Electric propulsion air supply device

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model relates to the technical field of space propulsion, in particular to an electric propulsion air supply device. The electric propulsion air supply device comprises a shell, a high-pressure sensor, a self-locking valve, a pressure reducing valve, a pressure control valve, a plurality of low-pressure sensors, a flow distributor and a flow distribution valve. A plurality of mounting ports are formed in the top of the shell, an inlet is formed in one side of the shell, an outlet is formed in the other side of the shell, a plurality of sections of circulation hole channels communicated with the mounting ports are formed in the shell, the inlet is communicated with the circulation hole channels, a buffer cavity communicated with the circulation hole channels is formed in the shell, and the outlet is communicated with the buffer cavity; a pressure relief hole extending to the rear side surface of the shell is formed in the middle of the shell, and the pressure relief hole is communicated with the circulation hole channel; and the high-pressure sensor is arranged on the mounting port close to the inlet and is used for detecting the pressure at the inlet. According to the highly-integrated electric propulsion air supply device, it is guaranteed that the air supply device is simple in pipeline, small in size, light in weight and low in cost, and the development trend of an electric propulsion system is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of space propulsion technology, and in particular to an electric propulsion air supply device. Background Art

[0002] Space propulsion technology is a technology that converts chemical energy, electrical energy and other energy into kinetic energy for propellant injection. It plays an important role in manned space flight, artificial satellites, launch vehicles, deep space probes, defense systems, etc. Space propulsion ensures the reliable implementation of manned space projects, realizes the long-term orbit of artificial satellites, ensures the precise orbital entry of launch vehicles, assists in interstellar navigation of probes, and improves the efficient maneuverability of defense systems. Electric propulsion is an advanced space propulsion technology that generates thrust by accelerating the ejection of ionized working fluids and converts electrical energy into kinetic energy for spacecraft. Hall electric propulsion technology is the most mainstream development direction at present. This propulsion technology usually uses hydrogen, xenon, and argon as propellants, but these propellants do not generate power through combustion. Through the Hall effect, the propellant is hit by electrons and becomes an ion state. These ions are then accelerated by the electric field and then neutralize the ions in the plume, which can eventually accelerate the ejected gas to more than 10 kilometers per second, and the fastest can even reach 80 kilometers per second. Hall electric thrusters have the advantages of simple structure, high reliability, large thrust-to-power ratio, small size and flexible layout. They can be used in space missions such as space attitude control, orbit transfer, orbit control, deorbiting and main propulsion of deep space exploration for satellites and in-orbit service spacecraft.

[0003] The air supply device is a key subsystem of the Hall electric thruster. In recent years, the development trend of Internet satellites is small size and large number of networks, which promotes the development of propulsion systems towards small size, light weight and low cost. The existing air supply device connects each valve component through a pipeline, which has problems such as complex system pipelines, large size, heavy weight and high cost, and cannot meet the development needs of satellite Internet and Starlink. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the implementation mode of the present application is to provide an electric propulsion air supply device that can meet the development needs of the electric propulsion air supply device with simple pipelines, small size, light weight and low cost.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide an electric propulsion air supply device, which includes a shell, a high-pressure sensor, a self-locking valve, a pressure reducing valve, a pressure controlling valve, a plurality of low-pressure sensors, a flow distributor and a flow distributing valve. A plurality of mounting ports are arranged on the top of the shell, an inlet is arranged on one side of the shell, an outlet is arranged on the other side of the shell, a plurality of flow channels connected to the plurality of mounting ports are arranged inside the shell, the inlet is connected to the flow channel, a buffer cavity connected to the flow channel is formed inside the shell, the outlet is connected to the buffer cavity, a pressure reducing hole extending to the rear surface of the shell is arranged in the middle of the shell, and the pressure reducing hole is connected to the flow channel; the high-pressure sensor is arranged on the mounting port near the inlet to detect the pressure at the inlet; the self-locking valve is arranged on the mounting port after the high-pressure sensor along the gas flow direction to control the opening or closing of the flow channel at the inlet; the pressure reducing valve is arranged in the pressure reducing hole, and the gas entering through the self-locking valve is reduced to a preset pressure through the pressure reducing valve and then enters the subsequent flow channel; the pressure controlling valve is arranged near the inlet. At the installation port near the pressure reducing valve, the pressure of the gas in the buffer chamber reaches a preset value by controlling the amount of gas flowing into the buffer chamber from behind the pressure reducing valve; multiple low-pressure sensors include a first low-pressure sensor arranged behind the pressure reducing valve along the gas flow direction, and a second low-pressure sensor arranged behind the pressure controlling valve and connected to the buffer chamber; a flow distributor is arranged on the side of the shell, one end of which is connected to the buffer chamber, and the other end of which is connected to the outlet; the flow distribution valve is arranged on the installation port near the outlet to control the opening and closing of the flow distributor and the outlet flow path; after the gas enters the shell from the inlet, it flows into the buffer chamber through multiple flow channels, passes through the high-pressure sensor, the self-locking valve, the pressure reducing valve and the pressure controlling valve in turn, and flows out through the outlet after passing through the flow distributor and the flow distribution valve.

