and the voltage of the capacitor C1 of the anode voltage source interface circuit 9 decreases from VY to VYd; since the anode voltage source 10 has a large output power, it quickly charges the capacitor C1, the voltage of the capacitor C1 rises quickly, and the diode D1 of the automatic energy replenishment interface circuit 7 is cut off; the low-power anode current source module 1 has a small output power, and slowly charges the capacitor C2 of the energy storage module 2, and the voltage of the capacitor C2 rises slowly; finally, the normal working mode of the electric thruster is restored.

[0027] Preferably, when in the high energy ignition and flickering recovery mode of the electric thruster ignition and flickering recovery mode:

[0028] During the ignition process, Vo in the ignition flicker detection circuit 5 is less than VR1, and the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 changes from closed to open. At this time, the energy for the thruster ignition flicker comes entirely from the anode voltage source. Since the output capacitance of the anode voltage source is small, the anode voltage drops rapidly. The anode voltage source 10 charges the capacitor C1 while continuing to provide energy for the ignition flicker. Depending on the size of the anode voltage value and the ignition flicker state, there will be several different operating modes:

[0029] Mode 1: The ignition flashing stops, the anode voltage level is sufficient to maintain normal thruster discharge, and the anode voltage value is at a high level. At this time, the anode voltage quickly recovers to the rated value. During this process, the bus overcurrent protection is not triggered once, and the thruster resumes stable operation.

[0030] Mode 2: The ignition flashing is terminated and the anode voltage level is sufficient to maintain normal thruster discharge. However, due to the low anode voltage value, the bus overcurrent protection is triggered once when the anode voltage quickly recovers to the rated value.

[0031] Mode 3: The ignition flash continues, the anode voltage drops rapidly, and its voltage level is insufficient to maintain thruster discharge. The thrusters go out and the discharge ends.

[0032] In mode four, the ignition flash continues and the anode voltage continues to drop. Although its voltage level can maintain thruster discharge, the energy extracted from the anode voltage source is too large because the discharge flash time is too long, thus triggering a bus overcurrent protection.

[0033] Preferably, in the modes 1 to 4, after the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 changes from closed to open, the diode D1 of the automatic energy replenishment interface circuit 7 is cut off; the low-power anode current source module 1 charges the capacitor C2 with a charging current of I1, and the charging speed is relatively slow. When Vo in the ignition flicker detection circuit 5 is greater than VR2, the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 is closed;

[0034] For mode 1, continue to maintain the thruster in a stable working state;

[0035] For modes 2 to 4, the automatic recharge circuit is closed and the thrusters automatically reignite.

[0036] According to an energy replenishment method provided by the present invention, energy replenishment is performed using the automatic energy replenishment circuit of the Hall electric propulsion power processing and control unit.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0038] 1. The present invention provides an automatic energy replenishment circuit suitable for Hall thruster ignition flickering, which can greatly reduce the probability of Hall thruster ignition flickering leading to primary bus overcurrent protection or Hall thruster extinction due to low anode voltage, thus solving the problem of Hall thruster ignition flickering leading to power processing and control unit overcurrent protection and thruster extinction.

[0039] 2. The present invention adopts an energy storage module to provide transient electric energy for the thruster, which greatly reduces the current impact on the primary bus of the high-power anode voltage source; the energy storage module provides energy when the thruster ignites and flashes; and the energy storage module is supplemented with electric energy by the low-power anode current source. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings:

[0041] Figure 1 This is the schematic diagram of the automatic energy replenishment circuit.

[0042] Figure 2 It is the automatic energy replenishment circuit working mode.

[0043] The figure shows:

[0044] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. The following examples will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention in any form. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several changes and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. These all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, a Hall effect electric propulsion power processing and control unit automatic energy replenishment circuit according to the present invention includes: a low-power anode current source module 1, an energy storage module 2, an ignition flicker detection and automatic energy replenishment control module 3, and a high-power anode voltage source module 4. Here, low power and high power are relative terms.

[0047] 1. The low-power anode current source module 1 is a constant current source. In open circuit mode, the output voltage is Vco, which can be set and adjusted. In constant current mode, the current is a fixed value I1. Specifically, the low-power anode current source module is a low-power constant current power supply, and the open circuit is a constant voltage mode.

