Beam distribution testing device for pulse type electric thruster
By using an electronic suppression grid and a metal ring collector in the beam distribution testing device of a pulsed electric thruster, the problem of low beam distribution testing accuracy in the prior art is solved, and high-precision beam distribution measurement is achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- AUSTEN TECH BEIJING CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-24
Smart Images
Figure CN121918162A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of space electric propulsion technology, and more specifically, to a beam distribution testing device for pulsed electric thrusters. Background Technology
[0002] Pulsed electric thrusters are widely used in propulsion systems for microsatellites due to their simple structure, high specific impulse, convenient and flexible control, and stable output at low power. The working process of pulsed electric thrusters involves storing energy in a capacitor and then discharging a large pulse of current. Each pulse discharge is extremely short, typically less than 10 microseconds, and each pulse discharge process is random.
[0003] In the field of space electric thruster technology, the traditional method for beam distribution testing is based on a measurement device developed using Faraday probes. This involves arraying Faraday probes or adding displacement devices to perform space scanning tests to obtain the beam distribution of the electric thruster.
[0004] While arraying Faraday probes allows for simultaneous acquisition of beam data from a single pulse at different locations, the large surface area of the Faraday probes compared to pulsed electric thrusters necessitates the arraying of several probes to cover the entire spatial region of the pulsed electric thruster beam, resulting in low measurement resolution. Furthermore, adding a displacement device to acquire data from different spatial locations of the beam, for pulsed electric thrusters operating with a single pulse of 10 microseconds, the spatial scanning path cannot cover the entire spatial region of the beam.
[0005] Therefore, the Faraday probe cannot accurately test the beam distribution of pulsed electric thrusters, and a new testing device is urgently needed to alleviate the problems of existing technology. Summary of the Invention
[0006] Therefore, the purpose of this application is to provide a beam distribution testing device for pulsed electric thrusters, thereby alleviating the technical problems of low testing accuracy and inability to be applied to short-pulse beam distribution characteristic testing in the prior art.
[0007] According to some embodiments, this application provides a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster, including an electron suppression gate, a first collector, a second collector, and a base; a metal grid with holes is formed on the electron suppression gate, the electron suppression gate is electrically connected to a bias power supply, the bias power supply is used to provide a negative bias voltage to the electron suppression gate, and the electron suppression gate is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the base; the first collector consists of a first metal ring sequence and a metal disk, the first metal ring sequence consisting of a plurality of metal rings concentric with the metal disk; the second collector consists of a second metal ring sequence, the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence being concentric; the first and second collectors are embedded in an annular groove on the upper surface of the base by hot pressing, the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence and the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence being staggered on the base; a first terminal and a second terminal are formed on the lower surface of the base, the first terminal is electrically connected to the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence, and the second terminal is electrically connected to the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence.
[0008] In one embodiment, the metal grid is a nickel-copper alloy grid.
[0009] In one embodiment, the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence are spaced apart by a first distance, the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are spaced apart by a second distance, and the first metal ring sequence is spaced apart by a third distance.
[0010] In one embodiment, the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence and the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are made of molybdenum.
[0011] In one embodiment, a sampling module is further included. The sampling module includes a sampling resistor and a data acquisition card. The sampling resistor is electrically connected to a metal disk, a metal ring of a first metal ring sequence, or a metal ring of a second metal ring sequence via a first terminal and a second terminal. The data acquisition card is electrically connected to the sampling resistor and is used to sample the voltage passing through the sampling resistor.
[0012] In one embodiment, a computing module connected to the sampling module is further included. The computing module is configured to: calculate the current density of the metal disk, the current density of the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence, and the current density of the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence based on the voltage of the acquired sampling resistor; calculate the integral area of the current density with respect to distance; and calculate the beam cross-sectional radius R containing 90% of the integral area based on the integral area. 0.9 ; Calculate the beam divergence angle θ = 2tan -1 ((R 0.9 -D / 2) / L), where D is the nozzle diameter of the pulse electric thruster and L is the distance between the electronic suppression grid and the end face of the pulse electric thruster.
[0013] The embodiments disclosed herein have at least the following advantages: by setting an electron suppression gate, a first collector, and a second collector in the test device, the purpose of accurately testing the beam distribution of a pulsed electric thruster can be achieved; wherein, a metal grid with holes is formed on the electron suppression gate, the electron suppression gate is electrically connected to a bias power supply, and the bias power supply is used to provide a negative bias voltage to the electron suppression gate, thereby suppressing electrons from flying into the space plasma and mitigating the error caused by secondary electrons sputtered from the surface of the test device; the first collector and the second collector, through a metal ring on them, realize the current acquisition of charged particles in the beam after flying to the surface of the ring. Attached Figure Description
[0014] Figure 1 This is an exploded structural diagram of a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster according to an embodiment of this application;
[0015] Figure 2 This is a front view of the overall structure of a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster according to an embodiment of this application;
[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the back of the overall structure of a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster according to an embodiment of this application;
[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the test connection of a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster according to an embodiment of this application.
