A wide-thrust-range electric-arcjet thruster design and control method and related apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses a wide-thrust-range electric jet thruster design and control method and related equipment, and relates to the field of ionic liquid electric jet thrusters. The method first acquires a thrust range, a thrust resolution, a response speed and a power consumption constraint corresponding to a target task, and performs hierarchical design on a launch array based on the above constraints to construct multiple-stage working units with different liquid supply capabilities and launch capabilities. A thrust output model of each working unit and a combination mapping relationship thereof are established, so that a target thrust can be mapped to corresponding working unit start-stop combination and driving voltage parameters. In the thrust control process, a hierarchical start-stop and voltage cooperative regulation strategy is adopted according to the interval where the target thrust is located, and dynamic correction is performed in combination with thrust feedback or electric parameter feedback to realize closed-loop control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the field of ionic liquid electro-injection thrusters, and more specifically, this application relates to a design and control method for a wide thrust range electro-injection thruster and related equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Ionic liquid electro-injection thrusters, as a typical micro-propulsion device, have been widely used in mission scenarios such as orbit maintenance, attitude control, and precision maneuvering of microsatellites, nanosatellites, and formation spacecraft due to their advantages such as high specific impulse, continuously adjustable thrust, compact structure, and low power consumption. Compared with traditional chemical propulsion or cold gas propulsion systems, ionic liquid electro-injection thrusters achieve efficient mass-momentum conversion by stretching ionic liquid from the emitter tip to form a charged microjets under the action of a strong electric field. They can provide stable thrust in the microNewton to millinewton range, making them particularly suitable for space missions with high thrust accuracy requirements.

[0003] However, with the increasing complexity of space missions, especially in applications such as high-precision formation flying, space interferometry, and deep space exploration with micro-orbit correction, higher demands are placed on propulsion systems. These systems not only require a wide thrust adjustment range but also high adjustment resolution in the low-thrust range, while maintaining good response speed and output stability during thrust switching. Existing ion liquid electro-injection thrusters typically suffer from the following shortcomings in practical applications: Firstly, most thrusters employ a single structural parameter design, limiting their achievable thrust range to the size of the emitter structure, electric field strength, and liquid supply conditions. This results in a narrow overall thrust adjustment range, making it difficult to cover the multi-level thrust output required for different missions, particularly struggling to achieve a smooth transition and magnitude leap between the micro-Newton and millinewyn levels. Expanding the driving voltage range to increase thrust output can easily lead to problems such as injection mode instability, increased energy consumption, and reduced device lifespan. Secondly, in the low-thrust range, the minimum output capability of a single launch unit is structurally limited, resulting in coarse thrust adjustment granularity that fails to meet high-precision control requirements.

[0004] Furthermore, while some existing thrusters extend their thrust range by increasing the number of emitters or constructing array structures, in actual control, they often employ a simple "on / off" strategy for the working units, adjusting thrust output by directly increasing or decreasing the number of working units. This approach is prone to significant abrupt changes in thrust, leading to discontinuous thrust output and making it difficult to achieve smooth adjustment of thrust across magnitudes, thus affecting attitude control accuracy. Simultaneously, different working units are coupled in terms of fluid supply, electric field distribution, and thermal effects. Without a reasonable hierarchical design and coordinated control mechanism, problems such as uneven fluid supply, local injection instability, or output attenuation can easily occur, further limiting the thrust range extension capability and reducing the overall system performance.

[0005] Therefore, how to achieve a structural design that balances wide-range thrust output and high-resolution adjustment capability in ionic liquid electro-injection thrusters, especially to achieve continuous adjustment of thrust output across orders of magnitude, and to construct a refined control method based on multi-working-unit collaboration to improve the continuity, stability and reliability of thrust adjustment, has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The summary section introduces a series of simplified concepts, which will be further explained in detail in the detailed description section. This summary section is not intended to limit the key and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application proposes a design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster, including: Obtain the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements, and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission; Based on the above target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements, and system power consumption constraints, the launch array of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster is designed in a hierarchical manner to form working units with at least two different thrust output levels. The hierarchical design includes the design of the reservoir porous material pore size, the design of the emitter arrangement density, the design of the number of working units, and the design of the spatial partitioning of the working units. Based on the structural and driving parameters of each of the above working units, a thrust output model for each of the above working units and a thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units are established. According to the target thrust command, select the corresponding working unit start / stop combination from multiple working units, and apply the corresponding drive voltage to the activated working unit to output the target thrust that matches the target thrust command. Obtain actual thrust feedback information or electrical parameter feedback information during the thrust output process; Based on the above-mentioned actual thrust feedback information or the above-mentioned electrical parameter feedback information, the above-mentioned start-stop combination of working unit and the above-mentioned driving voltage are dynamically corrected to realize the depth thrust adjustment control of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster.

[0008] In one feasible implementation, the acquisition of the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements, and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission includes: To obtain the minimum and maximum thrust requirements of the target space flight mission under orbit maintenance, attitude adjustment, precision maneuvering or formation control conditions, so as to determine the above-mentioned target thrust range; To obtain the thrust stepping accuracy or continuous adjustment accuracy requirements of the aforementioned target spaceflight mission, in order to determine the aforementioned thrust resolution requirements; The thrust build-up time requirement during attitude maneuvering is obtained in order to determine the aforementioned thrust response speed requirement; Obtain the power supply capacity of the entire platform or the allowable power consumption range for a single maneuver in order to determine the power consumption constraints of the aforementioned system.

[0009] In one feasible implementation, the above-described hierarchical design of the launch array for the ion liquid electro-injection thruster includes: The aforementioned transmission array is divided into a central fine adjustment unit, an intermediate transition adjustment unit, and an outer enhancement adjustment unit; The aforementioned central fine adjustment unit is equipped with a porous reservoir with a first-diameter aperture and a first-level liquid supply capability to form a low-thrust, high-resolution output capability. The aforementioned intermediate transition regulation unit is equipped with a porous reservoir with a second aperture and a second-level liquid supply capability to form a medium-thrust regulation capability. The aforementioned peripheral enhancement and regulation unit is configured with a porous reservoir with a third aperture and a third level of liquid supply capability to form a high thrust extension output capability, wherein the first aperture is smaller than the second aperture, the second aperture is smaller than the third aperture, the first level is smaller than the second level, and the second level is smaller than the third level.

[0010] In one feasible implementation, the emitter density design and the number of working cells in the above-described hierarchical design include: Based on the liquid supply capacity and injection flux requirements corresponding to different thrust levels, determine the number of emitters, emitter spacing, and emitter density per unit area in each of the above working units. Control the first number of emitters or the first unit area emitter arrangement density corresponding to the above-mentioned central fine adjustment unit; Control the number of emitters corresponding to the second quantity or the emitter density per unit area of ​​the above intermediate transition adjustment unit; Control the number of emitters or the emitter density per unit area corresponding to the third number of peripheral enhancement adjustment units, wherein the first number is less than the second number, the second number is less than the third number, the emitter density per unit area is less than the emitter density per unit area, and the emitter density per unit area is less than the emitter density per unit area. Based on the number of the above-mentioned working units at each level, different levels of basic thrust output capabilities are formed.

[0011] In one feasible implementation, the establishment of the thrust output model for each of the aforementioned working units and the thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units includes: Obtain the porous material pore size parameters, emitter quantity parameters, emitter spacing parameters, emitter-extraction electrode spacing parameters, and driving voltage range parameters corresponding to each of the above working units; Based on the above-mentioned porous material pore size parameters, the above-mentioned emitter number parameters, the above-mentioned emitter spacing parameters, the above-mentioned emitter-extraction electrode spacing parameters, and the above-mentioned driving voltage range parameters, establish the correspondence between the liquid supply capacity and jet thrust of each of the above-mentioned working units under different driving voltages. The individual output relationships and combined output relationships of each of the above working units are coupled to generate the above thrust mapping relationship between the target thrust and the number of working units activated, the activation area, and the driving voltage.

[0012] In one feasible implementation, the above-mentioned selection of a corresponding working unit start / stop combination from a plurality of working units according to the target thrust command, and application of a corresponding drive voltage to the activated working unit to output a target thrust matching the target thrust command, includes: When the target thrust command is in the first thrust range, only the central fine adjustment unit is activated, and fine-grained thrust output is achieved by continuously adjusting the drive voltage of the central fine adjustment unit. When the target thrust command is in the second thrust range, the central fine adjustment unit and the intermediate transition adjustment unit are activated, and the medium-range thrust output is achieved through working unit combination switching and voltage coordinated adjustment. When the target thrust command is in the third thrust range, the central fine adjustment unit, the intermediate transition adjustment unit, and the peripheral enhancement adjustment unit are activated, and high thrust output is achieved through the superposition of multi-level working units and graded voltage adjustment. The maximum value of the first thrust range is less than the minimum value of the second thrust range, and the maximum value of the second thrust range is less than the minimum value of the third thrust range.

