Continuous induction arc thruster

Abstract

The utility model discloses a continuous induction electric arc thruster which comprises a thrust mechanism, and a thrust chamber is arranged in the thrust mechanism. A cathode plate and an anode plate are arranged on the upper side and the lower side of the inner wall of the thrust chamber respectively, and permanent magnets or electromagnets are arranged on the outer wall of the thrust chamber and located on the left side and the right side of the thrust chamber respectively. The thruster is applied to the field of thrusters, the negative plate and the positive plate maintain electric arc at the throat part of the nozzle and break down a gas working medium to generate stable plasma, and the plasma is accelerated by an orthogonal electromagnetic field generated by the negative plate, the positive plate and the permanent magnet or the electromagnet to generate thrust. And therefore, continuous and stable thrust output can be realized by accurately controlling the formation and maintenance of the induction arc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of thrusters, in particular to a continuous induction arc thruster. Background Art

[0002] Traditional thrusters, such as rocket engines and jet propulsion systems, are often limited by fuel consumption, thrust transfer efficiency, and system complexity. Furthermore, traditional thrusters face challenges such as fuel storage and supply difficulties, emissions generation, and environmental impact.

[0003] To overcome these limitations, a series of innovative solutions have emerged in recent years in the field of thruster technology, including arc thrusters. Arc thrusters generate thrust by generating an arc discharge and accelerating high-temperature gases through a nozzle. However, existing arc thrusters still have limitations in terms of energy loss, thrust stability, and efficiency. Therefore, there is a need to develop a new arc thruster that improves energy efficiency and stability, reduces energy loss, and provides ease of maintenance and operation. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a continuous induction arc thruster with high energy efficiency and good stability, which can achieve continuous and stable thrust output.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a continuous induction arc thruster, comprising a thrust mechanism, wherein a thrust chamber is provided in the thrust mechanism;

[0006] A cathode plate and an anode plate are respectively provided on the upper and lower sides of the inner wall of the thrust chamber, and a permanent magnet or an electromagnet is respectively provided on the outer wall of the thrust chamber and on the left and right sides of the thrust chamber.

[0007] In one embodiment, the thrust mechanism includes a hollow frame, and the thrust chamber is located in the frame;

[0008] One of the cathode plate and the anode plate is fixedly connected to the upper inner wall surface of the frame, and the other of the cathode plate and the anode plate is fixedly connected to the lower inner wall surface of the frame;

[0009] The cathode plate, the anode plate and the left and right inner wall surfaces of the frame form a nozzle of the thrust chamber.

[0010] In one embodiment, a first protrusion is provided on a surface of the cathode plate facing the thrust chamber, a second protrusion is provided on a surface of the anode plate facing the thrust chamber, and a third protrusion is provided on a surface of the left and right inner walls of the frame facing the thrust chamber;

[0011] The upper and lower sides of the third protrusion are connected to the first protrusion and the second protrusion respectively, so as to form a nozzle in the thrust chamber that contracts first and then expands.

[0012] In one embodiment, the thrust mechanism further includes a first metal screw and a second metal screw;

[0013] The frame is provided with a first connection hole and a second connection hole, the cathode plate is provided with a first threaded hole coaxial with the first connection hole, and the anode plate is provided with a second threaded hole coaxial with the second connection hole;

[0014] The nut of the first metal screw abuts against the outer wall of the frame, and the screw rod of the first metal screw passes through the first connecting hole and is connected to the first threaded hole, so as to fix the cathode plate and conduct current into the cathode plate;

[0015] The nut of the second metal screw abuts against the outer wall of the frame, and the screw rod of the second metal screw passes through the second connecting hole and is connected to the second threaded hole, so as to fix the anode plate and introduce current into the anode plate at the same time.

[0016] In one embodiment, the frame is provided with a first connection hole and a second connection hole;

[0017] A first screw is provided on the cathode plate, and the first screw passes through the first connecting hole and is threadedly connected to the first nut;

[0018] A second screw is provided on the cathode plate. The second screw passes through the second connecting hole and is threadably connected to the second nut.

[0019] In one embodiment, the frame includes end plates and pipe racks;

[0020] The end plate is detachably connected to the end of the tube rack, and the cathode plate and the anode plate are both arranged on the tube rack.

