Ionic liquid thruster capable of suppressing discharge

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ionic liquid thruster capable of suppressing discharge. The ionic liquid thruster comprises an insulating bracket, an emitting electrode, an inner extraction electrode and an outer extraction electrode, the insulating support comprises a central column and supporting columns, multiple circles of grooves are formed in the peripheral wall of the central column in the axial direction in a separated mode, and the multiple supporting columns are arranged around the peripheral side of the central column in a mutually separated mode; the emitting electrode surrounds the central column and is arranged in a space surrounded by the plurality of supporting columns; the inner extraction pole is arranged at the end part of the central column; the outer extraction pole is arranged at the end parts of the plurality of supporting columns, the outer extraction pole surrounds the inner extraction pole, and a jet gap is reserved between the outer extraction pole and the inner extraction pole; after the scheme is adopted, even if the central column works under the voltage of 5000V, no discharge trace is generated, so that the problem that the discharge trace is generated in the prior art is practically solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of ionic liquid thrusters, in particular to an ionic liquid thruster capable of suppressing discharge. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of commercial aerospace, the number of global spacecraft launches has increased year by year. In order to meet the low-cost needs of commercial aerospace, micro-nano satellites, as a highly versatile and economical satellite resource, have become one of the main areas of satellite development.

[0003] Due to the structural limitations of micro-nano satellites, their propulsion systems need to have the characteristics of small mass and volume, low power, and simple structure. Electric propulsion, as a high-efficiency, low-power propulsion method, meets the needs of micro-nano satellites. At present, the mainstream electric propulsion technologies include Hall thrusters and ion thrusters. These two thrusters are relatively mature, but their working fluids are rare gases such as xenon or krypton, and the global storage is limited. SpaceX Starlink uses a large number of these two thrusters, which will lead to scarcity of working fluids and increased costs. As a micro electric thruster, the ionic liquid field launch thruster, whose working fluid ionic liquid can be synthesized artificially, has the characteristics of green and non-toxic, low cost, and low difficulty in obtaining. In addition, the ionic liquid thruster also has the characteristics of simple structure, light mass, small size and high specific impulse, high efficiency, high thrust accuracy, low power and self-neutralization, which is very suitable for use as a thruster for micro-nano satellites.

[0004] Ionic liquid thrusters are based on the principle of electrospray. The potential difference between the emitter and the extractor forms an emission beam of the working fluid to generate thrust. The thrust of a single emitter is small. In order to improve the thrust of the ionic liquid thruster, the emitter shape can be designed as a linear structure, such as a ribbed strip, a circular ring, etc. The ribbed strip structure will cause the electric field intensity to be concentrated due to the end face, making the emission uneven, while the circular ring structure has a consistent electric field intensity distribution, which can form a uniform emission.

[0005] The operation of ionic liquid thrusters relies on the high potential difference between the emitter and the extractor to form the emission of beams. In order to ensure the normal operation of ionic liquid thrusters, it is necessary to design corresponding structures to ensure the insulation between the emitter and the extractor. According to the structure of ionic liquid thrusters, their operating voltage can reach up to 8000V. Long-term operation will cause the insulation structure to discharge and spark. When a discharge channel is formed, the insulation structure will fail, which will eventually reduce the life of the thruster.

[0006] The current insulation method of ionic liquid thrusters relies on insulating gaskets and insulating materials, which cannot guarantee the insulation of the thrusters under high voltage conditions, thereby inhibiting the operating range of ionic liquid thrusters.

[0007] In order to reduce the voltage, some ionic liquid thrusters use micro-nano processing to reduce the size of the emitter and the extraction electrode and the distance between them. This method can effectively reduce the operating voltage, but the reduction in the size of the insulating structure will also reduce its withstand voltage, and the reduction in the size of the emitter will reduce the thrust, which is not conducive to the improvement of thrust performance. In addition, the cost of manufacturing ionic liquid thrusters using micro-nano processing methods is high. In order to ensure the launch effect, higher precision is required. The increase in precision requirements will cause the cost to increase exponentially.

[0008] Furthermore, after the central column of the existing insulating bracket works at a voltage of 5000V, obvious traces of surface discharge will appear. This phenomenon has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0009] The utility model aims to provide an ionic liquid thruster capable of suppressing discharge, so as to solve the problem of discharge marks in the prior art.

