A spacecraft plume influence on orbit atmospheric in-situ probe load pollution evaluation test method and device

By employing a multi-scale, cross-basin, multi-physics coupling method, the computational accuracy and engineering evaluation issues in spacecraft plume pollution assessment were resolved. This enabled efficient and accurate pollution assessment for different orbital environments and satellite configurations, supporting spacecraft design optimization.

CN122333931APending Publication Date: 2026-07-03NAT SPACE SCI CENT CAS
View PDF 0 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
NAT SPACE SCI CENT CAS
Filing Date
2026-04-27
Publication Date
2026-07-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing technologies for assessing spacecraft plume contamination suffer from low computational accuracy, loss of non-equilibrium physical characteristics, and unintuitive engineering assessment indicators, making it difficult to conduct efficient assessments under different orbital environments and complex satellite configurations.

Method used

A multi-scale, cross-basin, multi-physics coupling method is adopted. By constructing a continuous flow field model inside the spacecraft thruster nozzle, cross-basin heterogeneous data is reconstructed, a particle transport model is established, rarefied flow particles are tracked, and the load contamination effect is calculated. Adaptive hybrid characteristic length and viscous stress tensor correction terms are used to realize particle number flux conversion and quantitative assessment of contamination flux.

Benefits of technology

It improves the physical realism and computational accuracy of plume diffusion simulation, enables rapid and accurate pollution assessment under different orbital environments and complex satellite configurations, and supports the optimization of spaceborne mass spectrometer layout and safe on-orbit operation.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN122333931A_ABST
    Figure CN122333931A_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

This invention discloses a method and apparatus for assessing the impact of spacecraft plumes on in-situ atmospheric detection payloads in orbit. The method includes: Step S1, constructing a continuous flow field model within the spacecraft's thruster nozzle and a designated near-field region at the exit, and solving for macroscopic flow field data; Step S2, reconstructing cross-basin heterogeneous data based on the macroscopic flow field data, converting it into microscopic particle source data; Step S3, establishing a particle transport model adapted to the spacecraft's geometry and tracking rarefied flow particles; Step S4, calculating the quantitative assessment results of payload contamination effects based on the tracking results of rarefied flow particles. This invention significantly improves the physical realism and computational accuracy of vacuum plume diffusion simulation, achieves low-distortion mapping of heterogeneous simulation data during cross-scale transmission, greatly improves the design iteration efficiency during spacecraft development, and constructs a parameterized end-to-end process.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art