Flow regime characterization of a silicon-based vaporizing liquid microthruster

Fontanarosa, Donato; Francioso, Luca; Giorgi, Maria Grazia De; Pascali, Chiara De; Ficarella, Antonio; Vetrano, Maria Rosaria

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.07.050

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Despite the advancements described above, all VLMs have shown an intrinsically unstable behavior due to the establishment of flow boiling instabilities occurring in the inlet and the heating chambers. In this regard, Fontanarosa et al [25,26] designed and fabricated a silicon-based water-propellant VLM equipped with embedded microsensors for real-time monitoring of the in-channel vapor/liquid fraction and fluid temperature during its operation (see Figure 4c). Further, a secondary low-power platinum thin-film resistive heater was placed inside each of the eight channels, allowing for localized precision fluid heating and flow control.…”

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%