[0013] In one feasible implementation, the specific processes for achieving medium-range thrust output and high thrust output include: Under the premise of meeting the above target thrust requirements, work units are invoked based on the principle of minimizing the number of calls; When the thrust increment requirement cannot be met by voltage regulation alone, a new working unit as described above is added and put into operation. When the thrust decreases below a preset threshold, the drive voltage of the activated working unit is reduced. When further reducing the drive voltage would lead to insufficient injection stability, the corresponding working unit mentioned above is shut down to reduce thrust output and minimize output fluctuations during thrust adjustment.

[0014] In one feasible implementation, the above-mentioned dynamic correction of the working unit start-stop combination and the driving voltage based on the above-mentioned actual thrust feedback information or the above-mentioned electrical parameter feedback information includes: Calculate the thrust deviation between the target thrust and the actual thrust; When the thrust deviation value is less than the preset fine-tuning threshold, the current start-stop combination of the working unit remains unchanged, and the control module autonomously adjusts the driving voltage of the currently activated working unit continuously by increment or decrement to achieve fine thrust compensation. When the thrust deviation value is greater than or equal to the preset fine-tuning threshold, the control module autonomously selects a new working unit start-stop combination based on the pre-established thrust mapping relationship table, and simultaneously determines the driving voltage parameters that match the new working unit start-stop combination, and performs drive control on the reselected working unit to achieve rapid thrust adjustment. During thrust adjustment, the injection and liquid supply status of each working unit are monitored in real time. When some working units are found to have abnormal injection, unstable liquid supply, or output attenuation, the control module will automatically reduce the participation weight of the abnormal working unit or perform a shutdown operation, and automatically call other normal working units for replacement compensation based on the thrust mapping table.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention also proposes a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control system for executing the wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control method described in any one of the first aspects, comprising: The first acquisition unit is used to acquire the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission. The design unit is used to perform a hierarchical design of the launch array of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster according to the above-mentioned target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements and system power consumption constraints, so as to form at least two working units with different thrust output levels. The hierarchical design includes reservoir porous material pore size design, emitter arrangement density design, working unit number design and working unit space partitioning design. Establishment unit, used to establish the thrust output model of each of the above working units and the thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units based on the structural parameters and driving parameters of each of the above working units; The output unit is used to select a corresponding working unit start / stop combination from multiple working units according to the target thrust command, and apply a corresponding driving voltage to the activated working unit to output a target thrust that matches the target thrust command. The second acquisition unit is used to acquire actual thrust feedback information or electrical parameter feedback information during the thrust output process. The correction unit is used to dynamically correct the start-stop combination of the working unit and the driving voltage based on the actual thrust feedback information or the electrical parameter feedback information, so as to realize the depth thrust adjustment control of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster.

[0016] Thirdly, the present invention also proposes an electronic device comprising: a memory and a processor, characterized in that the processor is used to execute a computer program stored in the memory to implement the steps of the wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control method as described in any of the first aspects.

[0017] In summary, this invention, through a hierarchical design of the launch array, enables different working units to possess differentiated liquid supply and launch capabilities, thereby achieving a balance between low-thrust high-resolution adjustment and high-thrust range expansion. Furthermore, it achieves continuous thrust output coverage across orders of magnitude from microNewtons to millinewtons, overcoming the limitations of traditional thrusters in terms of thrust range and difficulty in achieving order-of-magnitude transitions. By establishing a working unit thrust model and its combined mapping relationship, the target thrust can be directly mapped to the working unit start-stop combination and drive voltage parameters, improving the accuracy and response efficiency of thrust control. This invention employs a collaborative control strategy combining voltage regulation and working unit start-stop, making the thrust adjustment process smoother, avoiding thrust abrupt changes, and improving control stability. By introducing a dynamic correction mechanism based on feedback information, closed-loop adjustment of thrust output is achieved, and the system possesses the ability to replace abnormal working units, thereby improving system reliability and robustness. Overall, this invention improves thrust adjustment accuracy, range, and stability.

[0018] Other advantages, objectives and features of this application will be apparent in part from the description which follows, and in part from what those skilled in the art will understand through study and practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit this specification. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic flowchart illustrating the design and control method of a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster provided in this application embodiment; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the working process of an ionic liquid electro-injection thruster provided in this application embodiment; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an ionic liquid electro-injection thruster model provided in this application embodiment; Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the influence of pore size of porous reservoir materials on thruster performance, provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the design and control system structure of a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster provided for embodiments of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device structure provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus. The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will now be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them.

[0021] Please see Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a wide-thrust-range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control method provided in an embodiment of this application, which may specifically include: S110. Obtain the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements, and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission; S120. Based on the above target thrust range, the above thrust resolution requirements, the above thrust response speed requirements and the above system power consumption constraints, the launch array of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster is designed in a hierarchical manner to form at least two working units with different thrust output levels. The hierarchical design includes the pore size design of the reservoir porous material, the emitter arrangement density design, the number of working units design and the spatial partitioning design of the working units. S130. Based on the structural parameters and driving parameters of each of the above working units, establish the thrust output model of each of the above working units and the thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units. S140. According to the target thrust command, select the corresponding working unit start / stop combination from multiple working units, and apply the corresponding drive voltage to the activated working unit to output the target thrust that matches the target thrust command. S150, Obtain actual thrust feedback information or electrical parameter feedback information during the thrust output process; S160. Based on the above actual thrust feedback information or the above electrical parameter feedback information, dynamically correct the above working unit start-stop combination and the above driving voltage to realize the depth thrust adjustment control of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster.

[0022] For example, the present invention provides a design and control method for an ion liquid electro-injection thruster with deep thrust adjustment capability. First, in step S110, the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements, and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission are obtained. Specifically, based on the mission requirements of the target spacecraft, such as orbit maintenance, attitude adjustment, formation flying, precise stationary control, or minor trajectory correction, the minimum and maximum thrust values ​​that the thruster needs to cover during actual operation are determined, thus forming the target thrust range. Then, based on the target mission's requirements for the precision of thrust control, the thrust resolution requirements are determined. For example, it is determined whether thrust adjustment is achieved through continuous fine-tuning or through multiple discrete advance levels, and the minimum allowable variation between adjacent thrust levels is specified. Simultaneously, considering the requirements for thrust setup time, thrust switching time, and dynamic adjustment speed during the mission, the thrust response speed requirements are determined. Furthermore, considering the spacecraft platform's power supply capacity, the power budget allowed by the propulsion subsystem, and the energy allocation strategy for different operating stages, the system power consumption constraints are determined. By comprehensively obtaining the above parameters, we can provide clear mission boundaries and performance constraints for subsequent launch array structure design and control strategy formulation, thereby avoiding the problem of thruster design being out of touch with mission requirements.

[0023] In step S120, the entire launch array is not designed as a uniform structure, but rather divided into multiple working units with differences in liquid supply capability, jet flux capability, and thrust output capability. These different working units then undertake different functions such as fine-tuning, transitional adjustment, and extended output. For example... Figure 2As shown, the launch array can be divided into a central fine-tuning region A, an intermediate transitional tuning region B, and an outer enhanced output region C. The central region corresponds to a porous material reservoir with a smaller pore size to provide a lower but more stable and finely tuned ionic liquid supply capability. The intermediate region corresponds to a porous material reservoir with a medium pore size to handle smooth expansion within a medium thrust range. The outer region corresponds to a porous material reservoir with a larger pore size to achieve a higher liquid supply capability and a larger thrust increment. Meanwhile, in terms of emitter density design, different numbers of emitters per unit area and emitter spacing can be configured for different regions, resulting in a smaller thrust increment per activation in the central region, a moderate thrust increment in the intermediate region, and a larger thrust increment in the outer region. Regarding the design of the number of working units, the proportion of working units at each level is determined based on the required thrust range width and resolution requirements of the mission to ensure sufficient tuning fineness in the low-thrust range and sufficient expansion capability in the high-thrust range. In terms of the spatial partitioning design of the working unit, dividing the working units of different levels according to a predetermined spatial layout not only facilitates the construction of a multi-level thrust output structure, but also facilitates subsequent start-stop control according to the regional sequence, thereby improving the controllability of thrust adjustment and the feasibility of the structure. Through step S120, the thruster is no longer a single-output jet device, but is constructed as a deep thrust adjustment execution basis with multi-level, multi-region, and multi-granularity output characteristics.