[0018] Figure label:
[0019] Electron suppression gate: 1; First collector: 2; Second collector: 3; Base: 4; Metal grid: 11; First terminal: 21; Second terminal: 32. Detailed Implementation
[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of this application.
[0021] The accompanying drawings illustrate layer structure diagrams according to embodiments of this application. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.
[0022] Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application. The application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the various drawings, the same elements are represented by similar reference numerals. For clarity, the various parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale.
[0023] Figure 1 This is an exploded structural diagram of a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a front view of the overall structure of a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster according to an embodiment of this application.
[0024] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application provides a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster, comprising an electron suppression gate 1, a first collector 2, a second collector 3, and a base 4. The electron suppression gate 1 has a metal grid 11 with holes formed on it. The electron suppression gate 1 is electrically connected to a bias power supply, which provides a negative bias voltage to the electron suppression gate 1. The electron suppression gate 1 is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the base 4. The first collector 2 consists of a first metal ring sequence and a metal disk. The first metal ring sequence consists of several metal rings concentric with the metal disk. The second collecting electrode 3 is composed of a second metal ring sequence, and the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are concentric. The first collecting electrode 2 and the second collecting electrode 3 are embedded in the annular groove on the upper surface of the base 4 by hot pressing. The metal rings in the first metal ring sequence and the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are staggered on the base 4. The lower surface of the base 4 has a first terminal 21 and a second terminal 32. The first terminal 21 is electrically connected to the metal ring in the first metal ring sequence, and the second terminal 32 is electrically connected to the metal ring in the second metal ring sequence.
[0025] It should be noted that the testing device provided in this application embodiment operates on the basic physical mechanism of charge collection, receiving plasma emitted by a pulsed electric thruster, performing charge distribution statistics, and then calculating the beam divergence angle based on the beam ion current density distribution. (Reference) Figure 1 The testing device is structurally divided into three layers: the electron suppression grid 1 is the first layer, the first collector 2 is the second layer, and the second collector 3 is the third layer. During the electric thruster beam distribution test, the beam passes through the first, second, and third layers sequentially.
[0026] For example, in order to reduce the impact of noise, the bias power supply is formed by multiple dry batteries connected in parallel, and the negative bias voltage provided can be -30V.
[0027] In one embodiment, the metal grid 11 is a nickel-copper alloy grid.
[0028] It should be noted that during beam testing, when high-energy beam ions fly to the surfaces of the first collector 2 and the second collector 3, secondary electrons are easily sputtered due to the presence of the metal ring. When these secondary electrons leave the surface and enter the space plasma, it is equivalent to the metal ring surface collecting two ions, which will seriously affect the collected ion beam current and introduce a large measurement error. Therefore, this embodiment provides an electron suppression gate 1, which can form a reverse electric field with the first collector 2 and the second collector 3 to suppress electrons from flying into the space plasma.
[0029] In one embodiment, the base 4 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and is used to fix and mount the electron suppression gate 1, the first collector 2, and the second collector 3, thereby achieving electrical isolation between the components. The first collector 2 and the second collector 3 are embedded in an annular groove on the upper surface of the PTFE base by hot pressing.
[0030] In one embodiment, after the first collecting electrode 2 and the second collecting electrode 3 are embedded in the polytetrafluoroethylene base, the electron suppression gate 1 is fixedly installed to the polytetrafluoroethylene base by 12 evenly distributed M4 fastening kits 5 to form a complete test device that covers the entire spatial area of the pulsed electric thruster beam distribution.
[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the back of the overall structure of a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster according to an embodiment of this application.
[0032] like Figure 3As shown, the lower surface of the base 4 has 10 first terminals 21 and 9 second terminals 32 for electrical connection. Exemplarily, the 10 first terminals 21 are used to electrically connect one metal disk and nine metal rings in the first collector 2, and the nine second terminals 32 are used to electrically connect the metal rings of the second collector 3, with the two being distributed alternately.
[0033] In one embodiment, the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence are spaced apart by a first distance, the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are spaced apart by a second distance, and the first metal ring sequence is spaced apart by a third distance. The distance between the first metal ring sequences is the same as the distance between the first collecting electrode 2 and the second collecting electrode 3. For example, the first and second distances can be 3 mm, and the third distance can be 1 mm.
[0034] In one embodiment, the metal disk, the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence, and the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are made of molybdenum.
[0035] In one embodiment, the diameter of the metal disk in the first collecting electrode 2 is 6 mm, the width of the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence is 3 mm, and the interval between every two rings is 3 mm.
[0036] The width of the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence is 3 mm, and the interval between every two rings is 3 mm.
[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the test connection of a beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster according to an embodiment of this application.
[0038] refer to Figure 4 In one embodiment, the system further includes a sampling module, which includes a sampling resistor and a data acquisition card. The sampling resistor is electrically connected to a metal disk, a metal ring of a first metal ring sequence, or a metal ring of a second metal ring sequence via a first terminal 21 and a second terminal 32. The data acquisition card is electrically connected to the sampling resistor and is used to sample the voltage passing through the sampling resistor.
