Multimode propulsion device and flying object

A multimode propulsion system with a single propellant tank and diverse thrusters addresses safety and complexity issues by using non-toxic propellants, achieving efficient and safe orbital maneuvers.

WO2026126700A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-06-18TOHOKU UNIV

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
TOHOKU UNIV
Filing Date
2025-11-05
Publication Date
2026-06-18

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing propulsion systems for flying objects, such as satellites, face safety risks due to the use of toxic propellants like hydrazine and require complex structures with separate tanks for multiple propellants.

Method used

A multimode propulsion system using a single propellant tank containing nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide, or water, connected to a group of thrusters including hybrid, catalytic, cold gas, resist jet, and plasma thrusters, allowing for a simpler structure and enhanced safety by eliminating toxic substances.

🎯Benefits of technology

The system provides a wide range of thrust and specific impulse, enabling efficient orbital maneuvers, attitude control, and de-orbiting with a simplified design and increased safety by using non-toxic propellants, and eliminating the need for additional pressurizing gases.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

[Problem] To provide: a multimode propulsion device that ensures high safety and can be configured with a relatively simple structure; and a flying object. [Solution] A propellant tank 11 stores a propellant 11a containing at least one of nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide solution, and water. A thruster group 12 has a plurality of kinds of thrusters selected from a hybrid thruster 21, a catalyst thruster 22, a cold gas thruster 23, a resistojet thruster 24, and a plasma thruster 25. The thrusters of the thruster group 12 are connected to the propellant tank 11 so that the propellant 11a is supplied from the propellant tank 11, and are provided so as to be able to propel the flying object by using the propellant 11a supplied from the propellant tank 11.
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Description