[0024] After the aforementioned hierarchical design is completed, the process proceeds to step S130. Based on the structural and driving parameters of each working unit, a thrust output model for each working unit and a thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units are established. Specifically, the structural parameters determined in step S120, such as the pore size of the reservoir porous material, the number of emitters, the emitter spacing, the area of ​​the working unit, the partition location of the working unit, and the geometric relationship between the emitter and the extractor, need to be correlated with driving parameters such as the driving voltage range, the expected operating current range, and the liquid supply state. This establishes a correspondence between the injection state and output thrust of a single working unit under different driving conditions. Furthermore, the individual output capabilities of multiple working units are coupled according to the number of activations, activation order, regional combination method, and voltage configuration method to form a thrust mapping relationship covering the low-thrust, medium-thrust, and high-thrust ranges. This enables the system to quickly deduce which working units should be activated and what voltage parameters should be applied given a target thrust requirement. By establishing the aforementioned thrust output model and thrust mapping relationship, not only can the online computational complexity of the subsequent control process be reduced, but thrust regulation can also be transformed from empirical control to structured control with mapping basis.

[0025] After model establishment is completed, step S140 is entered. Based on the target thrust command, a corresponding combination of start / stop working units is selected from multiple working units, and a corresponding drive voltage is applied to the activated working units to output a target thrust matching the target thrust command. Specifically, when the target thrust command is in the low thrust range, one or more low-level working units in the central fine-tuning region are preferentially activated, and fine-grained thrust output is achieved through continuous adjustment of the drive voltage over a small range. When the target thrust command is in the medium thrust range, while maintaining the activation of working units in the central region, some working units in the intermediate transition region are selectively activated, and a smooth thrust expansion is achieved through working unit combination switching and coordinated adjustment of the drive voltage. When the target thrust command is in the high thrust range, working units in the peripheral enhanced output region are further activated on top of the aforementioned steps to construct a larger jet flux and higher thrust output capability. It's important to note that this step doesn't simply increase thrust by uniformly raising the drive voltage of the entire array. Instead, it employs a control approach of first combining and then fine-tuning, or combining and fine-tuning in parallel. This means first selecting appropriate levels and numbers of working units based on the target thrust range, and then applying corresponding drive voltages to the selected units. This avoids excessively raising the voltage in a single area, which could lead to injection instability, increased power consumption, or decreased control resolution. This region-based, level-based, and combination-based start-stop control method enables continuously adjustable output over a wide thrust range.

[0026] After obtaining the actual thrust output in step S140, the process proceeds to step S150 to acquire actual thrust feedback information or electrical parameter feedback information during the thrust output process. Specifically, the actual thrust feedback information can be directly acquired by a micro-thrust measurement device, used to characterize the true deviation between the current output thrust and the target thrust; while the electrical parameter feedback information can include parameters such as driving voltage, driving current, beam current, emission current, working unit conduction status and its changing trend, used to indirectly reflect the current injection status, liquid supply status, and the working health status of each working unit. In some embodiments, when the system has high-precision thrust measurement conditions, the actual thrust value can be preferentially used as the basis for closed-loop correction. When the system has difficulty directly measuring thrust in real time, the current output status can also be estimated by combining the electrical parameter feedback information with a preset thrust model; in further embodiments, the actual thrust feedback information and the electrical parameter feedback information can be fused to balance feedback accuracy and control real-time performance. Through step S150, the system can sense in real time whether the current thrust output has reached the expected level, and can identify whether some working units have problems such as jet attenuation, insufficient liquid supply or abnormal output, providing data support for subsequent dynamic correction.

[0027] After obtaining feedback information, the process proceeds to step S160. Based on the actual thrust feedback information or the electrical parameter feedback information, the start-stop combination of the working units and the driving voltage are dynamically corrected to achieve deep thrust regulation control of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster. Specifically, the deviation between the target thrust and the current actual output thrust is first calculated, or the degree of difference between the current output state and the desired output state is calculated based on the relationship between electrical parameters and the thrust model. When the deviation is within a small range, fine-grained compensation is achieved by slightly increasing or decreasing the driving voltage of the currently activated working units, thereby maintaining control continuity and reducing start-stop disturbances. When the deviation exceeds a preset range, or when voltage regulation alone is insufficient to meet the target thrust requirement, the thrust mapping relationship established in step S130 is re-invoked, and the start-stop combination of the working units is adjusted. For example, new working units may be added to participate in injection, some working units with excessive output may be shut down, or the activation ratio between different level regions may be redistributed. When an individual working unit is detected to have abnormal output, delayed response, unstable liquid supply, or jet attenuation, the priority of the corresponding working unit in the activation combination can be reduced, and if necessary, it can be shut down. Other normally operating units can then be called upon to replace the output, thus maintaining the stability and reliability of the overall thrust output. Through the above dynamic correction mechanism, the system can not only achieve a wide range of adjustment from low to high thrust, but also maintain high control accuracy, good response speed, and strong operational stability during thrust changes, thereby truly realizing deep thrust regulation control of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster.

[0028] It should be noted that a typical electro-injection device mainly consists of three parts: a supply system, an emitter, and an extractor, as shown in Figure 1. Its thrust generation mechanism can be briefly described as follows: a high voltage is applied between the emitter and extractor to create a strong electric field, causing induced charges on the liquid surface, which then evolve into a Taylor cone structure under the influence of the electric field. The electric field is most concentrated at the apex of the cone, from which ions can be directly extracted or charged droplets can be generated through jet fragmentation. After acceleration by the electric field, these droplets are ejected to generate thrust.

[0029] like Figure 2As shown, electro-jet spraying is a complex electrohydrodynamic process consisting of three stages: cone jet formation and evolution, jet development, and plume diffusion. When a conductive liquid is placed in a strong electric field, its internal charges migrate and accumulate on the liquid surface, causing deformation under the drive of the electric field. As the electric field strength increases, the liquid is simultaneously affected by both the electric field force and surface tension. When these two forces reach equilibrium, the liquid surface stabilizes into a cone-shaped structure, forming a Taylor cone. A continuously increasing electric field disrupts this equilibrium with surface tension, further stretching the liquid into an extremely fine jet at the cone tip. This jet breaks apart at its tip due to its inherent instability, forming charged droplets or directly dissociating into ions. In the stable cone jet mode (forming a stable Taylor cone), by controlling the flow rate, pure ion mode, droplet mode, and ion-droplet mixed mode can be achieved. In general, capillary emitters typically employ active supply, have a high operating flow rate, and are easy to implement droplet mode and ion droplet mixing mode; externally wetted and porous media types mainly rely on capillary action and electric field to passively supply liquid, with extremely low flow rates, and are easy to implement pure ion mode.

[0030] In droplet emission mode, the beam extraction mechanism can be divided into three steps: the charged jet first breaks at its tip to generate charged droplets, which then diverge outward due to Coulomb repulsion and continue to fragment during their motion, gradually completing the transformation from a jet to a spray beam. In pure ion emission mode, however, there is no jet; ions are directly extracted from the cone tip to form a beam and are accelerated outward. The beam is further diffused in a vacuum environment by the thruster to form a plume, which needs to be neutralized in time to prevent the accumulation of charge in the surrounding space.

[0031] In this invention, regarding the material pore configuration, considering the thrust adjustment requirements and uniform thrust distribution, two to three different pore materials can be used, such as... Figure 3 The nine thruster combinations shown can be configured with one type of pore at the four corners and another type of pore for the five in the middle, and so on. Regarding the number of emitters per unit area, assuming the thrust generated by a single tip is fixed and unaffected by other tips, the total thrust is proportional to the number of emitters. For thruster voltage adjustment, the supply voltage can be adjusted while selecting which thrusters to power, depending on the thrust adjustment requirements. Regarding the number of thrusters, combining multiple thrusters to form a cube with one side, such as 4, 9, or 16, allows for flexible adjustment based on the thrust range. Both controlling the number of emitters per unit area and controlling the number of thruster working units are assumed to be individually stable and independent of each other; therefore, the total thrust is the product of these two factors. The following mainly explains the control of emitter and reservoir porous material pore configuration and thruster voltage control.

[0032] Assuming its electrical energy is completely converted into the kinetic energy of the emitted charged particles, according to the law of conservation of energy and the momentum theorem: For continuous flow: =P=IU Where m is the mass (kg) of a single ion. Mass flow rate (kg / s) represents the mass of propellant ejected per unit time, v is the ion ejection velocity (m / s), q is the charge of a single ion (C), e is the elementary charge (approximately 1.602 × 10⁻¹⁹ C), I is the beam current (A), U is the accelerating voltage (V), e is the elementary charge, M is the ion mass, and F is the thrust (N), which is generated by the momentum change of the ejected ions. If the propellant is EMI-BF4, M = 309.1 in positive mode and M = 284.8 in negative mode, assuming that all emitted ions are monovalent.

[0033] The theoretical thrust F of the thruster can be calculated as follows: F It is easy to see from the formula that, assuming that its electrical energy is completely converted into the kinetic energy of the emitted charged particles and that all emitted ions are monovalent ions, the square of the thrust is proportional to the voltage, the thrust is proportional to the mass flow rate, and the mass flow rate is closely related to the porosity of the material.