[0021] In one embodiment, grooves are provided on the left and right sides of the outer wall of the thrust chamber respectively;

[0022] The permanent magnet or electromagnet is fixedly embedded in the groove, and an insulating heat-insulating sheet is provided at the bottom of the groove to isolate the permanent magnet or electromagnet from the thrust chamber.

[0023] In one embodiment, the continuous induction arc thruster further includes an air intake mechanism, wherein the air intake mechanism is provided with an air intake passage extending transversely through the air intake mechanism;

[0024] The first end of the air intake mechanism is detachably connected to the thrust mechanism, and the air intake passage is communicated with the thrust chamber.

[0025] In one embodiment, a connecting flange is provided at the first end of the air intake mechanism.

[0026] In one embodiment, the permanent magnet is a samarium cobalt magnet.

[0027] In one embodiment, the wall of the thrust chamber has no gaps, so that the working gas can only enter and exit from the inlet and outlet of the thrust chamber.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0029] This new thruster features cathode and anode plates on the upper and lower sides of the thrust chamber, along with permanent magnets or electromagnets on the left and right sides. When external gas enters the thrust chamber, the cathode and anode plates initiate and maintain arcs in the nozzle throat (the narrowest part of the electrodes), generating a stable plasma. The orthogonal electromagnetic fields generated by the permanent magnets or electromagnets accelerate the plasma to generate thrust. Unlike traditional arc thrusters, the continuous induction arc thruster in this new thruster achieves continuous and stable thrust output by precisely controlling the formation and maintenance of the induced arc. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 This is an axonometric view of a thruster in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0032] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of a thruster in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0033] Figure 3 This is an axonometric view of the cathode plate in the embodiment of the present utility model;

[0034] Figure 4 This is an axonometric view of the anode plate in the embodiment of the present utility model;

[0035] Figure 5 This is an axonometric view of the nozzle wall in the embodiment of the present utility model;

[0036] Figure 6 This is an axonometric view of the pipe rack in the embodiment of the present utility model.

[0037] Figure numbers: intake mechanism 1, intake channel 101, connecting flange 102, thrust mechanism 2, thrust chamber 201, cathode plate 3, first protrusion 301, first threaded hole 302, anode plate 4, second protrusion 401, second threaded hole 402, permanent magnet or electromagnet 5, nozzle wall 6, third protrusion 601, first metal screw 7, second metal screw 8, frame 9, first connecting hole 901, second connecting hole 902, end plate 903, pipe rack 904, insulating and heat-insulating sheet 10.

[0038] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this utility model.

[0041] like Figure 1 Figure 6 shows a continuous induction arc thruster (hereinafter referred to as the "thruster") disclosed in this embodiment. It primarily includes an intake mechanism 1 and a thrust mechanism 2. The intake mechanism 1 is provided with an intake passage 101 extending transversely therethrough, and the thrust mechanism 2 is provided with a thrust chamber 201 extending transversely therethrough. A connecting flange 102 is provided at the first end of the intake mechanism 1 for removably attaching to the thrust mechanism 2. The intake passage 101 communicates with the thrust chamber 201, allowing a working medium, such as ammonia or other gas, to be continuously introduced into the thrust chamber 201. The walls of the thrust chamber 201 are free of gaps, allowing the working medium to enter and exit only through the thrust chamber's inlet and outlet.

[0042] In this embodiment, a cathode plate 3 and an anode plate 4 are respectively positioned on the upper and lower sides of the inner wall of the thrust chamber 201. Permanent magnets or electromagnets 5 are respectively positioned on the outer wall of the thrust chamber 201, on the left and right sides of the thrust chamber 201. When external working medium enters the thrust chamber 201, the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4 initiate an arc and maintain the arc in the nozzle throat (i.e., the narrowest part of the electrode), generating a stable plasma. The orthogonal electromagnetic fields generated by the permanent magnets or electromagnets 5 accelerate the plasma to generate thrust, achieving continuous and stable thrust output.