[0006] An electric propulsion air supply device provided in an embodiment of the present application is a shell having multiple mounting ports, multiple flow channels and a buffer chamber, and a high-pressure sensor, a self-locking valve, a pressure reducing valve, a pressure control valve, multiple low-pressure sensors, a flow distributor and a flow distribution valve are all integrated in the shell. After the gas enters the shell from the inlet, it flows into the buffer chamber through multiple flow channels, passes through the high-pressure sensor, the self-locking valve, the pressure reducing valve and the pressure control valve, and flows out through the outlet after passing through the flow distributor and the flow distribution valve. Through the control of sensors and various valves, the gas pressure in the buffer chamber reaches a preset value, and the gas flowing out from the outlet meets the requirements for entering the subsequent subsystem of the electric propulsion. This highly integrated electric propulsion air supply device ensures that the pipeline of the air supply device is simple, small in size, light in weight and low in cost, which is in line with the development trend of the electric propulsion system.

[0007] In some embodiments, the housing is made in one piece by three-dimensional printing.

[0008] In some embodiments, the shell material is TC4 titanium alloy.

[0009] In some embodiments, the shell size is less than or equal to 100 mm×100 mm×64 mm, and the volume of the buffer chamber is greater than or equal to 0.3 L.

[0010] In some embodiments, the pressure reducing valve is a two-stage pressure reducing valve, and the pressure controlling valve includes a first pressure controlling valve and a second pressure controlling valve.

[0011] In some embodiments, the outlet includes an anode outlet, a first cathode outlet and a second cathode outlet, the flow distributor includes an anode flow distributor, a first cathode flow distributor and a second cathode flow distributor, and the flow distribution valve includes an anode flow distribution valve, a first cathode flow distribution valve and a second cathode flow distribution valve.

[0012] In some embodiments, a shell cover is provided on the upper side of the shell, a mounting plate is provided on the edge of the upper side of the shell, an electrical connector assembly is provided on the outer side of the mounting plate, the electrical connector assembly is electrically connected to the high-pressure sensor, the self-locking valve, the pressure reducing valve, the pressure controlling valve, a plurality of low-pressure sensors, the flow distributor and the flow distribution valve, respectively, and the electrical connector assembly is electrically connected to the controller.

[0013] In some embodiments, an inflation port is further provided on the right side surface of the shell, and an inflation valve is provided on the inflation port.