[0034] An interfacial pressure can be generated between the reservoir porous material and the emitter porous material. As the input pressure of the Taylor cone bend liquid surface.

[0035] From Poiseuille's law, we can obtain: In the formula The interfacial pressure on the surface of the charged Taylor cone meniscus. For volumetric flow rate, For hydraulic resistance, This refers to reservoir pressure.

[0036] in, θ is the surface tension coefficient (N / m), θ is the contact angle (rad or °), and cosθ is the wetting coefficient. The interfacial pressure is measured in Pa. The reservoir capillary pressure is (Pa). The reservoir pore size is in meters (m). The emitter aperture is in meters (m).

[0037] For ionic liquids, the propellant is EMI-BF4. =50mN / m, under ideal wetting conditions , This is the emitter pore.

[0038] like Figure 4 As shown, for irregular channels, when the reservoir pore size is large, the reservoir flow resistance is small and negligible. The dominant factors are the emitter flow resistance and the reservoir substrate impedance. Therefore, the emitter tip flow resistance... for: Where K is the geometric correction coefficient (dimensionless). Let be the radius of curvature at the tip (m). is the cone half-angle (rad), and h is the cone height (m). The dynamic viscosity is measured in Pa·s. Ionic liquids have a higher dynamic viscosity, with EMI-BF4 being approximately 40 mPa·s.

[0039] reservoir substrate impedance for: Where k is the permeability (m²). Let L be the emitter spacing (m), L be the emitter substrate thickness (m), and x and y be dimensionless coordinates. X represents porosity. e , which are dimensionless coordinates of the starting position of the launch area.

[0040] For the center tip, the hydraulic resistance of the tapered tip dominates, while the contribution of the edge tip becomes comparable to the resistance of the plate.

[0041] + Where Z is the total hydraulic resistance (Pa·s / m³). The flow resistance in the Taylor cone region is given in Pa·s / m³. The flow resistance of the reservoir substrate is given in Pa·s / m³.

[0042] The volumetric flow rate Q can be obtained by rearranging the parameters: in, is the surface tension coefficient (N / m). The equivalent pore size of the porous medium in the reservoir. Z represents the interfacial pressure (Pa) and Z represents the total hydraulic resistance (Pa·s / m³).

[0043] The relationship between mass flow rate and volumetric flow rate is as follows: For propellant density, when the propellant is EMI-BF4, take... =1.28 Therefore, changing the pore configuration of the material can alter the reservoir pressure, thereby changing the pressure differential and thus the flow rate, achieving the purpose of controlling the thrust of the thruster.

[0044] In summary, this invention employs a hierarchical design of the launch array, spatially partitioning working units with different apertures, multi-stage liquid supply capabilities, and emitter density. This enables the thruster to possess multi-scale output capabilities at the structural level, achieving high-resolution fine-tuning in the low-thrust range and wide-range thrust expansion in the high-thrust range, effectively overcoming the limitations of traditional single-structure thrusters in terms of adjustment range and precision. Furthermore, by establishing a working unit thrust output model and its combination mapping relationship, this invention establishes a clear correspondence between the target thrust and the working unit activation combination and drive voltage, transforming the thrust adjustment process from experience-driven to model-driven. This significantly improves the accuracy and response efficiency of thrust control while reducing control complexity. Simultaneously, by introducing a segmented thrust control strategy, differentiated working unit start-up and shutdown and voltage adjustment methods are used in different thrust ranges, making the thrust output process smoother and avoiding the thrust step changes caused by traditional on / off control. This invention proposes a collaborative control strategy combining voltage-priority regulation and step-by-step start / stop of working units. During thrust increases and decreases, fine-grained changes are achieved primarily through continuous voltage regulation, with working units added or removed only when necessary. This significantly improves the continuity and stability of thrust changes while maintaining the regulation range. Furthermore, by introducing a dynamic closed-loop correction mechanism based on thrust feedback or electrical parameter feedback, thrust control is divided into two levels: fine-tuning with small deviations and combined reconfiguration with large deviations. Combined with abnormal working unit identification and replacement compensation strategies, the system can maintain stable output under complex operating conditions, improving the robustness and reliability of the thruster. This invention achieves a balance between thrust regulation range and regulation accuracy, and also improves thrust response speed, regulation smoothness, energy consumption control, and system stability.

[0045] In one feasible implementation, the acquisition of the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements, and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission includes: To obtain the minimum and maximum thrust requirements of the target space flight mission under orbit maintenance, attitude adjustment, precision maneuvering or formation control conditions, so as to determine the above-mentioned target thrust range; To obtain the thrust stepping accuracy or continuous adjustment accuracy requirements of the aforementioned target spaceflight mission, in order to determine the aforementioned thrust resolution requirements; The thrust build-up time requirement during attitude maneuvering is obtained in order to determine the aforementioned thrust response speed requirement; Obtain the power supply capacity of the entire platform or the allowable power consumption range for a single maneuver in order to determine the power consumption constraints of the aforementioned system.

[0046] For example, the process of obtaining the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements, and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission is a process of unified modeling and constraint extraction of thruster design and control boundary conditions. Specifically, firstly, the target space flight mission is divided into mission scenarios, decomposing the mission into typical working states such as orbit maintenance, attitude adjustment, precision maneuvering, or formation control, and then analyzing the thrust level required by the propulsion system under each working state. In particular, by calculating or simulating the dynamic requirements under various working conditions, the minimum and maximum thrust requirements that the thruster needs to cover are obtained, thereby determining the aforementioned target thrust range. This ensures that the thruster can meet both the low thrust requirements for minor disturbance correction and the high thrust requirements for rapid orbit adjustment or maneuver control.

[0047] Based on the determined thrust range, the next step is to obtain the precision requirements of the target mission for thrust adjustment. For example, in precision formation flight or high-precision attitude control missions, thrust is typically required to be discretely adjusted in small steps, or to achieve near-continuous smooth changes. Therefore, it is necessary to define the minimum adjustable thrust increment or the allowable thrust error range to determine the aforementioned thrust resolution requirements. This step constrains the minimum output granularity of each working unit in subsequent hierarchical design and the thrust intervals between different levels, thereby avoiding problems such as discontinuous adjustment or insufficient precision.

[0048] For attitude maneuvering or rapid response control scenarios, parameters such as thrust setup time, thrust switching time, or thrust dynamic response time are obtained to determine the aforementioned thrust response speed requirements. Specifically, the maximum allowable time delay from command issuance to stable output of thrust can be determined through time constraint analysis of the mission control law or flight control system. This provides a time constraint basis for the start-up and shutdown sequence of working units, voltage regulation rate, and combined switching strategies in subsequent control strategies.

[0049] By considering the overall energy system capabilities of the spacecraft platform, a constraint analysis is performed on the power supply. For example, based on the spacecraft's power system output capability, battery capacity, solar power status, and energy allocation strategies for different mission phases, the permissible power consumption range for a single maneuver or the average power limit during continuous operation is obtained, thereby determining the aforementioned system power consumption constraints. This step allows for limitations on the number of simultaneously active working units and the upper limit of the drive voltage during subsequent thruster design and control processes, preventing excessive power consumption from affecting the stable operation of the entire system.

[0050] Through the above process, the mission requirements are transformed into quantifiable thrust range constraints, resolution constraints, response time constraints, and power consumption constraints. This provides clear design basis and optimization goals for the subsequent hierarchical design of the launch array and the formulation of control strategies, thereby ensuring that the thruster can meet the mission requirements of multiple scenarios in actual applications, while also taking into account adjustment accuracy, response speed, and energy efficiency.

[0051] In one feasible implementation, the above-described hierarchical design of the launch array for the ion liquid electro-injection thruster includes: The aforementioned transmission array is divided into a central fine adjustment unit, an intermediate transition adjustment unit, and an outer enhancement adjustment unit; The aforementioned central fine adjustment unit is equipped with a porous reservoir with a first-diameter aperture and a first-level liquid supply capability to form a low-thrust, high-resolution output capability. The aforementioned intermediate transition regulation unit is equipped with a porous reservoir with a second aperture and a second-level liquid supply capability to form a medium-thrust regulation capability. The aforementioned peripheral enhancement and regulation unit is configured with a porous reservoir with a third aperture and a third level of liquid supply capability to form a high thrust extension output capability, wherein the first aperture is smaller than the second aperture, the second aperture is smaller than the third aperture, the first level is smaller than the second level, and the second level is smaller than the third level.

[0052] For example, the process of hierarchically designing the launch array of an ion liquid electro-injection thruster essentially involves spatially stratifying the liquid supply capacity and injection flux capacity to enable the thruster to achieve multi-scale thrust output capabilities at the structural level. Specifically, the overall launch array is first divided into three functional regions according to predetermined rules: a central fine-tuning unit, an intermediate transitional tuning unit, and an outer enhancement tuning unit. The central region primarily handles low-thrust fine-tuning, the intermediate region facilitates smooth thrust transition, and the outer region enables significant thrust expansion. This inside-out partitioning approach creates a spatially progressive thrust output structure, from fine-tuning to transitional and enhancement.