[0010] In order to solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides an ionic liquid thruster for suppressing discharge, comprising an insulating support, an emitter, an inner extractor and an outer extractor; the insulating support comprises a central column and a support column, the outer peripheral wall of the central column is provided with a plurality of circles of grooves separated along its axial direction, and a plurality of support columns are arranged separately from each other around the outer side of the central column; the emitter is surrounded by the outside of the central column, and the emitter is placed in a space surrounded by a plurality of support columns; the inner extractor is arranged at the end of the central column; the outer extractor is arranged on the ends of a plurality of support columns, the outer extractor is surrounded by the outside of the inner extractor, and an injection gap is left between the outer extractor and the inner extractor.

[0011] In one embodiment, the depth and width of the grooves of multiple circles are consistent, and the adjacent spacings of the grooves of multiple circles are equal.

[0012] In one embodiment, the depth of the groove is 0.1-3 mm, the width of the groove is 0.1-3 mm, and the spacing between adjacent grooves is 1-5 mm.

[0013] In one of the embodiments, a step structure is provided at the end of the support column, and the external extractor is installed on the step structure of a plurality of the support columns.

[0014] In one embodiment, the middle portion of the outer extraction electrode is a through structure, the inner extraction electrode is arranged in the through structure of the outer extraction electrode, and the peripheral wall of the outer extraction electrode through structure and the outer peripheral wall of the inner extraction electrode form an open structure.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the utility model are as follows:

[0016] After the outer peripheral wall of the central column is provided with a plurality of circles of grooves separated along its axial direction, the central column will not show any discharge marks even after working at a voltage of 5000V, thereby effectively solving the problem of discharge marks in the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the implementation mode will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some implementation modes of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the insulating bracket structure;

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the central column structure;

[0021] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the working principle provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 The experimental data provided by this utility model Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 6 The experimental data provided by this utility model Figure 2 ;

[0024] Figure 7 The experimental data provided by this utility model Figure 3 .

[0025] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0026] 10. Insulation bracket; 11. Chassis; 12. Center column; 13. Support column; 14. Groove; 15. Step structure;

[0027] 20. Emitter;

[0028] 30. Internal extraction pole;

[0029] 40. External extraction pole;

[0030] 50. Spray gap;

[0031] 60. Emitting beam;

[0032] 70. Working fluid ionic liquid. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] The utility model provides an ionic liquid thruster for suppressing discharge, and its implementation is as follows: Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the device comprises an insulating support 10 , an emitter 20 , an inner extractor 30 and an outer extractor 40 .

[0035] Regarding the insulating support 10, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, its appearance is similar to a cylindrical frame structure, and a center column 12 and support columns 13 are provided on its disc-shaped chassis 11; the center column 12 is provided in the middle of the chassis 11 and is arranged vertically, and the outer peripheral wall of the center column 12 is arranged with multiple circles of grooves 14 separated along its axial direction, and each groove 14 is recessed inward from the outer wall of the center column 12 to form a circular ring shape; and the multiple support columns 13 are arranged and separated from each other around the outer side of the center column 12. For example, there are four support columns 13 in this embodiment, and the four support columns 13 are arranged circumferentially at the same interval to ensure that the four support columns 13 are separated from each other, and sufficient space is left between the four support columns 13 and the center column 12 for the installation of other components.

[0036] Among them, after multiple circles of grooves 14 are set on the central column 12, the overall performance of the ionic liquid thruster is improved. Even after working at a voltage of 5000V, no discharge marks will appear, thereby effectively solving the problem of discharge marks in the prior art.

[0037] Obviously, the arrangement of the multiple-circle grooves 14 plays a crucial role in improving the discharge mark; therefore, in order to best control the discharge mark, this embodiment also preferably arranges the depth and width of the multiple-circle grooves 14 to be consistent, and the adjacent spacing of the multiple-circle grooves 14 is equal, so as to ensure that the discharge mark suppression effect at various locations of the central column 12 is consistent.

[0038] For example Figure 3 As shown, the depth of the groove 14 (the lateral dimension shown in the figure) can be preferably set to 0.1-3mm, the width of the groove 14 (the longitudinal dimension shown in the figure) can be set to 0.1-3mm, and the spacing between adjacent grooves 14 can be set to 1-5mm, that is, the depth of the groove 14 is 0.1mm, the width of the groove 14 is 0.1mm, and the spacing between adjacent grooves 14 is 1mm, or the depth of the groove 14 is 1.5mm, the width of the groove 14 is 1.5mm, and the spacing between adjacent grooves 14 is 2.5mm, or the depth of the groove 14 is 3mm, the width of the groove 14 is 3mm, and the spacing between adjacent grooves 14 is 5mm, etc. are all optional solutions.