[0014] In some embodiments, a test port is further provided on the right side of the housing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by pictures in the corresponding drawings, and these exemplified descriptions do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, and unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0016] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional front view of an electric propulsion air supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a housing connected to a plunger joint in an electric propulsion air supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional appearance of an electric propulsion air supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the left side of an electric propulsion air supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0020] Figure 5 is a front side schematic diagram of an electric propulsion air supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0021] Figure 6 is a top view of an electric propulsion air supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0022] Figure 7 The electric propulsion air supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application Figure 5 Sectional view at A-A';

[0023] Figure 8 The electric propulsion air supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application Figure 6 Sectional view at B-B';

[0024] Fig. 9 This is a flow chart of the gas flow path in the electric propulsion gas supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0025] Description of reference numerals: 11-housing; 111-installation port; 112-inlet; 113-outlet; 1131-anode outlet; 1132-first cathode outlet; 1133-second cathode outlet; 114-flow channel; 115-buffer chamber; 116-pressure reducing hole; 117-inflating port; 118-test port; 12-high-pressure sensor; 13-self-locking valve; 14-pressure reducing valve; 15-pressure control valve; 151-pressure control valve 1; 152-pressure control valve 2; 16-low pressure sensor; 161-first low pressure sensor; 162-second low pressure sensor; 17-flow distributor; 171-anode flow distributor; 172-first cathode flow distributor; 173-second cathode flow distributor; 18-flow distribution valve; 181-anode flow distribution valve; 182-first cathode flow distribution valve; 183-second cathode flow distribution valve; 19-shell cover; 20-mounting plate; 21-electrical connector assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] To make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, each embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in each embodiment of the present application, many technical details are proposed in order to enable the reader to better understand the present application. However, even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments, the technical scheme claimed in the present application can also be implemented. The division of the following embodiments is for the convenience of description, and the specific implementation of the present application should not constitute any limitation, and the various embodiments can be combined with each other and referenced to each other without contradiction.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0028] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0029] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] Space propulsion technology is a technology that converts chemical energy, electrical energy and other energy into kinetic energy for propellant injection. It plays an important role in manned space flight, artificial satellites, launch vehicles, deep space probes, defense systems, etc. Space propulsion ensures the reliable implementation of manned space projects, realizes the long-term orbit of artificial satellites, ensures the precise orbital entry of launch vehicles, assists in interstellar navigation of probes, and improves the efficient maneuverability of defense systems. Electric propulsion is an advanced space propulsion technology that generates thrust by accelerating the ejection of ionized working fluids and converts electrical energy into kinetic energy for spacecraft. Hall electric propulsion technology is the most mainstream development direction at present. This propulsion technology usually uses hydrogen, xenon, and argon as propellants, but these propellants do not generate power through combustion. Through the Hall effect, the propellant is hit by electrons and becomes an ion state. These ions are then accelerated by the electric field and then neutralize the ions in the plume, which can eventually accelerate the ejected gas to more than 10 kilometers per second, and the fastest can even reach 80 kilometers per second. Hall electric thrusters have the advantages of simple structure, high reliability, large thrust-to-power ratio, small size and flexible layout. They can be used in space missions such as space attitude control, orbit transfer, orbit control, deorbiting and main propulsion of deep space exploration for satellites and in-orbit service spacecraft.

[0031] The air supply device is a key subsystem of the Hall electric thruster. With the technological development and changes of key components in the air supply device, three generations of air supply devices have been formed. The first generation is a Bang-Bang valve controlled air supply device. Its valve control will cause the pressure and flow to fluctuate in a "sawtooth" shape. The throttling elements made of porous sintered metal materials also have problems such as sensitivity to excess matter, which limits the flow control accuracy and product reliability. The second generation adopts a "maze" type flow control air supply device. The second generation of products not only reduces the complexity, weight and volume of the system, but also eliminates the fluctuations in pressure and flow, improves the accuracy and stability of flow control, and improves the reliability of the product. The third generation is a "proportional valve" controlled air supply device. In the flow control unit, the anode branch can realize variable throttling closed-loop control, and the cathode realizes flow control through a fixed throttling hole.

