A tubular vaporizing liquid micro-thruster with induction heating

Liu, Bendong; Xu, Yang; Wang, Yuezong; Li, Desheng; Gao, Guohua; Yang, Jiahui; Zhou, Ronghua

doi:10.1007/s00231-020-02836-7

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Concerning the heating system, Liu et al [22] developed a tubular concept of a VLM equipped with a micro-heater core, an excitation coil, a vaporizing chamber, and the micronozzle, all integrated into a glass tube with a dimension of 3 mm (outer diameter) × 18 mm (length). They conducted experiments by applying an optimal AC frequency obtaining a maximum thrust force of 680 µN at 5 mg/s.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

MEMS Vaporazing Liquid Microthruster: A Comprehensive Review

et al. 2021

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The interest in developing efficient nano and pico-satellites has grown in the last 20 years. Secondary propulsion systems capable of serving specific maneuvers are an essential part of these small satellites. In particular, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Vaporizing Liquid Microthrusters (VLM), using water as a propellant, represent today a smart choice in terms of simplicity and cost. In this paper, we first propose a review of the international literature focused on MEMS VLM development, reviewing the different geometries and heating solutions proposed in the literature. Then, we focus on a critical aspect of these micro thrusters: the presence of unstable phenomena. In particular, the boiling instabilities and reverse channel flow substantially impact the MEMS VLMs’ performance and limit their applicability. Finally, we review the research focused on the passive and active control of the boiling instabilities, based on VLM geometry optimization and active heating strategies, respectively. Today, these ones represent the two principal research axes followed by the scientific community to mitigate the drawbacks linked to the use of MEMS VLMs.

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Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

MEMS Vaporazing Liquid Microthruster: A Comprehensive Review

et al. 2021

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“…A maximum thrust of 633.5 µN was obtained with an input heater power of 4 W. Low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology was examined by Karthikeyan et al [27] to develop a vaporizing liquid propellant microthruster; an average thrust ranging from 34 to 68 µN with an input heater power range of 7.1-9.2 W was measured. Liu et al [28] examined a tubular vaporizing liquid micro-thruster with induction heating consisted of a micro-heater core, an excitation coil, a vaporizing chamber, a nozzle and a micro-channel, all integrated in a glass tube with dimension of 3 mm (outer diameter) × 18 mm (length). They reported a maximum thrust force of 680 µN at 0.3 ml min −1 propellant consumption rate and a heating power of 8 W.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrodynamic characteristics of an evaporation-based micro-synthetic jet for micro-propulsion

Sourtiji

Peles

2021

J. Micromech. Microeng.

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In this study, a concept of using a synthetic jet for micro-propulsion is introduced. The system has no moving parts and operates based on a periodic process associated with bubble growth and collapse on a micro-heater in a confined chamber. The liquid is propelled through a micro-nozzle located at the chamber exit using the interfacial layer movement between the vapor and liquid phases during the bubble growth. High-speed photography and image processing are used to capture the sequence of bubble ebullition in the chamber. The synthetic jet velocity at the nozzle exit is then numerically simulated using SST k-ω turbulence model and it is shown that the thrust during the ejection phase is two orders of magnitude greater than the rest of the cycle, resulting in a positive net momentum. Comparing the operating power of different types of micro-thrusters revealed that the introduced approach is one of the lowest powered micro-thrusters.

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