Design and analysis of vacuum air-intake device used in air-breathing electric propulsion

Li, Yanwu; Chen, X.; Li, Danming; Xiao, Yihong; Dai, Peng; Gong, Cheng-Bin

doi:10.1016/j.vacuum.2015.06.011

Cited by 26 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In 2015, the Lanzhou Institute of Space Technology Physics [36] designed and analysed an air-intake device for atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion. The team carried out a feasibility analysis of the air-breathing electric propulsion system [37] and designed a vacuum intake device with an inlet diameter of 500 mm, which was used to collect space gas as the propellant of the air-breathing electric thruster.…”

Section: Atmosphere-breathing Electric Propulsionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Review of Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion Systems

Zheng

Zhang

et al. 2020

International Journal of Aerospace Engineering

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To develop the satellites for a low-Earth-orbit environment, atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) systems have become more attractive to researchers in the past decade. The system can use atmospheric molecules as the propellant to provide thrust compensation, which can extend the lifetime of spacecraft (S/C). This comprehensive review reviews the efforts of previous researchers to develop concepts for ABEP systems. Different kinds of space propulsion system are analysed to determine the suitable propulsion for atmosphere-breathing S/C. Further discussion about ABEP systems shows the characteristic of different thrusters. The main performance of the ABEP system of previous studies is summarized, which provides further research avenues in the future. Results show great potential for thrust compensation from atmospheric molecules. However, the current studies show various limitations and are difficult to apply to space. The development of ABEP needs to solve some problems, such as the intake efficiency, ionization power, and electrode corrosion.

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Section: Atmosphere-breathing Electric Propulsionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Review of Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion Systems

Zheng

Zhang

et al. 2020

International Journal of Aerospace Engineering

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“…The ABEP VLEO altitude range of h = 150 − 250 km corresponds to the orbital velocity v SC ∼ 7.8 km/s [2]. The free stream conditions at VLEO are in the free molecular flow regime [2,23], and the particle flow can be treated as hyperthermal for the selected AR in this study [23,32]. This is valid at low temperatures when the random thermal motion of the incoming particles is negligible compared to the SC velocity v SC .…”

Section: Simulation Settingsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…This has been tested in combination with a modified HET for ABEP operation and is the only ABEP system of intake and thruster in one device that has been tested for continuos operation, to date, in the laboratory [13][14][15][16][17]31]. The Lanzhou Institute of Space Technology and Physics [32], designed an active intake with a two stage system, a passive multi-hole plate followed by an active compression with a turbo pump system that can achieve η c = 0.42 − 0.58. Finally, the University of Colorado [33] investigated specular scattering and finally designed an intake using the optical proprieties of a parabola leading to an estimated η c > 0.9.…”

Section: Intake Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

RF Helicon-based Inductive Plasma Thruster (IPT) Design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP)

et al. 2020

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Challenging space missions include those at very low altitudes, where the atmosphere is source of aerodynamic drag on the spacecraft. To extend such missions lifetime, an efficient propulsion system is required. One solution is Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP). It collects atmospheric particles to be used as propellant for an electric thruster. The system would minimize the requirement of limited propellant availability and can also be applied to any planet with atmosphere, enabling new mission at low altitude ranges for longer times. Challenging is also the presence of reactive chemical species, such as atomic oxygen in Earth orbit. Such species cause erosion of (not only) propulsion system components, i.e. acceleration grids, electrodes, and discharge channels of conventional EP systems. IRS is developing within the DISCOVERER project, an intake and a thruster for an ABEP system. The paper describes the design and implementation of the RF helicon-based inductive plasma thruster (IPT). This

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“…Inlet efficiency, η in , is the key performance parameter for the inlet of an ABEP device and sensitivity of this parameter to ABEP performance mission capabilities will be assessed in the forthcoming analysis. While active inlets have been shown to achieve high η in and high compression ratio, passive inlets are more widely covered in the literature; thus, this analysis will be limited to passive inlets [28,29]. Passive inlets generally rely on two capture methods: diffuse capture with collimators and an accumulator chamber and specular capture with a conical or parabolic inlet [14,30,31].…”

Section: Abep Thrust Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Air-breathing electric propulsion: mission characterization and design analysis

Crandall

Wirz

2022

J Electr Propuls

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Air breathing electric propulsion (atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion) (ABEP) has attracted significant interest as an enabling technology for long duration space missions in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) altitudes below about 300 km. The ABEP spacecraft and mission analysis model developed allows parametric characterization of key spacecraft geometry and thruster performance parameters such as spacecraft length-to-diameter, the ratio of solar array span to spacecraft diameter, thrust-to-power, effective exhaust velocity, and inlet efficiency. For the missions analyzed ABEP generally outperforms conventional electric propulsion (EP) below 250 km altitude. Using a 6U spacecraft architecture the model shows that below 220 km ABEP is the only viable propulsion option for desirable mission lifetimes. Parametric evaluations of key spacecraft and ABEP characteristics show that the most significant technological improvements to ABEP spacecraft performance and range of applicability for VLEO missions will come from advancements in inlet efficiency, low drag materials, solar array efficiency, and thrust-to-power.

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Design and analysis of vacuum air-intake device used in air-breathing electric propulsion

Cited by 26 publications

References 26 publications

A Comprehensive Review of Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion Systems

A Comprehensive Review of Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion Systems

RF Helicon-based Inductive Plasma Thruster (IPT) Design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP)

Air-breathing electric propulsion: mission characterization and design analysis

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