[0032] In recent years, low-orbit small satellites have flourished under the leadership of satellite Internet such as "Starlink" and "OneWeb". Due to their limited mass, volume and power, the wide application of microsatellites has put forward higher requirements for space power devices. Space power devices with low thrust, high specific impulse, light mass and small volume can better match the power needs of microsatellites. Compared with traditional chemical propulsion, electric propulsion has high specific impulse and requires less propellant mass under the same speed increment requirement. Among them, low-power Hall electric propulsion has a simple structure, smaller volume and mass, which can increase the load or save propellant for the system. It is currently widely used in the position keeping, drag compensation and deorbit missions of microsatellites. Commercial aerospace companies such as Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (Space X) and OneWeb have selected low-power Hall thrusters as space power for satellite constellations. With the expansion of the satellite constellation market and the advancement of technology, low-power Hall electric propulsion technology must be rapidly iterated and continuously upgraded.

[0033] The development trend of Internet satellites is small size and large number of networks, which has promoted the development of propulsion systems towards small size, light weight and low cost. Although the gas supply device has been developed for many years and has three generations of products, the existing gas supply device connects various valve components through pipelines, and has problems such as complex system pipelines, large size, heavy weight and high cost, which cannot meet the development needs of satellite Internet and Starlink.

[0034] Therefore, in order to realize the development demand of simple pipeline, small volume, light weight and low cost of electric propulsion air supply device. Some embodiments of the present application provide an electric propulsion air supply device, by making a shell with multiple installation ports, multiple flow channels and buffer chamber, a high-pressure sensor, a self-locking valve, a pressure reducing valve, a pressure control valve, multiple low-pressure sensors, a flow distributor and a flow distribution valve are all integrated on this shell. After the gas enters the shell from the inlet, it flows into the buffer chamber after passing through the high-pressure sensor, the self-locking valve, the pressure reducing valve and the pressure control valve through the multiple flow channels, and flows out through the outlet after passing through the flow distributor and the flow distribution valve. Through the control of sensors and various valves, the gas pressure in the buffer chamber reaches the preset value, and the gas flowing out from the outlet meets the requirements of entering the subsequent subsystem of electric propulsion. This highly integrated electric propulsion air supply device ensures that the pipeline of the air supply device is simple, small in volume, light in weight and low in cost, which is in line with the development trend of the electric propulsion system.

[0035] Combine the following Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 as well as Figure 8 An electric propulsion air supply device provided in some embodiments of the present application is described.

[0036] like Figure 1 Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 as well as Figure 7As shown, some embodiments of the present application provide an electric propulsion air supply device including a housing 11, a high-pressure sensor 12, a self-locking valve 13, a pressure reducing valve 14, a pressure controlling valve 15, a plurality of low-pressure sensors 16, a flow distributor 17 and a flow distribution valve 18. A plurality of mounting ports 111 are arranged on the top of the shell 11, an inlet 112 is arranged on one side of the shell 11, an outlet 113 is arranged on the other side of the shell 11, a plurality of flow channels 114 communicating with the plurality of mounting ports 111 are arranged inside the shell 11, the inlet 112 is communicated with the flow channel 114, a buffer chamber 115 communicating with the flow channel 114 is formed inside the shell 11, the outlet 113 is communicated with the buffer chamber 115, a pressure reducing hole 116 extending to the rear surface of the shell 11 is arranged in the middle position of the shell 11, and the pressure reducing hole 116 is communicated with the flow channel 114; a high-pressure sensor 12 is arranged on the mounting port 111 near the inlet 112 to detect the pressure at the inlet 112; a self-locking valve 13 is arranged on the mounting port 111 behind the high-pressure sensor 12 along the gas flow direction to control the opening or closing of the flow channel 114 at the inlet 112; the pressure reducing valve 14 is arranged at the pressure reducing hole 116 at the pressure reducing hole 116. In the pressure hole 116, the gas entering through the self-locking valve 13 is reduced in pressure to a preset pressure through the pressure reducing valve 14 and then enters the subsequent flow channel 114; the pressure control valve 15 is arranged on the installation port 111 near the position of the pressure reducing valve 14, and the pressure of the gas in the buffer cavity 115 reaches a preset value by controlling the amount of gas flowing into the buffer cavity 115 after the pressure reducing valve 14; a plurality of low-pressure sensors 16 include a first low-pressure sensor 161 arranged after the pressure reducing valve 14 along the gas flow direction, and a second low-pressure sensor 162 arranged after the pressure controlling valve 15 and connected to the buffer cavity 115; a flow distributor 17 is arranged on the side of the housing 11, one end of which is connected to the buffer cavity 115, and the other end is connected to the outlet 113; a flow distribution valve 18 is arranged on the installation port 111 near the outlet 113 to control the opening and closing of the flow path between the flow distributor 17 and the outlet 113; Fig. 9 As shown, after the gas enters the shell 11 from the inlet 112, it flows into the buffer chamber 115 through the multi-section flow channel 114, passes through the high-pressure sensor 12, the self-locking valve 13, the pressure reducing valve 14 and the pressure controlling valve 15, and then flows out through the outlet 113 after passing through the flow distributor 17 and the flow distribution valve 18.