[0048] 2. Energy Storage Module 2 is a capacitor energy storage module with a large capacitance value of C2. It identifies thruster spark flicker based on the discharge state of the Hall effect thruster anode. The energy storage module provides transient electrical energy for thruster spark flicker, significantly reducing the current impact on the primary bus and the amplitude of the anode voltage drop. This significantly reduces the probability of spark flicker causing primary bus overcurrent protection or thruster shutdown due to excessive anode voltage drop. The energy storage module provides the electrical energy required for the thruster spark flicker. The capacitor energy storage module is supplemented by the low-power anode current source module 1 to maintain the stored electrical energy.

[0049] 3. Ignition flicker detection and automatic energy replenishment control module 3, including: ignition flicker detection circuit 5, automatic energy replenishment control circuit 8, automatic energy replenishment switch circuit 6, automatic energy replenishment interface circuit 7. During normal operation of the electric thruster, the power switch K1 is closed by default. The ignition flicker detection circuit 5 measures the voltage Vo. The automatic energy replenishment control circuit 8 detects that Vo is less than VR1, then the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 is disconnected, and the energy storage module starts charging with a charging current of I1. The automatic energy replenishment control detection circuit 8 detects that Vo is greater than VR2, then the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 is closed;

[0050] 4. The high-power anode voltage source module 4 comprises an anode voltage source 10 and an anode voltage source interface circuit 9. The output voltage of the anode voltage source is VY.

[0051] The present invention is described in more detail below.

[0052] 1. Normal working mode of electric thruster

[0053] The high-power anode voltage source module 4 outputs a rated voltage Vuo and a rated current Iuo. The low-power anode current source module 1 outputs an open-circuit voltage Vco and an output current of 0. When Vuo is slightly higher than Vco, the low-power anode current source module 1 has no power output.

[0054] 2. Electric thruster ignition flashing instant working mode

[0055] The electric thruster draws electrical energy from the anode voltage source interface circuit 9 when it ignites and flashes. When the output voltage VY of the high-power anode voltage source module 4 is lower than the open-circuit voltage Vco of the low-power anode current source module 1, the diode D1 in the automatic energy replenishment interface circuit 7 breaks down, and the energy storage module 2 provides electrical energy for the ignition and flashing.

[0056] The capacitance of capacitor C2 of energy storage module 2 is more than 20 times that of capacitor C1 of anode voltage source interface circuit 9, and can provide power for most of the ignition flashing. That is, after the ignition flashing ends, Vo in ignition flashing detection circuit 5 is still greater than VR1, and power switch K1 of automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 remains in closed state, entering normal recovery mode after ignition flashing.

[0057] If the ignition flash energy is extremely large, the capacitor of the energy storage module 2 is insufficient to provide electrical energy for the ignition flash, that is, Vo in the ignition flash detection circuit 5 is less than VR1 during the ignition flash process, and the system enters the maximum energy ignition flash recovery mode.

[0058] 3. Electric thruster ignites and flashes to restore mode

[0059] 3.1. Normal energy ignition and flashing recovery mode:

[0060] During the ignition flashing process, the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 remains closed. When the ignition flashing ends, the voltage of capacitor C2 of the energy storage module 2 decreases from Vco to Vcod, and the voltage of capacitor C1 of the anode voltage source interface circuit 9 decreases from VY to VYd. Because the anode voltage source 10 has a high output power, it quickly charges capacitor C1, causing the voltage of capacitor C1 to rise rapidly, and the diode D1 of the automatic energy replenishment interface circuit 7 is cut off. The low-power anode current source module 1 has a low output power and slowly charges capacitor C2 of the energy storage module 2, causing the voltage of capacitor C2 to rise slowly. Finally, the electric thruster returns to normal operating mode.

[0061] 3.2. Recovery mode after high energy ignition and flashing:

[0062] During the ignition process, Vo in the ignition flicker detection circuit 5 is less than VR1, and the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 changes from closed to open. At this time, the energy for the thruster ignition flicker comes entirely from the anode voltage source. Since the output capacitance of the anode voltage source is small, the anode voltage drops rapidly. The anode voltage source 10 charges the capacitor C1 while continuing to provide energy for the ignition flicker. Depending on the size of the anode voltage value and the ignition flicker state, there will be several different operating modes:

[0063] Mode 1: The ignition flashing stops, the anode voltage level is sufficient to maintain normal thruster discharge, and the anode voltage value is at a high level. At this time, the anode voltage quickly recovers to the rated value. During this process, the bus overcurrent protection is not triggered once, and the thruster resumes stable operation.