[0039] In addition, the above-mentioned support column 13 is mainly used to realize the installation and fixation of the external extraction electrode 40, so there is no special restriction on its appearance; and in order to ensure that the installation of the external extraction electrode 40 is more stable, this embodiment arranges a step structure 15 at the end of the support column 13, so that the external extraction electrode 40 can be installed on the step structure 15 of multiple support columns 13.

[0040] Regarding the emitter 20, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the emitter 20, which is roughly disc-shaped, is provided with a through hole in the middle so that the central column 12 can pass through the emitter 20, so that the emitter 20 can be surrounded by the central column 12 and ensure that the emitter 20 can be placed in the space surrounded by multiple support columns 13; after adopting this setting, the emitter 20 will be supported on the chassis 11 of the insulating bracket 10, and the installation position of the emitter 20 can be limited by the central column 12 and the support columns 13.

[0041] Regarding the inner extraction electrode 30, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the inner extraction pole 30 is arranged at the end of the center column 12. The outer shape of the inner extraction pole 30 is approximately a cone, and its top surface is a circular top surface with a smaller area, while its bottom surface is a circular bottom surface with a larger area, so that the outer peripheral wall of the inner extraction pole 30 becomes an inclined wall surface.

[0042] Regarding the outer extraction electrode 40, Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the outer extraction pole 40 is roughly disc-shaped in shape, and the outer extraction pole 40 is arranged on the end of a plurality of support columns 13, and the outer extraction pole 40 is supported by the plurality of support columns 13; and the outer extraction pole 40 is surrounded by the inner extraction pole 30, and an injection gap 50 is provided between the outer extraction pole 40 and the inner extraction pole 30 to facilitate the ejection of the emission beam 60 of the ionic liquid thruster.

[0043] In this embodiment, the middle portion of the outer extraction electrode 40 is a through structure, so that the inner extraction electrode 30 can be arranged in the through structure of the outer extraction electrode 40, and the peripheral wall of the through structure of the outer extraction electrode 40 and the outer peripheral wall of the inner extraction electrode 30 form an open structure.

[0044] When applied, high voltage electricity is supplied to the emitter 20 to form a potential difference with the inner extraction electrode 30 and the outer extraction electrode 40. The high voltage electricity can be positive or negative direct current, or 1-64Hz pulsed square wave alternating current. Then the working fluid ionic liquid 70 is supplied to the tip of the emitter 20, and an emission beam 60 is formed under the action of the potential difference, which generates thrust through the gap between the outer extraction electrode 40 and the inner extraction electrode 30.

[0045] In the test example, the tip diameter of the emitter 20 is 20 mm, the difference between the center hole diameter of the outer extractor 40 and the outer diameter of the inner extractor 30 is 2 mm, and the axial distance from the emitter 20 is 0.5 mm. When the output voltage of the high-voltage power supply is 3300 V, the annular ionic liquid thruster is started. The thruster performance is evaluated by collecting the emission current. The current is as follows Figures 5 and 6 shown.

[0046] The above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that a person skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ionic liquid thruster for suppressing discharge, characterized in that: It includes an insulating support, an emitter, an inner extractor and an outer extractor; The insulating support comprises a central column and a supporting column, wherein the outer peripheral wall of the central column is provided with a plurality of circles of grooves separated along its axial direction, and a plurality of supporting columns are arranged separately from each other around the outer side of the central column; The emitter is surrounded by the central column, and the emitter is placed in a space surrounded by a plurality of the supporting columns; The inner extraction electrode is arranged at the end of the central column; The outer extraction electrode is arranged on the ends of the plurality of support columns, the outer extraction electrode is surrounded by the inner extraction electrode, and an injection gap is left between the outer extraction electrode and the inner extraction electrode.

2. The ionic liquid thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The depth and width of the grooves of the multiple circles are consistent, and the adjacent spacings of the grooves of the multiple circles are equal.

3. The ionic liquid thruster according to claim 2, characterized in that: The depth of the groove is 0.1-3 mm, the width of the groove is 0.1-3 mm, and the spacing between adjacent grooves is 1-5 mm.

4. The ionic liquid thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the support column is provided with a step structure, and the external extraction electrode is installed on the step structure of a plurality of the support columns.

5. The ionic liquid thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle part of the outer extraction electrode is a through structure, the inner extraction electrode is arranged in the through structure of the outer extraction electrode, and the peripheral wall of the outer extraction electrode through structure and the outer peripheral wall of the inner extraction electrode form an open structure.

Images