[0037] It should be noted that the shell 11 is an integrally formed hollow box body with six faces, a mounting hole on the bottom surface and fixedly installed on the designated installation position of the satellite or spacecraft by screws and nuts. The inlet 112 of the shell 11 is connected to a high-pressure gas cylinder filled with xenon, krypton or argon, and the outlet 113 of the shell 11 is connected to the thruster inlet. The installation port 111 has threads or buckles for easy installation, and can be installed by plug-in installation methods. Different installation methods can be used according to the characteristics of different components, and sealing rings, gaskets or sealing pads are used to seal well to ensure the sealing of the entire device. The circulation channel 114 is located inside the shell 11 and is integrally formed during the production process of the shell 11. The circulation channel 114 is used to circulate gas and introduce gas into different components installed in the shell 11. Finally, the gas that meets the preset requirements is introduced into the buffer chamber 115 through multiple sections of the circulation channel 114. The preset pressure value of the pressure reducing valve 14 is 0.5±0.1MPa, and the preset value of the gas pressure in the buffer chamber 115 is 0.2±0.008MPa.

[0038] In addition, the self-locking valve 13, the pressure control valve 15 and the flow distribution valve 18 are all electrically driven valves, and the pressure reducing valve 14 is a purely mechanically driven valve. All valves have different internal channels according to different functions to control the opening and closing of different flow channels 114. The self-locking valve 13 controls the inflow of gas, the pressure reducing valve 14 reduces the gas pressure to a suitable range, the pressure controlling valve 15 controls the amount of gas entering the buffer chamber 115 to adjust the pressure of the gas in the buffer chamber 115, and the appropriate proportion of gas separated by the flow distributor 17 is exported to the gas reaction chamber through the flow distribution valve 18 for gas ionization acceleration. The high-pressure sensor 12 monitors the gas pressure at the inlet 112, the first low-pressure sensor 161 monitors the pressure after passing through the pressure reducing valve 14, and the second low-pressure sensor 162 monitors the pressure in the buffer chamber 115. The gas in the buffer chamber 115 passes through the flow distributor 17, and is calculated and distributed to the amount and proportion of the downstream gas flow through the instructions and data, and then flows out from the flow channel 114 controlled by the flow valve and enters the downstream component of the propulsion. Sealing rings are provided at the connecting positions of each solenoid valve, each pressure sensor, flow distributor 17 and flow channel 114 to ensure the sealing of the entire device.

[0039] The embodiment of the present application provides an electric propulsion gas supply device, which is made into a shell 11 with multiple installation ports 111, multiple flow channels 114 and a buffer chamber 115, and the high-pressure sensor 12, the self-locking valve 13, the pressure reducing valve 14, the pressure control valve 15, multiple low-pressure sensors 16, the flow distributor 17 and the flow distribution valve 18 are all integrated on the shell 11. After the gas enters the shell 11 from the inlet 112, it passes through the high-pressure sensor 12, the self-locking valve 13, the pressure reducing valve 14 and the pressure control valve 15 through the multiple flow channels 114, and then flows into the buffer chamber 115, and flows out through the flow distributor 17 and the flow distribution valve 18 through the outlet 113. Through the control of sensors and various valves, the gas pressure in the buffer chamber 115 reaches a preset value, and the gas flowing out from the outlet 113 meets the requirements of entering the subsequent subsystem of the electric propulsion. This highly integrated electric propulsion gas supply device ensures that the pipeline of the gas supply device is simple, small in size, light in weight and low in cost, which is in line with the development trend of the electric propulsion system.