Multi-mode propulsion device and flying object 【0001】 The present invention relates to a multi-mode propulsion device and a flying object. 【0002】 Conventionally, in order to meet the requirements such as orbital maintenance of flying objects such as satellite systems, movement between orbits, departure from orbits, and attitude control, and mobility in orbit, propulsion devices equipped with multiple types of thrusters with different thrusts have been developed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). 【0003】 Specifically, for example, those having a chemical propulsion thruster that uses hydrazine for propulsion and an ion thruster (see, for example, Patent Document 1), an apogee engine that uses a fuel and an oxidizer composed of hydrazine, and a catalytic thrust generator that injects a gas product generated by the reaction of hydrazine and a catalyst (see, for example, Patent Document 2), a hydrogen gas thruster that decomposes hydrazine with a catalyst to generate high-temperature hydrazine decomposition gas and separates and injects the hydrogen gas contained in the high-temperature hydrazine decomposition gas, and a Hall thruster that ionizes and injects the nitrogen gas contained in the high-temperature hydrazine decomposition gas (see, for example, Patent Document 3). 【0004】 There are also those equipped with an apogee engine or a dual-mode thruster that uses a fuel-rich unit propellant with low dangerous and harmful properties such as ADN (ammonium dinitramide) and HAN (hydroxylammonium nitrate), and an oxidizer-rich unit propellant with low dangerous and harmful properties such as hydrogen peroxide for propulsion, and an RCS (gas jet device) thruster that uses a fuel-rich unit propellant for propulsion (see, for example, Patent Document 4). 【0005】 In addition, an ion thruster that uses water as a propellant has been developed (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Also, a hybrid thruster that uses nitrous oxide as an oxidizer has been developed (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2). Since nitrous oxide can be self-pressurized and supplied by its vapor pressure at room temperature and no pressing gas for supplying the oxidizer is required, in Non-Patent Document 2, the structure of the thruster is simplified. 【0006】U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0327015, Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-13541, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-113019, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-524673 【0007】 Yuichi Nakagawa, Hiroyuki Koizumi, Hiroki Kawahara, Kimiya Komurasaki, “Performance characterization of a miniature microwave discharge ion thruster operated with water”, Acta Astronautica, 2019, 157, p.294-299, [online], URL: https: / / doi.org / 10.1016 / j.actaastro.2018.12.031Giuseppe Gallo, Yuta Miyahara, Landon Kamps, Harunori Nagata, “Regenerative cooling in hybrid rocket engines based on Self-Pressurized liquid nitrous oxide”, Applied Thermal Engineering, 2024, 254, 123928, [online], URL: https: / / doi.org / 10.1016 / j.applthermaleng.2024.123928 【0008】 The propulsion systems described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 utilize hydrazine as a propellant, but hydrazine has carcinogenic and other toxic properties, posing a significant risk. Furthermore, the propulsion system described in Patent Document 4 is a two-liquid system using two types of propellants, requiring the installation of at least two tanks for the propellants, resulting in a complex structure. 【0009】 This invention has been made in view of these problems, and aims to provide a multimode propulsion system and a projectile that are highly safe and can be constructed with a relatively simple structure. 【0010】To achieve the above objective, the multimode propulsion system according to the present invention is a multimode propulsion system for propelling a flying object, comprising: a propellant tank containing a propellant containing at least one of nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water; and a group of thrusters having a plurality of types of thrusters selected from a hybrid thruster, a catalytic thruster, a cold gas thruster, a resist jet thruster, and a plasma thruster, wherein each thruster in the group of thrusters is connected to the propellant tank so that the propellant is supplied from the propellant tank, and is configured to propel the flying object using the propellant supplied from the propellant tank. 【0011】 The multimode propulsion system according to the present invention can propel a flying object such as a satellite system using propellant stored in a propellant tank, with each thruster in the thruster group propelling the object. In this case, each thruster in the thruster group is connected to a propellant tank and can operate using the same propellant. Therefore, it can be constructed with a simpler structure compared to systems that have propellant tanks storing multiple types of propellants separately. 【0012】 The multimode propulsion system according to the present invention enhances safety by containing at least one of the low-toxicity propellants: nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water, and not containing toxic substances such as hydrazine. Furthermore, the hydrogen peroxide can be made less toxic by diluting it with water so that the hydrogen peroxide concentration is less than 60%. 【0013】 In the multimode propulsion system according to the present invention, the propellant is preferably in liquid form when stored in the propellant tank. The propellant preferably has one of the following as its main component: nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water. The main component is the component that is present in the largest quantity among the components contained. 【0014】Nitrous oxide has a low freezing point (-91°C) and a vapor pressure of 5.24 MPa at 20°C. By controlling the temperature below its critical point (36.5°C, 7.26 MPa), the gas-liquid phase and pressure can be controlled. Therefore, when nitrous oxide is used as the propellant, self-pressurized supply from the propellant tank to each thruster becomes possible, eliminating the need for additional propellant gas. 【0015】 Nitrous oxide can be thermally decomposed into oxygen and nitrogen through catalytic reactions or heating to approximately 600°C. Hydrogen peroxide can also be decomposed into water and oxygen, and water can be further decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen by electrolysis. Therefore, nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water can be used in electric propulsion. Furthermore, nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water can be used as oxidizers in hybrid thrusters. 