[0043] In a specific implementation, the thrust mechanism 2 includes a hollow frame 9, with a thrust chamber 201 located within the frame 9. One of the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4 is fixedly connected to the upper inner wall of the frame 9, while the other of the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4 is fixedly connected to the upper inner wall of the frame 9. The cathode plate 3, the anode plate 4, and the left and right inner walls of the frame 9 form the nozzle of the thrust chamber 201. Specifically, in this embodiment, nozzle walls 6 are provided on both the left and right inner walls of the frame 9, with the upper and lower sides of the nozzle walls 6 respectively connected to the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4. Specifically, the cathode plate 3, the anode plate 4, and the two nozzle walls 6 form the nozzle of the thrust chamber 201, facilitating processing and installation. Furthermore, the nozzle walls 6 enable the cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle to first contract and then expand. Among them, the frame 9 is made of a material that is insulating, high-temperature resistant, has certain structural strength and mechanical properties, and is easy to process, such as ceramic, granite or silicon carbide composite materials; the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4 are both made of high-temperature resistant and ablation-resistant metal materials.

[0044] It is worth noting that, in specific applications, the frame 9 is not limited to the structure shown in the figure. The frame 9 can also be configured as other structural forms, such as a cylindrical frame, as long as it can cooperate with the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4 to form a nozzle that first contracts and then expands. The nozzle wall 6 does not need to be constructed separately. For example, the nozzle wall 6 can be directly formed integrally with the frame 9.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, a first protrusion 301 is integrally formed on the surface of the cathode plate 3 facing the thrust chamber 201, a second protrusion 401 is integrally formed on the surface of the anode plate 4 facing the thrust chamber 201, and a third protrusion 601 is integrally formed on the surface of the nozzle wall 6 facing the thrust chamber 201. The upper and lower sides of the third protrusion 601 are respectively connected to the first protrusion 301 and the second protrusion 401, thereby forming a nozzle in a first-contracting-then-expanding configuration within the thrust chamber 201. Specifically, the first protrusion 301, the second protrusion 401, and the two third protrusions 601 form the nozzle throat. During thruster operation, the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4 maintain an arc in the nozzle throat, which breaks down the working medium and generates a stable plasma.

[0046] In this embodiment, the thrust mechanism 2 further includes a first metal screw 7 and a second metal screw 8. The frame 9 is provided with a first connection hole 901 and a second connection hole 902. The cathode plate 3 is provided with a first threaded hole 302 coaxial with the first connection hole 901, and the anode plate 4 is provided with a second threaded hole 402 coaxial with the second connection hole 902. Specifically, the nut of the first metal screw 7 abuts against the outer wall of the frame 9, and the rod of the first metal screw 7 passes through the first connection hole 901 and connects to the first threaded hole 302. The nut of the second metal screw 8 abuts against the outer wall of the frame 9, and the rod of the second metal screw 8 passes through the second connection hole 902 and connects to the second threaded hole 402. The primary function of the first metal screw 7 and the second metal screw 8 is to secure the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4 to the frame 9. Another function of the first metal screw 7 and the second metal screw 8 is to conduct current into the cathode plate 3, the anode plate 4, and the thrust chamber 201.

[0047] It is worth noting that, in specific applications, the conductive arrangement of the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4 is not limited to the method illustrated using the first metal screw 7 and the second metal screw 8. Other methods may also be used to achieve the fixation and conductivity of the cathode plate 3 and the anode plate 4. For example, a first screw may be welded or integrally formed on the cathode plate 3. During assembly, the first screw is passed through the first connection hole 901 on the frame 9 and positioned outside the frame 9, and a first nut is threadedly connected to the first screw. During wiring, the connection gasket of the cathode plate 3 is placed on the first screw, and the first nut is tightened so that the connection gasket of the cathode plate 3 is clamped between the first nut and the outer wall of the frame 9. Similarly, a second screw may be welded or integrally formed on the anode plate 4. During assembly, the second screw is passed through the second connection hole 902 on the frame 9 and positioned outside the frame 9, and a second nut is threadedly connected to the second screw. During wiring, the connection gasket of the anode plate 4 is placed on the second screw, and the second nut is tightened so that the connection gasket of the anode plate 4 is clamped between the second nut and the outer wall of the frame 9.