[0053] In the specific implementation process, a porous reservoir with a first pore size is configured for the aforementioned central fine adjustment unit, and a first-level liquid supply capability is provided. Due to the small size of the first pore, the corresponding capillary effect is strong, the liquid supply process is more stable and the flow rate is lower, so that the region can generate a small amplitude and continuously adjustable injection flux during operation, thereby achieving low thrust and high resolution output characteristics, which is suitable for scenarios such as minor disturbance correction or precision attitude control.

[0054] For the aforementioned intermediate transition adjustment unit, a porous reservoir with a second pore size is configured, providing a second level of liquid supply capability. Compared to the central region, the second pore size is appropriately increased, thereby enhancing the liquid supply capability and correspondingly increasing the injection flux. This allows the region to provide moderate thrust output over a wider range. Simultaneously, this region plays a crucial role in thrust adjustment, bridging the gap between low and high thrust ranges. When thrust demand transitions from a low-thrust to a high-thrust range, the working units in this region can be gradually activated, achieving a smooth thrust increase and avoiding sudden thrust spikes or control instability caused by directly activating the high-thrust region.

[0055] For the aforementioned peripheral enhanced control unit, a porous reservoir with a third pore size is configured, providing a third level of liquid supply capability. Since this third pore size is the largest, its liquid transport capacity is the strongest, enabling the generation of a large injection flux under higher driving voltage conditions, thereby achieving high thrust output capability to meet the high thrust requirements of scenarios such as orbital maneuvers or rapid attitude adjustments. By arranging the high-supply-capability working unit in the peripheral region, structural interference with the central fine-tuning region can also be reduced, improving the overall thrust output stability.

[0056] It should be noted that the first aperture is smaller than the second aperture, the second aperture is smaller than the third aperture, and the first-level liquid supply capacity is smaller than the second-level liquid supply capacity, which in turn is smaller than the third-level liquid supply capacity. This creates a one-to-one progressive relationship between structural parameters and functional output. This progressive relationship allows working units in different regions to generate significantly differentiated thrust increments upon activation, facilitating subsequent multi-scale thrust superposition control through working unit combinations.

[0057] By adopting the above-mentioned hierarchical design method, the originally homogeneous launch array is transformed into a structural system with multi-level output characteristics. This makes thrust regulation no longer dependent on continuous adjustment of a single voltage, but can be achieved in a coordinated manner through structural hierarchies, combined start-stop and voltage fine-tuning. This ensures the adjustment accuracy in the low thrust range while taking into account the output capability in the high thrust range, and effectively improves the continuity, stability and controllability of thrust regulation.

[0058] In one feasible implementation, the emitter density design and the number of working cells in the above-described hierarchical design include: Based on the liquid supply capacity and injection flux requirements corresponding to different thrust levels, determine the number of emitters, emitter spacing, and emitter density per unit area in each of the above working units. Control the first number of emitters or the first unit area emitter arrangement density corresponding to the above-mentioned central fine adjustment unit; Control the number of emitters corresponding to the second quantity or the emitter density per unit area of ​​the above intermediate transition adjustment unit; Control the number of emitters or the emitter density per unit area corresponding to the third number of peripheral enhancement adjustment units, wherein the first number is less than the second number, the second number is less than the third number, the emitter density per unit area is less than the emitter density per unit area, and the emitter density per unit area is less than the emitter density per unit area. Based on the number of the above-mentioned working units at each level, different levels of basic thrust output capabilities are formed.

[0059] For example, the emitter density design and the number of working units in the above-mentioned graded design are based on the already completed gradation of reservoir pore size and liquid supply capacity. This further refines the distribution of the injection sources, thereby achieving synergistic optimization of thrust output granularity and thrust propagation capability. Specifically, firstly, based on the liquid supply capacity and injection flux requirements corresponding to different thrust levels, the number of emitters, emitter spacing, and emitter density per unit area within each working unit are determined, ensuring that the spatial distribution of the emitters matches the thrust output function undertaken by that level of working unit. Through this process, a coordinated relationship can be established between liquid supply capacity and injection capacity, avoiding situations of excessive liquid supply capacity or insufficient injection capacity, thus ensuring the stability and efficiency of the injection process.

[0060] In terms of specific allocation strategy, the aforementioned central fine adjustment unit controls the corresponding first number of emitters or the first emitter density per unit area. Since this region mainly undertakes low-thrust, high-resolution adjustment tasks, it is preferable to configure a smaller number of emitters or a lower density, so that the thrust increment generated by a single activation is smaller, thereby improving the fineness of thrust adjustment and reducing the discrete jump amplitude between different adjustment steps.

[0061] For the aforementioned intermediate transition adjustment unit, the number of emitters or the emitter density per unit area corresponding to the second number of emitters is controlled. Compared to the central region, the number and density of emitters in this region are moderately increased, enabling it to provide a larger jet flux and thrust increment when activated, thereby establishing a smooth transition channel between low and high thrust. During thrust adjustment, by gradually introducing working units in this region, abrupt changes in thrust output can be effectively avoided, improving the continuity of the adjustment process.

[0062] For the aforementioned peripheral enhancement adjustment unit, the number of emitters or the emitter density per unit area corresponding to the third number of emitters is controlled. Since this region is mainly used to achieve high thrust output, it is preferable to configure a larger number of emitters or a higher density of emitters so that it can provide a larger jet flux during operation, thereby rapidly improving the overall thrust level to meet the needs of high thrust scenarios.

[0063] It should be noted that the first quantity is less than the second quantity, the second quantity is less than the third quantity, and the first emitter density per unit area is less than the second emitter density per unit area, which in turn is less than the third emitter density per unit area. This creates a progressive relationship in emission capability between different levels of working units. This progressive relationship complements the liquid supply capability gradient formed by reservoir pore size classification, thereby achieving consistent design in both liquid supply capability and emission capability.

[0064] By combining and configuring the number of the aforementioned working units at each level, multiple discrete and superimposed basic thrust output units can be constructed. For example, in the low thrust range, output is mainly achieved by a small number of working units in the central fine-tuning unit; in the medium thrust range, thrust is increased by superimposing multiple working units in the central and intermediate regions; and in the high thrust range, a large-flux jet output is formed by simultaneously activating multiple peripheral region working units. Thus, thrust output no longer depends on the adjustment of a single parameter, but rather forms a multi-scale, multi-granularity thrust output system through a combination of "launcher number gradation + arrangement density gradation + working unit combination".

[0065] By designing the emitter density and the number of working units as described above, we can not only improve the adjustment accuracy in the low-thrust range, but also enhance the output capability in the high-thrust range. At the same time, we can maintain good continuity and stability during thrust adjustment, thereby further improving the overall performance of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster.

[0066] In one feasible implementation, the establishment of the thrust output model for each of the aforementioned working units and the thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units includes: Obtain the porous material pore size parameters, emitter quantity parameters, emitter spacing parameters, emitter-extraction electrode spacing parameters, and driving voltage range parameters corresponding to each of the above working units; Based on the above-mentioned porous material pore size parameters, the above-mentioned emitter number parameters, the above-mentioned emitter spacing parameters, the above-mentioned emitter-extraction electrode spacing parameters, and the above-mentioned driving voltage range parameters, establish the correspondence between the liquid supply capacity and jet thrust of each of the above-mentioned working units under different driving voltages. The individual output relationships and combined output relationships of each of the above working units are coupled to generate the above thrust mapping relationship between the target thrust and the number of working units activated, the activation area, and the driving voltage.

[0067] For example, the process of establishing the thrust output model of each of the above-mentioned working units and the thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units involves unifying the structural design parameters and electric drive parameters into a single model. Specifically, the porous material pore size parameters, emitter number parameters, emitter spacing parameters, emitter-extractor spacing parameters, and drive voltage range parameters corresponding to each of the above-mentioned working units are first obtained. Among them, the porous material pore size parameters are used to characterize the liquid supply capacity in the capillary structure; the emitter number parameters and emitter spacing parameters are used to characterize the number of effective emission sources that can participate in the jet per unit time and their spatial distribution characteristics; the emitter-extractor spacing parameters are used to affect the electric field intensity distribution and jet stability; and the drive voltage range parameters directly determine the working range in which the liquid is stretched by the electric field and forms a jet stream.