[0064] Mode 2: The ignition flashing is terminated and the anode voltage level is sufficient to maintain normal thruster discharge. However, due to the low anode voltage value, the bus overcurrent protection is triggered once when the anode voltage quickly recovers to the rated value.

[0065] Mode 3: The ignition flash continues, the anode voltage drops rapidly, and its voltage level is insufficient to maintain thruster discharge. The thrusters go out and the discharge ends.

[0066] In mode four, the ignition flash continues and the anode voltage continues to drop. Although its voltage level can maintain thruster discharge, the energy extracted from the anode voltage source is too large because the discharge flash time is too long, thus triggering a bus overcurrent protection.

[0067] In the four aforementioned modes, after the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 transitions from closed to open, the diode D1 of the automatic energy replenishment interface circuit 7 is cut off. The low-power anode current source module 1 charges capacitor C2 with a relatively slow charging current of I1. When Vo in the ignition flicker detection circuit 5 exceeds VR2, the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit 6 closes. In mode 1, the system maintains stable thruster operation. In modes 2, 3, and 4, the automatic energy replenishment circuit and anode voltage source are shut down, and the thrusters automatically reignite.

[0068] The above describes specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. The embodiments of this application and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other in any manner unless there is a conflict.

Claims

1. A Hall electric propulsion power processing and control unit automatic energy replenishment circuit, characterized in that: include: A low-power anode current source module (1), an energy storage module (2), an ignition flicker detection and automatic energy replenishment control module (3), and a high-power anode voltage source module (4); The ignition flicker detection and automatic energy replenishment control module (3) identifies the thruster ignition flicker according to the discharge state of the Hall thruster anode; The energy storage module (2) provides transient electrical energy for thruster ignition flashing; The low-power anode current source module (1) supplements and maintains the stored electric energy for the energy storage module (2); The high-power anode voltage source module (4) provides electric energy for the stable operation of the Hall thruster.

2. The Hall effect electric propulsion power processing and control unit automatic energy replenishment circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The low-power anode current source module (1) is a constant current source, and the open circuit is a constant voltage mode.

3. The automatic energy replenishment circuit of the Hall effect electric propulsion power processing and control unit according to claim 1 is characterized in that: An ignition flicker detection and automatic energy replenishment control module (3) comprises: an ignition flicker detection circuit (5), an automatic energy replenishment control circuit (8), an automatic energy replenishment switch circuit (6), and an automatic energy replenishment interface circuit (7); During normal operation of the electric thruster, the ignition flash detection circuit (5) measures a voltage of Vo, and the automatic energy replenishment control circuit (8) detects that Vo is less than VR1, then the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit (6) is disconnected, and the energy storage module (2) starts charging, and the charging current is I1; the automatic energy replenishment control detection circuit (8) detects that Vo is greater than VR2, then the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit (6) is closed; The automatic energy replenishment interface circuit (7) is used to match the thruster anode impedance to prevent the anode load mutation from causing the automatic energy replenishment circuit loop to fail to respond in time, thereby preventing components from over-electrical stress.

4. The automatic energy replenishment circuit of the Hall effect electric propulsion power processing and control unit according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A high-power anode voltage source module (4) comprises: an anode voltage source (10) and an anode voltage source interface circuit (9); The anode voltage source (10) converts the primary bus voltage into an anode voltage to provide electrical energy to the thruster anode; The anode voltage source interface circuit (9) is used to filter out interference during thruster operation and to achieve impedance matching between the anode voltage source (10) and the thruster anode.

5. The automatic energy replenishment circuit of the Hall electric propulsion power processing and control unit according to claim 1 is characterized in that: When in normal working mode of electric thruster: The high-power anode voltage source module (4) outputs a rated voltage Vuo and a rated current Iuo; the low-power anode current source module (1) outputs an open-circuit voltage Vco and an output current of 0; Among them, Vuo is higher than Vco, and the low-power anode current source module (1) has no power output.