【0016】 The multimode propulsion system according to the present invention, when the thruster group includes hybrid thrusters, can propel a flying object by supplying propellant as an oxidizer from a propellant tank to the combustion chamber of a hybrid thruster where solid fuel is placed, burning the solid fuel, and ejecting the resulting gas. Because hybrid thrusters can provide high thrust, they can be used, for example, for rapid orbital derailment. The solid fuel is preferably one that burns when propellant is supplied. The solid fuel may be any material, such as terminally hydroxyl-grouped polybutadiene (HTPB), polyethylene, polypropylene, wax, acrylic, or other hydrocarbon polymers, and when the propellant is water, it may be made of aluminum or magnesium. 【0017】 Furthermore, when the thruster group includes catalytic thrusters, the propellant supplied from the propellant tank to the catalytic thruster is decomposed by the catalyst to generate high-temperature gas, and the projectile can be propelled by injecting this high-temperature gas. Since catalytic thrusters can provide moderate thrust, they can be used, for example, for emergency movement. In addition, the catalytic thrusters may be configured to use the generated high-temperature gas to ignite the solid fuel of the hybrid thruster. 【0018】Furthermore, when a thruster group includes cold gas thrusters, the propellant supplied from the propellant tank is vaporized, and the projectile can be propelled by ejecting the high-pressure gas that expands when vaporized by the cold gas thrusters. Because cold gas thrusters have low thrust and are not suitable for continuous use, they can be used, for example, for high-precision attitude control. 【0019】 Furthermore, when the thruster group includes resist-jet thrusters, the propellant supplied from the propellant tank is heated and vaporized, and the resist-jet thrusters expel the vaporized gas to propel the projectile. Although resist-jet thrusters have low thrust, they can be used for extended periods, and therefore can be used, for example, for long-term attitude control. 【0020】 Furthermore, when the thruster group includes plasma thrusters, the propellant supplied from the propellant tank can be vaporized by thermal decomposition or electrolysis to generate ions, or the vaporized gas can be transformed by an electric arc to generate plasma, and the projectile can be propelled by accelerating and ejecting these ions or plasma using electric propulsion with the plasma thruster. Because plasma thrusters have high specific impulse, they can be used, for example, for maintaining orbit for extended periods. The plasma thrusters in this invention include Hall thrusters, helicon thrusters, MPD thrusters, ion thrusters, plasma thrusters, etc., that use ions or plasma. 【0021】 The multimode propulsion system according to the present invention has a thruster group that includes multiple types of thrusters, such as hybrid thrusters, catalytic thrusters, cold gas thrusters, resist jet thrusters, and plasma thrusters, thereby enabling a wide range of thrust and specific impulse to be obtained. As a result, the multimode propulsion system according to the present invention can easily and efficiently perform the maneuvers required on orbit, such as maintaining the orbit of a flying object, moving between orbits, de-orbiting, and attitude control. 【0022】In the multimode propulsion system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the propellant consists of a single type of propellant. This allows for a single propellant tank, resulting in a simpler configuration. However, the propellant tank is not limited to one; it may consist of multiple tanks. When there are multiple propellant tanks, it is preferable that the same propellant is stored in all of them. 【0023】 In the multimode propulsion system according to the present invention, the thruster group preferably has as many types of thrusters as possible from among hybrid thrusters, catalytic thrusters, cold gas thrusters, resist jet thrusters, and plasma thrusters, and it is particularly preferable to have all types of thrusters, in order to obtain a wider range of thrust and specific impulse. Furthermore, the thruster group preferably has a chemical propulsion thruster consisting of at least one of the hybrid thruster and the catalytic thruster, and a non-chemical propulsion thruster consisting of at least one of the cold gas thruster, the resist jet thruster, and the plasma thruster. 【0024】 When a system has both a chemical propulsion thruster and a non-chemical propulsion thruster, it is preferable to have a heat storage material provided to store the heat discharged from the chemical propulsion thruster, and a vaporization chamber for vaporizing the propellant supplied from the propellant tank to the non-chemical propulsion thruster, wherein the system is configured to vaporize the propellant in the vaporization chamber using the heat stored in the heat storage material. In this case, the thermal efficiency of the entire system can be increased, and the non-chemical propulsion thruster can be operated efficiently. To store heat in the heat storage material and utilize the stored heat, it is preferable, for example, to arrange the heat storage material around the chemical propulsion thruster and the vaporization chamber. Alternatively, the heat storage material may be arranged around the flow path for supplying propellant from the propellant tank to each thruster. 【0025】 Furthermore, if a vaporization chamber is present, the vaporization chamber may be provided in a manner that allows for changes in its internal pressure. In this case, each non-chemical propulsion thruster can be operated efficiently by changing and adjusting the internal pressure of the vaporization chamber according to the type of non-chemical propulsion thruster and the propellant used. 【0026】 The flying vehicle according to the present invention is characterized by having a multimode propulsion system according to the present invention. The flying vehicle according to the present invention has a multimode propulsion system according to the present invention, and each thruster in the thruster group can operate using the same propellant. For this reason, it can be constructed with a simpler structure compared to a system that has propellant tanks that store multiple types of propellants separately. In addition, it is possible to use propellants that do not contain toxic substances such as hydrazine, thereby increasing safety. The flying vehicle according to the present invention is a spacecraft such as a rocket, space station, artificial satellite, or artificial planet. 【0027】 The flying vehicle according to the present invention comprises a multimode propulsion system according to the present invention having a heat storage material and a vaporization chamber, communication equipment for communicating with ground facilities, and control equipment for controlling the thruster group, wherein the heat storage material is preferably provided to also store heat discharged from the communication equipment and the control equipment. In this case, not only the heat discharged from the multimode propulsion system but also the heat discharged from the communication equipment and the control equipment can be utilized, thereby increasing the thermal efficiency of the entire flying vehicle. 