[0048] In a specific implementation, the frame 9 includes an end plate 903 and a pipe rack 904. The end plate 903 is detachably connected to the end of the pipe rack 904 via bolts. The cathode plate 3, anode plate 4, and nozzle wall 6 are all mounted on the pipe rack 904, facilitating the installation and securement of the cathode plate 3, anode plate 4, and the ceramic nozzle within the frame 9. More specifically, grooves are provided on the outer wall of the pipe rack 904, located on the left and right sides of the thrust chamber 201. Permanent magnets or electromagnets 5 are securely embedded in these grooves. The permanent magnets can be samarium cobalt magnets.

[0049] Further preferably, an insulating heat-insulating sheet 10 is provided at the bottom of the groove to isolate the permanent magnet or electromagnet 5 from the cathode plate 3, the anode plate 4 and the plasma in the thrust chamber 201, wherein the insulating heat-insulating sheet 10 can be made of a material having insulating and heat-insulating properties such as quartz glass.

[0050] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the utility model concept, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A continuous induction arc thruster, characterized in that: It comprises a thrust mechanism, wherein a thrust chamber is provided in the thrust mechanism; A cathode plate and an anode plate are respectively provided on the upper and lower sides of the inner wall of the thrust chamber, and a permanent magnet or an electromagnet is respectively provided on the outer wall of the thrust chamber and on the left and right sides of the thrust chamber; The thrust mechanism includes a hollow frame, with the thrust chamber located within the frame; one of the cathode plate and the anode plate is fixedly connected to an upper inner wall of the frame, and the other of the cathode plate and the anode plate is fixedly connected to a lower inner wall of the frame; the cathode plate, the anode plate, and the left and right inner walls of the frame form a nozzle of the thrust chamber; A first protrusion is provided on the surface of the cathode plate facing the thrust chamber, a second protrusion is provided on the surface of the anode plate facing the thrust chamber, and a third protrusion is provided on the left and right inner wall surfaces of the frame facing the thrust chamber; the upper and lower sides of the third protrusion are respectively connected to the first protrusion and the second protrusion to form a nozzle in a shape that first contracts and then expands within the thrust chamber.

2. The continuous induction arc thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thrust mechanism further includes a first metal screw and a second metal screw; The frame is provided with a first connection hole and a second connection hole, the cathode plate is provided with a first threaded hole coaxial with the first connection hole, and the anode plate is provided with a second threaded hole coaxial with the second connection hole; The nut of the first metal screw abuts against the outer wall of the frame, and the screw rod of the first metal screw passes through the first connecting hole and is connected to the first threaded hole, so as to fix the cathode plate and conduct current into the cathode plate; The nut of the second metal screw abuts against the outer wall of the frame, and the screw rod of the second metal screw passes through the second connecting hole and is connected to the second threaded hole, so as to fix the anode plate and introduce current into the anode plate at the same time.

3. The continuous induction arc thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame is provided with a first connecting hole and a second connecting hole; A first screw is provided on the cathode plate, and the first screw passes through the first connecting hole and is threadedly connected to the first nut; A second screw is provided on the cathode plate. The second screw passes through the second connecting hole and is threadably connected to the second nut.

4. The continuous induction arc thruster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame includes end plates and pipe racks; The end plate is detachably connected to the end of the tube rack, and the cathode plate and the anode plate are both arranged on the tube rack.

5. The continuous induction arc thruster according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: Grooves are respectively provided on the left and right sides of the outer wall of the thrust chamber; The permanent magnet or electromagnet is fixedly embedded in the groove, and an insulating heat-insulating sheet is provided at the bottom of the groove to isolate the permanent magnet or electromagnet from the thrust chamber.

6. The continuous induction arc thruster according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: It also includes an air intake mechanism, wherein the air intake mechanism is provided with an air intake passage that passes through the air intake mechanism in a transverse direction; The first end of the air intake mechanism is detachably connected to the thrust mechanism, and the air intake passage is communicated with the thrust chamber.

7. The continuous induction arc thruster according to claim 6, characterized in that: A connecting flange is provided at the first end of the air intake mechanism.

8. The continuous induction arc thruster according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: The permanent magnet is a samarium cobalt magnet.

9. The continuous induction arc thruster according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: The wall surface of the thrust chamber has no gaps, so that the working medium gas can only enter and exit from the inlet and outlet of the thrust chamber.

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