[0040] At the same time, since xenon has a low ionization energy and is easy to ionize, most Hall electric propulsion systems use xenon as a working fluid. However, xenon has a low natural content and is non-renewable, and its price is also high. At the same time, its storage pressure is mostly 12MPa, and the amount carried at one time is small, which limits the use of xenon. Krypton and argon can increase the storage pressure to 30MPa, with large carrying capacity and low cost, which is the development trend of future satellite constellations. For existing gas supply devices using different working fluids, different valve configurations are required, resulting in more product specifications and incompatibility with each other. An electric propulsion gas supply device provided in an embodiment of the present application can be adapted to different models of Hall electric propulsion systems through a highly integrated design, an integrally formed housing 11, and pluggable single-function valve assemblies and sensors. It is suitable for different working fluid gases such as xenon, krypton and argon, and has the advantages of strong compatibility, low cost, strong adaptability, more than 60% reduction in volume and weight, and high production efficiency.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present application, the housing 11 is made in one piece by three-dimensional printing.

[0042] It should be noted that the housing 11 is an integrally formed hollow box body, which can be made by mold casting or three-dimensional printing. Three-dimensional printing is a preferred method for making the housing 11. Based on the designed 3D model file of the housing 11, the housing 11 is constructed by printing layer by layer using powdered metal or plastic and other bondable materials.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present application, the shell 11 is made of TC4 titanium alloy.

[0044] It should be noted that TC4 titanium alloy has good creep resistance and thermal stability, high fatigue performance, and satisfactory fracture toughness. It is suitable for manufacturing various parts working in the temperature range of -196°C to 450°C. TC titanium alloy also has excellent process plasticity and superplasticity, and is suitable for forming by various pressure processing methods. TC4 titanium alloy is mainly used in aerospace to manufacture various beams, bulkheads, slide rails, landing gear beams in aircraft structures, fans and compressor discs and blades of aircraft engines, shells 11 of space rockets, pressure vessels, and various types of fasteners. The shell 11 made by three-dimensional printing of TC4 titanium alloy powder can meet the use conditions of highly integrated air supply devices.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present application, the size of the shell 11 is less than or equal to 100 mm×100 mm×64 mm, and the volume of the buffer chamber 115 is greater than or equal to 0.3 L.

[0046] It should be noted that, under a certain gas flow rate, the volume of the buffer chamber 115 needs to meet the subsequent gas demand, and the size of the housing 11 needs to meet the volume of the buffer chamber 115 while being able to install corresponding valves and pressure sensors, and be as small and lightweight as possible. The size of the entire electric propulsion gas supply device is less than or equal to 100mm×100mm×116mm.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present application, the pressure reducing valve 14 is a two-stage pressure reducing valve 14 , and the pressure controlling valve 15 includes a pressure controlling valve 151 and a pressure controlling valve 2 152 .