【0028】 According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a multimode propulsion system and a projectile that are highly safe and can be constructed with a relatively simple structure. 【0029】 (a) A perspective view and (b) A rear view of a multimode propulsion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a piping diagram of a multimode propulsion system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 【0030】 Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 show a multimode propulsion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the multimode propulsion device 10 is a multimode propulsion device 10 for propelling a flying object such as a satellite system, and includes a propellant tank 11, a group of thrusters 12, a vaporization chamber 13, and a heat storage material 14. 【0031】The propellant tank 11 contains propellant 11a, which consists of nitrous oxide. The propellant 11a does not contain toxic substances such as hydrazine. In the specific example shown in Figures 1 and 2, there is one propellant tank 11, but there may be multiple. When there are multiple propellant tanks 11, the same propellant 11a is stored in all of them. In the specific example shown in Figure 2, the nitrous oxide in the propellant 11a is controlled to approximately 20°C and 7 MPa within the propellant tank 11 and stored in a liquid state. 【0032】 The thruster group 12 consists of a hybrid thruster 21, a catalytic thruster 22, a cold gas thruster 23, a resist jet thruster 24, and a plasma thruster 25. Each thruster is connected to the propellant tank 11 by a flow path 26 consisting of piping so that propellant 11a is supplied from the propellant tank 11. Each thruster is configured to propel a projectile using the propellant 11a supplied from the propellant tank 11. In the specific example shown in Figure 1, the thruster group 12 has one hybrid thruster 21, four catalytic thrusters 22, four cold gas thrusters 23, four resist jet thrusters 24, and four plasma thrusters 25. Note that in Figure 2, some thrusters are not shown for simplicity. 【0033】 The vaporization chamber 13 is located in the middle of each flow path 26 connecting the propellant tank 11 to the cold gas thruster 23, the resist jet thruster 24, and the plasma thruster 25. The vaporization chamber 13 is configured to vaporize the propellant 11a from the propellant tank 11 and supply it to the cold gas thruster 23, the resist jet thruster 24, and the plasma thruster 25. The vaporization chamber 13 is also provided with a variable internal pressure. 【0034】In the specific example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flow paths 26 and vaporization chamber 13 are arranged as follows: Two flow paths 26 extend from the propellant tank 11 to the hybrid thruster 21. One flow path 26 is connected to the combustion chamber of the hybrid thruster 21 via a control valve 31, a check valve 32, and a gate valve 33 from upstream (propellant tank 11 side). The other flow path 26 is connected to the ignition device 21a of the hybrid thruster 21 via a control valve 31, a check valve 32, and a gate valve 33 from upstream. Another flow path 26 extending from the propellant tank 11 to the catalytic thruster 22 is connected to the catalytic thruster 22 via a control valve 31, a check valve 32, and a gate valve 33 from upstream. Furthermore, the flow path 26 extending from the propellant tank 11 to each resist jet thruster 24 is connected to the vaporization chamber 13a from upstream via a control valve 31, a check valve 32, and a gate valve 33. From the vaporization chamber 13a, it branches out toward each resist jet thruster 24, and each branch is connected to each resist jet thruster 24 via a gate valve 33. Additionally, the flow path 26 extending from the propellant tank 11 to each cold gas thruster 23 and each plasma thruster 25 is connected to the vaporization chamber 13b from upstream via a control valve 31, a check valve 32, and a gate valve 33. From the vaporization chamber 13b, it branches out into a flow path 26 toward the cold gas thruster 23 and a flow path 26 toward the plasma thruster 25. From the vaporization chamber 13b, it branches out toward each cold gas thruster 23 and each plasma thruster 25, and each branch is connected to each cold gas thruster 23 and each plasma thruster 25 via a gate valve 33. 【0035】Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 2, the flow path 26 extending to the hybrid thruster 21 is configured to adjust the pressure of the propellant 11a in the hybrid thruster 21 to approximately 0.5 MPa. The flow path 26 extending to the catalytic thruster 22 is configured to adjust the pressure of the propellant 11a in the catalytic thruster 22 to approximately 2.0 MPa. The vaporization chamber 13a connected to each resist jet thruster 24 is configured to adjust the pressure of the vaporized propellant 11a to approximately 0.5 MPa. The vaporization chamber 13b connected to each cold gas thruster 23 and each plasma thruster 25 is configured to adjust the vaporized propellant 11a to approximately 20°C and 4.0 MPa. 【0036】 The heat storage material 14 is positioned around the hybrid thruster 21, the catalytic thruster 22, each vaporization chamber 13, and each flow path 26. As a result, the heat storage material 14 stores the heat discharged from the hybrid thruster 21, the catalytic thruster 22, and the flow path 26, and uses the stored heat to heat and vaporize the propellant 11a in each vaporization chamber 13. 【0037】 As shown in Figure 1, the multimode propulsion system 10 houses a propellant tank 11, a group of thrusters 12, a vaporization chamber 13, and a heat storage material 14 inside a frame 15 formed from the sides of a cube. In addition, each thruster of the multimode propulsion system 10 is arranged to be able to fire in the same direction outside the frame 15. 【0038】Next, the operation will be explained. The multimode propulsion system 10 can propel a projectile by operating each thruster of the thruster group 12 as follows. Specifically, in the hybrid thruster 21, first, propellant 11a is supplied to the ignition device 21a via the flow path 26, generating high-temperature gas in the ignition device 21a. At the same time, propellant 11a as an oxidizer is also supplied to the combustion chamber via the flow path 26, and the high-temperature gas from the ignition device 21a is used to ignite the solid fuel of the hybrid thruster 21. This operates the hybrid thruster 21, and the projectile can be propelled by ejecting the generated gas. Because the hybrid thruster 21 can provide high thrust, it can be used, for example, for rapid deorbiting. 【0039】 The solid fuel for the hybrid thruster 21 may be any material, such as terminal hydroxyl group polybutadiene (HTPB), polyethylene, polypropylene, wax, or hydrocarbon polymers such as acrylic. The ignition device 21a may be any material that can generate high-temperature gas with the same propellant 11a and can ignite the solid fuel, such as a catalytic thruster 22. 