[0068] After obtaining the above parameters, based on the pore size parameters of the porous material, the number of emitters, the emitter spacing, the emitter-extractor spacing, and the driving voltage range, a correspondence between the liquid supply capacity and jet thrust of each of the above working units under different driving voltage conditions is established. Specifically, the liquid supply flow rate can be correlated with the intensity of the charged jet stream formed under the action of the electric field through theoretical modeling, numerical simulation, or experimental calibration, and the jet stream parameters can be further mapped to thrust output values, thereby obtaining the thrust response curves of a single working unit under different voltage levels. In this process, the differences in liquid supply capacity corresponding to different pore sizes, the superposition effect of jet sources corresponding to different numbers of emitters, and the influence of electric field intensity distribution on jet stability are all incorporated into the model, so that the obtained thrust output model can more accurately reflect the actual working state.

[0069] After establishing the thrust output model for a single working unit, the individual and combined output relationships of each working unit are further coupled to generate the thrust mapping relationship between the target thrust and the number of working units activated, the activation area, and the driving voltage. Specifically, by superimposing or experimentally calibrating the thrust output of different working units under different activation combinations, a multi-dimensional mapping relationship is formed, enabling the system to deduce the number of working units to be activated, their respective areas, and the corresponding driving voltage configuration given a target thrust. Simultaneously, during the construction of the combined relationship, the mutual influence between working units in different areas, such as electric field coupling effects, liquid supply competition effects, and thermal effects, can be considered to correct the combined output relationship, making the mapping result closer to the actual operating state.

[0070] Through the above process, a complete thrust mapping relationship covering the low-thrust, medium-thrust, and high-thrust ranges is constructed. This enables thruster control to no longer rely on single parameter adjustment, but instead directly map the target thrust command to a set of control parameters for the working unit activation combination and drive voltage configuration through table lookup or rapid calculation. This significantly improves the response speed and control accuracy of thrust adjustment and provides a reliable model basis for subsequent closed-loop control.

[0071] In one feasible implementation, the above-mentioned selection of a corresponding working unit start / stop combination from a plurality of working units according to the target thrust command, and application of a corresponding drive voltage to the activated working unit to output a target thrust matching the target thrust command, includes: When the target thrust command is in the first thrust range, only the central fine adjustment unit is activated, and fine-grained thrust output is achieved by continuously adjusting the drive voltage of the central fine adjustment unit. When the target thrust command is in the second thrust range, the central fine adjustment unit and the intermediate transition adjustment unit are activated, and the medium-range thrust output is achieved through working unit combination switching and voltage coordinated adjustment. When the target thrust command is in the third thrust range, the central fine adjustment unit, the intermediate transition adjustment unit, and the peripheral enhancement adjustment unit are activated, and high thrust output is achieved through the superposition of multi-level working units and graded voltage adjustment. The maximum value of the first thrust range is less than the minimum value of the second thrust range, and the maximum value of the second thrust range is less than the minimum value of the third thrust range.

[0072] For example, the process of selecting the start / stop combination of working units and applying the driving voltage according to the target thrust command described above is a concrete transformation of the previously established thrust mapping relationship into a partitioned and hierarchical execution control strategy. Specifically, the overall thrust adjustment range is first divided into a first thrust interval, a second thrust interval, and a third thrust interval, wherein the maximum value of the first thrust interval is less than the minimum value of the second thrust interval, and the maximum value of the second thrust interval is less than the minimum value of the third thrust interval, thereby forming a non-overlapping and continuously connected interval division structure between different thrust intervals. Through this interval division method, thrust requirements of different magnitudes can be mapped one-to-one with working units of different levels, thereby reducing control complexity and improving adjustment stability.

[0073] When the target thrust command is within the first thrust range, only the central fine adjustment unit is activated for thrust output. Because the central fine adjustment unit corresponds to a smaller aperture and lower emitter density, its single-output thrust is smaller and its adjustment sensitivity is higher. Therefore, within this range, fine-grained thrust variation control can be achieved by continuously fine-tuning its driving voltage. In this process, a small-step voltage adjustment strategy is preferred, allowing the thrust output to change in a nearly continuous manner, thereby meeting the requirements for high-precision control and avoiding sudden thrust changes introduced by switching of operating units.

[0074] When the target thrust command is in the second thrust range, the intermediate transition adjustment unit is activated while keeping the central fine adjustment unit active. At this point, the thrust output is contributed by both the central and intermediate regions, with the central region continuing its fine adjustment function and the intermediate region providing a larger base thrust increment. By introducing a working unit combination switching mechanism within this range—selecting between different combinations of working unit numbers—and coordinating with the drive voltage adjustment, smooth thrust changes within a moderate range can be achieved. For example, as thrust gradually increases, the drive voltage of the central region can be prioritized. Once it reaches its stable operating upper limit, the working units in the intermediate region are gradually activated, and their voltages are adjusted, thus achieving continuous thrust expansion without significant jumps.

[0075] When the target thrust command is located in the third thrust range, the peripheral enhancement adjustment unit is further activated, in addition to the central fine adjustment unit and the intermediate transition adjustment unit already being activated. Since the peripheral region corresponds to a larger aperture and higher emitter density, its single activation can bring a significant thrust increment. Therefore, within this range, high thrust output capability can be quickly constructed by superimposing the activation of multiple working units. Simultaneously, to avoid excessively coarse thrust changes or drastic fluctuations, the driving voltage of different regions can still be adjusted in stages while activating the peripheral region working units. That is, fine voltage fine-tuning is performed in the central region, medium-amplitude adjustment in the intermediate region, and larger-amplitude adjustment in the peripheral region, thus maintaining a certain level of adjustment accuracy while achieving high thrust output.

[0076] By employing the aforementioned segmented control strategy, the thrust adjustment process is divided into three stages: fine adjustment at low thrust, smooth transition at medium thrust, and extended output at high thrust. This allows different levels of working units to play a dominant role within their respective suitable thrust ranges. Furthermore, through the coordinated operation of working unit start-stop and drive voltage regulation, continuous and adjustable thrust output over a wide range is achieved. This method effectively avoids the limitations in adjustment range or insufficient precision caused by traditional methods that rely solely on voltage regulation or working unit on / off control. Consequently, it significantly improves the adaptability and control performance of ion liquid EFI thrusters in various mission scenarios.

[0077] In one feasible implementation, the specific processes for achieving medium-range thrust output and high thrust output include: Under the premise of meeting the above target thrust requirements, work units are invoked based on the principle of minimizing the number of calls; When the thrust increment requirement cannot be met by voltage regulation alone, a new working unit as described above is added and put into operation. When the thrust decreases below a preset threshold, the drive voltage of the activated working unit is reduced. When further reducing the drive voltage would lead to insufficient injection stability, the corresponding working unit mentioned above is shut down to reduce thrust output and minimize output fluctuations during thrust adjustment.

[0078] For example, the specific process of achieving range thrust output and high thrust output in the above implementation is a process of coordinating the start-up and shutdown sequence of working units and the driving voltage adjustment strategy under the premise of meeting the target thrust requirements. Its core lies in achieving the continuity and stability of thrust output through the control principle of prioritizing a small number of units, gradually superimposing them, and smoothly exiting.

[0079] Specifically, during thrust adjustment, the strategy prioritizes activating the minimum number of working units required to meet the target thrust requirements. This means that the strategy selects the minimum number of working units needed to achieve the current target thrust. This approach effectively reduces overall system power consumption, minimizes electric field coupling interference and liquid supply competition caused by multiple working units operating simultaneously, and also improves the response efficiency and adjustment accuracy of the control system.

[0080] During the gradual increase of thrust, it is preferable to first adjust the drive voltage of the currently activated working units to achieve the thrust increase. When voltage adjustment alone cannot meet the thrust increment requirements, i.e., when the drive voltage of the current working unit is close to the stable operating limit or further increasing the voltage may cause problems such as injection instability and excessive energy consumption, then a new working unit is added to the activation state. Through this strategy of adjusting voltage first and then expanding units, the adjustment capability of the activated working units can be utilized as much as possible, thereby reducing thrust fluctuations caused by frequent start-stop operations.

[0081] During the thrust reduction process, a hierarchical control strategy is employed, which is the opposite of the thrust increase process. When the thrust decreases below a preset threshold, the drive voltage of the activated operating units is preferentially reduced, allowing the thrust output to decrease gradually and continuously, thus avoiding the thrust drop problem caused by directly shutting down the operating units. If further reducing the drive voltage would lead to insufficient injection stability, such as intermittent injection, insufficient flow, or unstable electric field, the corresponding operating units are then shut down to further reduce the thrust output. During the shutdown process, it is preferable to exit step-by-step from high-level operating units to low-level operating units, making the thrust change process smoother.

[0082] Through the aforementioned control process, a progressive strategy of prioritizing voltage adjustment and gradually adding working units is formed during the thrust increase phase, while a symmetrical strategy of prioritizing voltage reduction and gradually withdrawing working units is formed during the thrust decrease phase. This achieves continuous transition and stable output throughout the entire thrust adjustment process. This method effectively avoids the thrust abrupt change problem caused by traditional direct start-stop of working units, and also overcomes the limited adjustment range problem of relying solely on voltage adjustment. It enables the ion liquid electro-injection thruster to balance adjustment accuracy, response smoothness, and operational stability in the medium and high thrust ranges.