[0039] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown in the embodiment of this application, when the testing device is connected to the electric thruster for testing, the testing device is at a certain distance from the end face of the pulsed electric thruster. Each of the metal disk, the metal rings of the first metal ring sequence, and the metal rings of the second metal ring sequence is independently connected to a sampling resistor R, which can be directly welded to the first terminal 21 and the second terminal 32. After charged particles in the beam fly to the surface of the metal rings, the current value passing through the sampling resistors can be obtained by collecting the voltage of the sampling resistors. Then, dividing this current value by the area of the corresponding ring yields the current density.
[0040] In one embodiment, a calculation module connected to the sampling module is further included. The calculation module is configured to: calculate the current density of the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence and the current density of the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence based on the voltage of the acquired sampling resistor; calculate the integral area of the current density with respect to distance; and calculate the beam cross-sectional radius R containing 90% of the integral area based on the integral area. 0.9 ; Calculate the beam cross-sectional radius R that includes 90% of the integrated area based on the integrated area. 0.9 ; Calculate the beam divergence angle θ = 2tan -1 ((R 0.9 -D / 2) / L), where D is the nozzle diameter of the pulse electric thruster and L is the distance between the electronic suppression grid 1 and the end face of the pulse electric thruster.
[0041] For example, the computing module can be a computer connected to the acquisition card via a bus. The computer performs real-time analysis and calculation on the data acquired from the acquisition card, and then calculates the beam divergence angle.
[0042] In one embodiment, the step of calculating the integral area of current density versus distance includes:
[0043] Current density data formatting. Specifically, for each metal ring in the first collector 2 and the second collector 3, the distance from the center is defined as half the sum of the inner and outer diameters of the ring. After obtaining the current density of each metal ring, the current density at different locations from the center can be obtained. These current densities are then normalized, and two-dimensional curves showing the relative magnitude of the current density at different spatial locations are plotted.
[0044] Integral area calculation. Specifically, the current density is defined as j. i,k Where i takes the value 1 or 2, 1 represents the first collector 2, and 2 represents the second collector 3; k takes the value 1 to 9, representing the second metal ring sequence or the metal ring in the second metal ring sequence, where j 1,0 Let S represent the metal disk of the first collecting electrode 2. The two-dimensional array (distance, current density) is analyzed, and discrete numerical integrals are calculated using the composite Simpson formula. Specifically, the total integration area S is:
[0045]
[0046] It should be noted that, based on discrete numerical integration, the beam cross-sectional radius R, which includes 90% of the integration area, is calculated. 0.9， This can be achieved by selecting a point interval that accounts for 90% of the total integral area.
[0047] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative or explanatory of the principles of this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made without departing from the spirit and scope of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application. Furthermore, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications falling within the scope and boundaries of the appended claims, or equivalent forms of such scope and boundaries.
Claims
1. A beam distribution testing device for a pulsed electric thruster, characterized in that, It includes an electron suppression gate (1), a first collector (2), a second collector (3), and a base (4); The electron suppression gate (1) has a metal grid (11) with holes formed on it. The electron suppression gate (1) is electrically connected to a bias power supply. The bias power supply is used to provide a negative bias voltage to the electron suppression gate (1). The electron suppression gate (1) is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the base (4). The first collecting electrode (2) is composed of a first metal ring sequence and a metal disk. The first metal ring sequence is composed of a plurality of metal rings concentric with the metal disk. The second collecting electrode (3) is composed of a second metal ring sequence, wherein the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are concentric; The first collecting electrode (2) and the second collecting electrode (3) are embedded in the annular groove on the upper surface of the base (4) by hot pressing. The metal rings in the first metal ring sequence and the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are staggered on the base (4). The lower surface of the base (4) has a first terminal (21) and a second terminal (32), the first terminal (21) being electrically connected to a metal ring in a first metal ring sequence, and the second terminal (32) being electrically connected to a metal ring in a second metal ring sequence.
2. The testing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal grid (11) is a nickel-copper alloy grid.
3. The testing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal rings in the first metal ring sequence are spaced apart by a first distance, the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are spaced apart by a second distance, and the first metal ring sequence is spaced apart by a third distance.
4. The testing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal rings in the first metal ring sequence and the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence are made of molybdenum.
5. The testing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a sampling module, which includes a sampling resistor and a data acquisition card. The sampling resistor is electrically connected to the metal disk, the metal ring of the first metal ring sequence, or the metal ring of the second metal ring sequence through a first terminal (21) and a second terminal (32). The data acquisition card is electrically connected to the sampling resistor and is used to sample the voltage passing through the sampling resistor.
6. The testing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a computing module connected to the sampling module, the computing module being configured to: Based on the voltage of the sampling resistor, calculate the current density of the metal disk, the current density of the metal rings in the first metal ring sequence, and the current density of the metal rings in the second metal ring sequence. Calculate the integral area of the current density with respect to distance; Calculate the beam cross-sectional radius R that includes 90% of the integrated area based on the integrated area. 0.9 ; Calculate the beam divergence angle θ = 2tan -1 ((R 0.9 -D / 2) / L), where D is the nozzle diameter of the pulse electric thruster and L is the distance between the electronic suppression gate (1) and the end face of the pulse electric thruster.