【0040】 Furthermore, in the catalytic thruster 22, propellant 11a is supplied to the catalytic thruster 22 through the flow path 26, and the propellant 11a is decomposed by the catalyst to generate high-temperature gas. By ejecting this high-temperature gas from the catalytic thruster 22, the flying object can be propelled. Since the catalytic thruster 22 can provide moderate thrust, it can be used, for example, for emergency movement. 【0041】 In addition, in the cold gas thrusters 23, the propellant 11a is supplied to the vaporization chamber 13b via the flow path 26, heated and vaporized, and the high-pressure gas (e.g., 4.0 MPa) expanded by vaporization is supplied to each cold gas thruster 23. By ejecting this high-pressure gas from each cold gas thruster 23, the flying object can be propelled. Since the cold gas thrusters 23 have low thrust and are not suitable for continuous use, they can be used, for example, for high-precision attitude control. 【0042】Also, in the resist jet thruster 24, the propellant 11a is supplied to the vaporization chamber 13a through the flow path 26, heated and vaporized, and the gas is supplied to each resist jet thruster 24. By ejecting the gas from each resist jet thruster 24, the flying object can be propelled. Since the resist jet thruster 24 has a low thrust and can be used for a long time, for example, it can be used for long-term attitude control and the like. 【0043】 Also, in the plasma thruster 25, the propellant 11a is supplied to the vaporization chamber 13b through the flow path 26, heated and vaporized by pyrolysis or electrolysis or the like to generate ions, or the vaporized gas is changed by an electric arc to generate plasma, and the ions or plasma are supplied to each plasma thruster 25. The ions or plasma are accelerated and ejected by using electric propulsion in the plasma thruster 25, whereby the flying object can be propelled. Since the plasma thruster 25 has a high specific thrust, for example, it can be used for long-term orbit maintenance and the like. 【0044】 Thus, the multi-mode propulsion device 10 can propel a flying object such as a satellite system by each thruster of the thruster group 12 using the propellant 11a stored in the propellant tank 11. Further, thereby, the multi-mode propulsion device 10 can obtain a wide range of thrusts and specific thrusts, and by selectively using each thruster, it is possible to easily and efficiently exhibit the mobility required in orbit, such as orbit maintenance of the flying object, movement between orbits, departure from orbit, attitude control, and avoidance of collision with other flying objects. 【0045】 In the multi-mode propulsion device 10, each thruster of the thruster group 12 is connected to the propellant tank 11, and can operate using the same propellant 11a. Therefore, compared with a device having propellant tanks storing a plurality of types of propellants separately, it can be configured with a simple structure. Since the multi-mode propulsion device 10 has a heat storage material 14, the thermal efficiency of the entire device can be increased, and in particular, the cold gas thruster 23, the resist jet thruster 24, and the plasma thruster 25 can be operated efficiently. 【0046】 Also, since the propellant 11a of the multi-mode propulsion device 10 is composed of low-toxic nitrous oxide and does not contain those having toxicity such as hydrazine, it has high safety. Further, since the propellant 11a is composed of nitrous oxide and can be controlled at high pressure in the propellant tank 11, self-pressurizing supply from the propellant tank 11 to each thruster becomes possible and no pressuring gas is required. 【0047】 Note that the thruster group 12 does not necessarily have to have all of the hybrid thruster 21, catalytic thruster 22, cold gas thruster 23, resistojet thruster 24, and plasma thruster 25. However, in order to obtain a wide range of thrust and specific impulse, it is preferable to have as many of those thrusters as possible. In this case, it is preferable to have a chemical propulsion thruster composed of at least one of the hybrid thruster 21 and the catalytic thruster 22 and a non-chemical propulsion thruster composed of at least one of the cold gas thruster 23, resistojet thruster 24, and plasma thruster 25. 【0048】 Also, the propellant 11a may be composed of low-toxic hydrogen peroxide solution or water. The hydrogen peroxide solution can be made low-toxic by diluting it with water so that the hydrogen peroxide concentration becomes lower than 60%. In this case, the hydrogen peroxide solution can be decomposed into water and oxygen, and water can be decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen by electrolysis. Thereby, the hydrogen peroxide solution and water can be used for electric propulsion. Also, the hydrogen peroxide solution and water can be used as an oxidizer for the hybrid thruster 21. When supplying hydrogen peroxide or water, it can be used for the hybrid thruster 21 by providing liquid feeding means such as a pump or a pressuring gas. Also, when the propellant 11a is composed of water, aluminum or magnesium can be used as the solid fuel of the hybrid thruster 21. 【0049】An embodiment of the present invention (not shown) includes a multimode propulsion system 10, communication equipment for communicating with ground facilities, and control equipment for controlling a group of thrusters 12. In the embodiment of the present invention, the heat storage material 14 is also arranged around the communication equipment and control equipment so as to store heat emitted from the communication equipment and control equipment. 【0050】 The flying vehicle according to this embodiment of the present invention has a multimode propulsion system 10, and each thruster in the thruster group 12 can operate using the same propellant 11a. Therefore, it can be constructed with a simpler structure compared to a system that has propellant tanks that store multiple types of propellants separately. In addition, since the propellant 11a does not contain toxic substances such as hydrazine, safety can be enhanced. 【0051】 Furthermore, the flying vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention can utilize not only the heat emitted from the multimode propulsion system 10, but also the heat emitted from the communication equipment and control equipment, thereby increasing the thermal efficiency of the entire flying vehicle. 【0052】 The flying vehicle of this embodiment of the present invention can obtain a wide range of thrust and specific impulse through the multimode propulsion system 10, and can easily and efficiently demonstrate the maneuverability required in orbit. Therefore, the payload mass can be increased, and the degree of freedom of the mission can be enhanced. In addition, it can be used for various services in orbit, as well as for interorbital transport vehicles (OTVs). 【0053】 10 Multimode propulsion system 11 Propellant tank 11a Propellant 12 Thruster group 21 Hybrid thruster 22 Catalytic thruster 23 Cold gas thruster 24 Resist jet thruster 25 Plasma thruster 26 Flow path 31 Control valve 32 Check valve 33 Gate valve 13, 13a, 13b Vaporization chamber 14 Heat storage material 15 Frame