[0048] It should be noted that the pressure reducing valve 14 is in the shape of two cylindrical sections connected in series, and the outlet pressure of the two-stage pressure reducing valve 14 is more stable, ensuring that the gas is reduced to a specific pressure for subsequent use. After the first stage of pressure reduction, the pressure reaches 1MPa to 1.4MPa, and after the second stage of pressure reduction, the pressure reaches 0.5MPa. The pressure control valve 1 151 and the pressure control valve 2 152 are used together to accurately control the pressure of the gas in the downstream buffer chamber 115. The pressure control valve 1 151 is opened for a period of time and then closed. At this time, the pressure control valve 2 152 is in a closed state. A certain amount of gas is stored in the flow channel 114 between the two pressure control valves 15, and its pressure is consistent with the pressure of the gas after passing through the pressure reducing valve 14. Then the pressure control valve 2 152 is opened, and the gas flows to the larger buffer chamber 115, and the pressure is further reduced. The low pressure sensor 16 monitors, and the controller controls the switch of the two pressure control valves 15, so that the pressure of the gas in the buffer chamber 115 is controlled within a suitable range.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 7As shown, the outlet 113 includes an anode outlet 1131, a first cathode outlet 1132 and a second cathode outlet 1133, the flow distributor 17 includes an anode flow distributor 171, a first cathode flow distributor 172 and a second cathode flow distributor 173, and the flow distribution valve 18 includes an anode flow distribution valve 181, a first cathode flow distribution valve 182 and a second cathode flow distribution valve 183.

[0050] It should be noted that the Hall electric thruster ionizes the propellant gas and accelerates the ions through a magnetic field to generate thrust. It has an anode and a cathode structure. Both the anode and the cathode need to supply a certain amount of gas, and there are strict requirements on the ratio of the gas. Figure 1 As shown in , the anode outlet 1131 is located in the middle of the left side of the shell 11, the first cathode outlet 1132 is located on the left side of the shell 11 near the front side, and the second cathode outlet 1133 is located on the left side of the shell 11 near the rear side. The corresponding flow distribution valve 18 is set at the corresponding outlet 113 to control the gas flow at the outlet 113. The anode flow distributor 171 is located below the outlet 113 on the left side of the shell 11, the first cathode flow distributor 172 is located on the front side of the shell 11, and the second cathode flow distributor 173 is located on the rear side of the shell 11. The first cathode outlet 1132, the second cathode outlet 1133, and the anode outlet 1131 and the inlet 112 are respectively connected to the plunger joint and sealed with the shell 11 for connecting different upstream and downstream components. Different amounts of gas are distributed through different anode and cathode flow distributors 17, and the gas flow is controlled to flow to different downstream components of the thruster through different flow distribution valves 18 to meet the needs of the downstream components for working gas.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 3 , Figure 4 A shell cover 19 is provided on the upper side of the shell 11, a mounting plate 20 is provided on the edge of the upper side of the shell 11, an electrical connector assembly 21 is provided on the outer side of the mounting plate 20, the electrical connector assembly 21 is electrically connected to the high-pressure sensor 12, the self-locking valve 13, the pressure reducing valve 14, the pressure controlling valve 15, a plurality of low-pressure sensors 16, the flow distributor 17 and the flow distribution valve 18 respectively, and the electrical connector assembly 21 is electrically connected to the controller.

[0052] It should be noted that the shell cover 19 can be made of lightweight materials such as plastic, and can cover various valves, sensors and their circuits, providing them with certain protection and dustproof effects. An opening is opened at the lower end of one side of the shell cover 19, and the mounting plate 20 can be installed on the upper side edge of the shell 11 by screws, and bend through the opening of the shell cover 19, and the main body of the mounting plate 20 is tightly attached to the outside of the shell cover 19. The electrical connector assembly 21 is fixed to the outside of the mounting plate 20 by screws and nuts. Various valves, sensors and distributors are connected to the controller through the electrical connector assembly 21, which monitors the pressure at various locations in the gas supply device at any time, transmits data through electrical signals, controls the opening and closing of valves at various locations, and ensures that the gas supply device provides gas of a certain pressure, quantity and proportion according to design requirements.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present application, an air filling port 117 is further provided on the right side of the shell 11 , and an air filling valve (not shown in the figure) is provided on the air filling port 117 .

[0054] It should be noted that the charging port 117 is connected to the inlet 112 of the housing 11, and the upstream high-pressure gas storage device is inflated or deflated through the charging port 117. When inflating, the self-locking valve 13 is closed, and the high-pressure sensor 12 monitors the pressure. When the pressure reaches the set value, the gas storage device is inflated and the inflation stops. The charging valve can be used in conjunction with the charging service valve to inflate and deflate the high-pressure gas storage device.