[0083] In one feasible implementation, the above-mentioned dynamic correction of the working unit start-stop combination and the driving voltage based on the above-mentioned actual thrust feedback information or the above-mentioned electrical parameter feedback information includes: Calculate the thrust deviation between the target thrust and the actual thrust; When the thrust deviation value is less than the preset fine-tuning threshold, the current start-stop combination of the working unit remains unchanged, and the control module autonomously adjusts the driving voltage of the currently activated working unit continuously by increment or decrement to achieve fine thrust compensation. When the thrust deviation value is greater than or equal to the preset fine-tuning threshold, the control module autonomously selects a new working unit start-stop combination based on the pre-established thrust mapping relationship table, and simultaneously determines the driving voltage parameters that match the new working unit start-stop combination, and performs drive control on the reselected working unit to achieve rapid thrust adjustment. During thrust adjustment, the injection and liquid supply status of each working unit are monitored in real time. When some working units are found to have abnormal injection, unstable liquid supply, or output attenuation, the control module will automatically reduce the participation weight of the abnormal working unit or perform a shutdown operation, and automatically call other normal working units for replacement compensation based on the thrust mapping table.

[0084] For example, the process of dynamically correcting the start-stop combination and drive voltage of the working unit based on actual thrust feedback information or electrical parameter feedback information essentially constructs a closed-loop thrust control mechanism with hierarchical decision-making capabilities. Its core idea is to divide the thrust adjustment process into different control levels and achieve coordinated control of voltage regulation and structural reconfiguration through a feedback-driven adaptive strategy.

[0085] Specifically, the current thrust is first estimated by acquiring real-time actual thrust feedback information, or by combining electrical parameters such as current and voltage with a pre-established thrust model. Then, the thrust deviation between the target thrust and the current thrust is calculated. This thrust deviation value characterizes the degree of deviation between the current system output state and the target state, and is a key basis for subsequent control decisions.

[0086] Based on this, a preset fine-tuning threshold is introduced to classify thrust deviation. When the thrust deviation is less than the preset fine-tuning threshold, it indicates that the system is close to the fine-tuning range of the target thrust. In this case, it is preferable to keep the current start / stop combination of the working unit unchanged, and the control module continuously and slightly increases or decreases the driving voltage of the activated working unit. In this way, high-resolution continuous thrust correction can be achieved without changing the launch structure, effectively avoiding thrust fluctuations caused by frequent start / stop of working units, thereby improving output stability and control accuracy.

[0087] When the thrust deviation is greater than or equal to the preset fine-tuning threshold, it indicates a significant gap between the current thrust output and the target thrust, making timely compensation difficult using only voltage fine-tuning. In this case, the control module autonomously makes a decision based on the thrust mapping table, reselecting the appropriate start / stop combination of the working units to match the target thrust, and simultaneously determining the corresponding drive voltage parameters. By increasing or decreasing the number of working units involved in injection, combined with coordinated adjustment of voltage parameters, the system can complete the thrust level transition in a short time, achieving rapid and effective thrust regulation. This process not only improves regulation efficiency but also avoids the instability risks associated with operation under extreme voltage conditions.

[0088] Furthermore, during thrust adjustment and continuous operation, the system monitors the injection and fluid supply status of each working unit in real time. When abnormal injection, unstable fluid supply, or output attenuation is detected in certain working units, the control module can identify the abnormal unit based on feedback information and dynamically adjust its role in the current combination, such as reducing its participation weight or directly executing a shutdown operation. Simultaneously, by calling other normally functioning units for substitution and compensation, the overall thrust output is maintained within the target range. This dynamic reconfiguration and substitution mechanism gives the system a certain degree of fault tolerance, enabling stable operation even under partial failures or performance fluctuations.

[0089] In summary, this implementation divides the thrust control process into two levels: "fine voltage adjustment" and "working unit combination reconfiguration," and introduces an anomaly handling and alternative compensation mechanism based on state monitoring, forming a multi-level, adaptive closed-loop control system. This system can achieve continuous, smooth, and high-precision thrust adjustment within different thrust level ranges, while maintaining good response speed and stability during thrust changes across magnitudes, thereby significantly improving the applicability and reliability of ion liquid electro-hydraulic thrusters in complex space missions.

[0090] In one feasible implementation, a single thruster is assumed to have dimensions of 3cm × 3cm × 1cm, and nine thrusters are used. The combination method, the reservoir pore size material A has a pore size of 20 The reservoir material B has a pore size of 60 mm. The reservoir material C has a pore size of 175. The propellant reservoir is made of porous borosilicate glass material manufactured using CNC technology, with dimensions of 20 mm × 20 mm × 3 mm. An ionic liquid is selected as the propellant. The emitter aperture is set to 2. With fixed values, the interpole spacing is 0.1 mm, the height of the cone emitter (material A) is 1.5 mm, the half-angle of the cone is approximately 18.4 degrees, and the cone tip radius is approximately 20. The porosity is taken as 0.4. The height of the cone-shaped emitter in material B is 1.27 mm, the half-angle of the cone is approximately 12 degrees, and the porosity is taken as 0.859. Calculate the thrust of a single needle tip, assuming the central portion accounts for 0.7, and take... =0.68. The emission voltage range is 2.0kV-3.6kV. Since this is only an example to verify the magnitude difference, the change in emission mode is not considered for the time being. The theoretical calculation is performed in positive mode, which is pure ion emission.

[0091] The theoretical calculations based on the above formulas yielded the following table showing the mass flow rate and single needle tip thrust: Table 1. Theoretical calculations of mass flow rate and single-point thrust for different reservoir pore sizes. It should be noted that in practice, large-aperture cells may change their emission mode from pure ion emission to ion-droplet mixed emission, which reduces the charge-to-mass ratio and thus produces a higher mass flow rate under the same current, resulting in greater thrust, but a lower specific impulse.

[0092] Assuming that the thrust of a single needle tip is constant and independent, each needle tip is effective, and the thrust of multiple thrusters is independent of each other, we take the number of emitters of reservoir material A as 100, the number of emitters of reservoir material B as 1000, and the number of emitters of reservoir material A as 3000.

[0093] Reservoir material A is located in the center, while B is located in the next outermost layer, and C is located in the outermost layer, such as... Figure 3 As shown. When the voltage is 2.0kV and only applied to the innermost thruster A, the minimum thrust of 2 is obtained. . When a voltage of 3.6kV is applied to the innermost thruster A and the second outermost thruster B, a thrust of 546.7 kV can be obtained. . When a voltage of 3.6kV is applied to all thrusters, the maximum thrust is 2550.7 kV. . It can achieve a maximum thrust of 1000 kilowatts, adapting to different space satellite propulsion missions.

[0094] This invention proposes a design method for an ionic liquid electro-injection thruster with deep thrust adjustment capability. The method achieves thrust adjustment by (1) adjusting the pore configuration between the emitter and the porous material of the reservoir, (2) adjusting the number of emitters per unit area, (3) adjusting the thruster voltage, and (4) adjusting the number of thruster working units. arrive Flexible adjustment of the thrust level. Specifically, for example, if the thrust range is 2... If the thrust is within a certain range, only thruster A will be activated, and the thrust will be changed by adjusting the voltage; if the thrust range is within 2... ~546.7 If the thrust range is between 546.7, then thruster A is activated, and thruster B is selectively activated based on the thrust magnitude. If the thrust adjustment range is small and high precision is required, then the voltage of thruster A is adjusted; otherwise, the voltage of thruster B is adjusted. For example, if the thrust range is between 546.7... ~2550.7 If the thrust range is between 0 and 1, then thrusters A and B are activated, and thruster C is activated selectively according to the thrust magnitude. If the thrust adjustment range is small and the precision requirement is high, then the voltage of thruster A is adjusted. If the thrust adjustment range is large and the precision requirement is high, then the voltage of thruster B is adjusted. Conversely, the voltage of thruster C is adjusted.

[0095] Table 2 Thrust Selection and Thrust Adjustment Methods As shown in Table 2, if the adjustment range is larger, use method (3) to adjust thrusters A, B, and C in combination.

[0096] Secondly, such as Figure 5 As shown, the present invention also proposes a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control system for executing the wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control method described in any one of the first aspects, comprising: The first acquisition unit 21 is used to acquire the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission; Design unit 22 is used to perform hierarchical design of the launch array of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster according to the above-mentioned target thrust range, the above-mentioned thrust resolution requirements, the above-mentioned thrust response speed requirements and the above-mentioned system power consumption constraints, so as to form at least two working units with different thrust output levels. The hierarchical design includes reservoir porous material pore size design, emitter arrangement density design, working unit number design and working unit space partitioning design. Establishment unit 23 is used to establish the thrust output model of each of the above working units and the thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units based on the structural parameters and driving parameters of each of the above working units. The output unit 24 is used to select a corresponding working unit start / stop combination from multiple working units according to the target thrust command, and apply a corresponding driving voltage to the activated working unit to output a target thrust that matches the target thrust command. The second acquisition unit 25 is used to acquire actual thrust feedback information or electrical parameter feedback information during the thrust output process. The correction unit 26 is used to dynamically correct the start-stop combination of the working unit and the driving voltage based on the actual thrust feedback information or the electrical parameter feedback information, so as to realize the depth thrust adjustment control of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster.