Claims

1. A multimode propulsion system for propelling a flying object, comprising: a propellant tank containing a propellant containing at least one of nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water; and a group of thrusters having a plurality of types of thrusters selected from a hybrid thruster, a catalytic thruster, a cold gas thruster, a resist jet thruster, and a plasma thruster, wherein each thruster in the group of thrusters is connected to the propellant tank so that the propellant is supplied from the propellant tank, and the thrusters are configured to propel the flying object using the propellant supplied from the propellant tank.

2. The multimode propulsion device according to claim 1, characterized in that the propellant consists of a single type of propellant.

3. The multimode propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that the thruster group comprises a chemical propulsion thruster consisting of at least one of the hybrid thruster and the catalytic thruster, and a non-chemical propulsion thruster consisting of at least one of the cold gas thruster, the resist jet thruster, and the plasma thruster.

4. The multimode propulsion system according to claim 3, comprising a heat storage material provided for storing heat discharged from the chemical propulsion thruster, and a vaporization chamber for vaporizing the propellant supplied from the propellant tank to the non-chemical propulsion thruster, wherein the propellant is vaporized in the vaporization chamber using the heat stored in the heat storage material.

5. The multimode propulsion device according to claim 4, characterized in that the vaporization chamber is provided in a manner that allows for changes in its internal pressure.

6. A flying object characterized by having a multimode propulsion system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A flying object comprising a multimode propulsion system according to claim 4 or 5, communication equipment for communicating with ground equipment, and control equipment for controlling the thruster group, wherein the heat storage material is provided to also store heat discharged from the communication equipment and the control equipment.