[0055] In some embodiments of the present application, a test port 118 is further disposed on the right side of the housing 11 .

[0056] It should be noted that the air supply device needs to be tested during the final assembly and testing of the satellite or spacecraft. The air supply device will be covered as a whole without any extra external interfaces, so it is necessary to set a test port 118. The test port 118 is connected to the buffer chamber 115 and is mainly used to test whether the self-locking valve 13, the pressure reducing valve 14, the pressure control valve 15, the low pressure sensor 16, and the high pressure sensor 12 are damaged during the final assembly process, or whether the cables are connected incorrectly.

[0057] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-mentioned embodiments are specific examples for implementing the present application, and in actual applications, various changes may be made thereto in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An electric propulsion air supply device, characterized in that: include: A shell, wherein a plurality of mounting ports are arranged on the top of the shell, an inlet is arranged on one side of the shell, an outlet is arranged on the other side of the shell, a plurality of flow channels communicating with the plurality of mounting ports are arranged inside the shell, the inlet is communicated with the flow channels, a buffer cavity communicating with the flow channels is formed inside the shell, the outlet is communicated with the buffer cavity, a pressure reducing hole extending to the rear surface of the shell is arranged in the middle position of the shell, and the pressure reducing hole is communicated with the flow channels; A high-pressure sensor is arranged on the installation port near the inlet to detect the pressure at the inlet; A self-locking valve, arranged on the installation port behind the high-pressure sensor along the gas flow direction, to control the opening or closing of the flow channel at the inlet; A pressure reducing valve is arranged in the pressure reducing hole, and the gas entering through the self-locking valve is reduced in pressure to a preset pressure by the pressure reducing valve and then enters the subsequent flow channel; A pressure control valve is arranged on the installation port near the pressure reducing valve, and controls the amount of gas flowing into the buffer cavity from behind the pressure reducing valve so that the pressure of the gas in the buffer cavity reaches a preset value; A plurality of low pressure sensors, including a first low pressure sensor disposed after the pressure reducing valve along the gas flow direction, and a second low pressure sensor disposed after the pressure control valve and connected to the buffer chamber; A flow distributor, arranged on the side of the shell, one end of which is connected to the buffer chamber, and the other end of which is connected to the outlet; The flow distribution valve is arranged on the installation port near the outlet to control the opening and closing of the flow distributor and the outlet flow path.

2. An electric propulsion air supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell is made by three-dimensional printing.

3. The electric propulsion air supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell material is TC4 titanium alloy.

4. The electric propulsion air supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell size is less than or equal to 100 mm×100 mm×64 mm, and the buffer chamber volume is greater than or equal to 0.3 L.

5. The electric propulsion air supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure reducing valve is a two-stage pressure reducing valve, and the pressure controlling valve comprises a first pressure controlling valve and a second pressure controlling valve.

6. The electric propulsion air supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outlet includes an anode outlet, a first cathode outlet and a second cathode outlet, the flow distributor includes an anode flow distributor, a first cathode flow distributor and a second cathode flow distributor, and the flow distribution valve includes an anode flow distribution valve, a first cathode flow distribution valve and a second cathode flow distribution valve.

7. The electric propulsion air supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A shell cover is provided on the upper side of the shell, a mounting plate is provided on the edge of the upper side of the shell, an electric connector assembly is provided on the outer side of the mounting plate, the electric connector assembly is electrically connected to the high-pressure sensor, the self-locking valve, the pressure reducing valve, the pressure controlling valve, the multiple low-pressure sensors, the flow distributor and the flow distribution valve respectively, and the electric connector assembly is electrically connected to a controller.

8. The electric propulsion air supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The right side of the shell is also provided with an air filling port, and the air filling port is provided with an air filling valve.

9. The electric propulsion air supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A test port is also provided on the right side of the shell.

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