6. The automatic energy replenishment circuit of the Hall effect electric propulsion power processing and control unit according to claim 5 is characterized in that: When in the electric thruster ignition flashing moment working mode: The electric thruster ignition and flashing draws electric energy from the anode voltage source interface circuit (9). When the output voltage VY of the high-power anode voltage source module (4) is lower than the open-circuit voltage Vco of the low-power anode current source module (1), the diode D1 in the automatic energy replenishment interface circuit (7) breaks down, and the energy storage module (2) provides electric energy for the ignition and flashing. The capacitance value of the capacitor C2 of the energy storage module (2) is more than 20 times the capacitance value of the capacitor C1 of the anode voltage source interface circuit (9), and provides power for most of the ignition flashing. That is, when the ignition flashing ends, Vo in the ignition flashing detection circuit (5) is still greater than VR1, and the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit (6) remains in a closed state, entering the normal ignition flashing recovery mode; If the ignition flash energy is extremely large, the energy storage module (2) capacitor is insufficient to provide electrical energy for the ignition flash, that is, Vo in the ignition flash detection circuit (5) is less than VR1 during the ignition flash process, and the system enters the maximum energy ignition flash recovery mode.

7. The automatic energy replenishment circuit of the Hall effect electric propulsion power processing and control unit according to claim 6, characterized in that: When in conventional energy ignition flash recovery mode of electric thruster ignition flash recovery mode: During the ignition flashing process, the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit (6) remains in a closed state; when the ignition flashing ends, the voltage of the capacitor C2 of the energy storage module (2) decreases from Vco to Vcod, and the voltage of the capacitor C1 of the anode voltage source interface circuit (9) decreases from VY to VYd; since the output power of the anode voltage source (10) is large, the capacitor C1 is quickly charged, the voltage of the capacitor C1 rises quickly, and the diode D1 of the automatic energy replenishment interface circuit (7) is cut off; the output power of the low-power anode current source module (1) is small, and the capacitor C2 of the energy storage module (2) is slowly charged, and the voltage of the capacitor C2 rises slowly; finally, the normal working mode of the electric thruster is restored.

8. The automatic energy replenishment circuit of the Hall effect electric propulsion power processing and control unit according to claim 7 is characterized in that: When in the high energy ignition flash recovery mode of the electric thruster ignition flash recovery mode: During the ignition process, Vo in the ignition flicker detection circuit (5) is less than VR1, and the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment drive circuit (6) changes from closed to open. At this time, the energy for the thruster ignition flicker comes entirely from the anode voltage source. Since the output capacitance of the anode voltage source is small, the anode voltage drops rapidly. The anode voltage source (10) charges the capacitor C1 while continuing to provide energy for the ignition flicker. According to the size of the anode voltage value and the ignition flicker state, there will be several different working modes: Mode 1: The ignition flashing stops, the anode voltage level is sufficient to maintain normal thruster discharge, and the anode voltage value is at a high level. At this time, the anode voltage quickly recovers to the rated value. During this process, the bus overcurrent protection is not triggered once, and the thruster resumes stable operation. Mode 2: The ignition flashing is terminated and the anode voltage level is sufficient to maintain normal thruster discharge. However, due to the low anode voltage value, the bus overcurrent protection is triggered once when the anode voltage quickly recovers to the rated value. Mode 3: The ignition flash continues, the anode voltage drops rapidly, and its voltage level is insufficient to maintain thruster discharge. The thrusters go out and the discharge ends. In mode four, the ignition flash continues and the anode voltage continues to drop. Although its voltage level can maintain thruster discharge, the energy extracted from the anode voltage source is too large because the discharge flash time is too long, thus triggering a bus overcurrent protection.

9. The automatic energy replenishment circuit of the Hall effect electric propulsion power processing and control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the modes 1 to 4, after the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment driving circuit (6) changes from closed to open, the diode D1 of the automatic energy replenishment interface circuit (7) is cut off; the low-power anode current source module (1) charges the capacitor C2, the charging current is I1, and the charging speed is relatively slow. When Vo in the ignition flash detection circuit (5) is greater than VR2, the power switch K1 of the automatic energy replenishment driving circuit (6) is closed; For mode 1, continue to maintain the thruster in a stable working state; For modes 2 to 4, the automatic recharge circuit is closed and the thrusters automatically reignite.

10. A method for replenishing energy, characterized in that: Energy is replenished by adopting the automatic energy replenishment circuit of the Hall electric propulsion power processing and control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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