[0097] In one feasible implementation, a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control system can also perform any step of the method proposed in the first aspect.

[0098] Thirdly, the present invention also proposes an electronic device 300, such as... Figure 6 As shown, it includes a memory 310, a processor 320, and a computer program 311 stored in the memory 310 and executable on the processor. When the processor 320 executes the computer program 311, it implements the steps of the wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control method as described in any of the first aspects.

[0099] Fourthly, the present invention also proposes a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0100] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster, characterized in that, include: Obtain the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements, and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission; Based on the target thrust range, the thrust resolution requirement, the thrust response speed requirement, and the system power consumption constraint, the launch array of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster is designed in a hierarchical manner to form working units with at least two different thrust output levels. The hierarchical design includes the pore size design of the reservoir porous material, the emitter arrangement density design, the number of working units design, and the spatial partitioning design of the working units. Based on the structural and driving parameters of each working unit, a thrust output model for each working unit and a thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units are established. According to the target thrust command, a corresponding working unit start / stop combination is selected from multiple working units, and a corresponding driving voltage is applied to the activated working unit to output a target thrust that matches the target thrust command. Obtain actual thrust feedback information or electrical parameter feedback information during the thrust output process; Based on the actual thrust feedback information or the electrical parameter feedback information, the start / stop combination of the working unit and the driving voltage are dynamically corrected to achieve depth thrust adjustment control of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster.

2. The design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition of the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements, and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission includes: The minimum and maximum thrust requirements of the target space flight mission under orbit maintenance, attitude adjustment, precision maneuvering, or formation control states are obtained to determine the target thrust range. The requirements of the target spaceflight mission for thrust stepping accuracy or continuous adjustment accuracy are obtained in order to determine the thrust resolution requirements. The thrust build-up time requirement during attitude maneuvering is obtained to determine the thrust response speed requirement; Obtain the power supply capacity of the entire platform or the allowable power consumption range for a single maneuver in order to determine the power consumption constraints of the system.

3. The design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hierarchical design of the launch array for the ion liquid electro-injection thruster includes: The transmitting array is divided into a central fine adjustment unit, an intermediate transition adjustment unit, and an outer enhancement adjustment unit; The central fine adjustment unit is configured with a porous reservoir of the first aperture and a first-level liquid supply capability to form a low-thrust, high-resolution output capability. The intermediate transition regulating unit is configured with a porous reservoir of a second aperture and a second-level liquid supply capability to form a medium thrust regulating capability; The peripheral enhancement and adjustment unit is configured with a porous reservoir with a third aperture and a third level of liquid supply capability to form a high thrust extension output capability, wherein the first aperture is smaller than the second aperture, the second aperture is smaller than the third aperture, the first level is smaller than the second level, and the second level is smaller than the third level.

4. The design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster according to claim 3, characterized in that, The emitter density design and working cell number design in the hierarchical design include: Based on the liquid supply capacity and injection flux requirements corresponding to different thrust levels, determine the number of emitters, emitter spacing, and emitter density per unit area in each working unit. The central fine adjustment unit is controlled to correspond to a first number of emitters or a first unit area emitter arrangement density. The intermediate transition adjustment unit is controlled to correspond to the second number of emitters or the second emitter density per unit area. The peripheral enhancement adjustment unit controls the number of emitters corresponding to a third number or the emitter arrangement density per unit area, wherein the first number is less than the second number, the second number is less than the third number, the emitter arrangement density per unit area is less than the emitter arrangement density per unit area, and the emitter arrangement density per unit area is less than the emitter arrangement density per unit area. Based on the number of working units at each level, different levels of basic thrust output capability are formed.

5. The design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that, The establishment of the thrust output model for each working unit and the thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units includes: Obtain the porous material pore size parameters, emitter quantity parameters, emitter spacing parameters, emitter-extraction electrode spacing parameters, and driving voltage range parameters corresponding to each working unit; Based on the pore size parameters of the porous material, the number parameters of the emitters, the emitter spacing parameters, the emitter-extraction electrode spacing parameters, and the driving voltage range parameters, establish the correspondence between the liquid supply capacity and jet thrust of each working unit under different driving voltages; The individual output relationships and combined output relationships of each working unit are coupled to generate the thrust mapping relationship between the target thrust and the number of working units activated, the activation area, and the driving voltage.

6. The design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of selecting a corresponding start / stop combination of working units from a plurality of working units according to the target thrust command, and applying a corresponding drive voltage to the activated working unit to output a target thrust matching the target thrust command, includes: When the target thrust command is in the first thrust range, only the central fine adjustment unit is activated, and fine-grained thrust output is achieved by continuously adjusting the drive voltage of the central fine adjustment unit. When the target thrust command is in the second thrust range, the central fine adjustment unit and the intermediate transition adjustment unit are activated, and the medium-range thrust output is achieved through working unit combination switching and voltage coordinated adjustment. When the target thrust command is located in the third thrust range, the central fine adjustment unit, the intermediate transition adjustment unit, and the peripheral enhancement adjustment unit are activated, and high thrust output is achieved through the superposition of multi-level working units and graded voltage adjustment. The maximum value of the first thrust range is less than the minimum value of the second thrust range, and the maximum value of the second thrust range is less than the minimum value of the third thrust range.

7. The design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster according to claim 6, characterized in that, The specific processes for achieving medium-range thrust output and high thrust output include: Under the premise of meeting the target thrust requirements, work units are invoked based on the principle of minimizing the number of calls; When the thrust increment requirement cannot be met by voltage regulation alone, a new working unit is added and put into operation. When the thrust decreases below a preset threshold, the drive voltage of the activated working unit is reduced. When further reducing the drive voltage would lead to insufficient injection stability, the corresponding working unit is then shut down to reduce thrust output and minimize output fluctuations during thrust adjustment.

8. The design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dynamic correction of the start / stop combination of the working unit and the drive voltage based on the actual thrust feedback information or the electrical parameter feedback information includes: Calculate the thrust deviation between the target thrust and the actual thrust; When the thrust deviation value is less than the preset fine-tuning threshold, the current start-stop combination of the working unit remains unchanged, and the control module autonomously performs continuous incremental or decremental adjustment of the driving voltage of the currently activated working unit to achieve fine compensation of thrust. When the thrust deviation value is greater than or equal to the preset fine-tuning threshold, the control module autonomously selects a new working unit start-stop combination based on the pre-established thrust mapping relationship table, and simultaneously determines the driving voltage parameters that match the new working unit start-stop combination, and performs drive control on the reselected working unit to achieve rapid thrust adjustment. During thrust adjustment, the injection and liquid supply status of each working unit are monitored in real time. When some working units are found to have abnormal injection, unstable liquid supply, or output attenuation, the control module will autonomously reduce the participation weight of the abnormal working unit or perform a shutdown operation, and automatically call other normal working units for replacement compensation based on the thrust mapping table.

9. A design and control system for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster, characterized in that, The design and control method for a wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster according to any one of claims 1 to 8 includes: The first acquisition unit is used to acquire the target thrust range, thrust resolution requirements, thrust response speed requirements and system power consumption constraints corresponding to the target mission. The design unit is used to perform hierarchical design of the launch array of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster according to the target thrust range, the thrust resolution requirement, the thrust response speed requirement and the system power consumption constraint, so as to form working units with at least two different thrust output levels. The hierarchical design includes reservoir porous material pore size design, emitter arrangement density design, working unit number design and working unit spatial partitioning design. A unit is established to establish the thrust output model of each working unit and the thrust mapping relationship corresponding to the combination of working units based on the structural parameters and driving parameters of each working unit. The output unit is used to select a corresponding working unit start / stop combination from a plurality of working units according to the target thrust command, and apply a corresponding driving voltage to the activated working unit to output a target thrust that matches the target thrust command. The second acquisition unit is used to acquire actual thrust feedback information or electrical parameter feedback information during the thrust output process. The correction unit is used to dynamically correct the start / stop combination of the working unit and the driving voltage based on the actual thrust feedback information or the electrical parameter feedback information, so as to realize the depth thrust adjustment control of the ion liquid electro-injection thruster.

10. An electronic device, comprising: The memory and processor are characterized in that the processor is used to implement the steps of the wide thrust range electronic fuel injection thruster design and control method as described in any one of claims 1-8 when executing a computer program stored in the memory.

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