Spacecraft-borne propulsion device with gas heating and gas storage
A spacecraft-borne propulsion device includes a propellant storage mechanism including a propellant storage container that stores a propellant in a vapor-liquid equilibrium state or a liquid phase, the propellant being ethanol or an aqueous ethanol solution; a propellant transport mechanism configured to supply, with an electric pump, the propellant under pressurization to a pressure exceeding 1 atm at room temperature; a gas heating mechanism including a heater including a separate heater for heating up connected via a check valve; a thruster head mechanism having a nozzle that generates a thrust with a heated gas; and a power supply mechanism including a storage battery for driving the electric pump and the heater for heating up. The propellant storage mechanism, the propellant transport mechanism, the gas heating mechanism, and the thruster head mechanism are connected in series.
1 . A resist jet propulsion engine in a small or micro-small spacecraft including a resist jet engine, in order to achieve a large thrust and further increase a specific impulse, the resist jet propulsion engine comprising:
a mechanism for propellant storage including at least one propellant storage container that stores a liquefied gas propellant in a vapor-liquid equilibrium state or a liquid phase;
a mechanism for propellant transport pressurizing, with at least one electric pump, the propellant to a pressure exceeding 1 atm at room temperature;
a contained gas generation mechanism including at least one electric gas generation heater;
a contained gas storage mechanism including at least one gas storage tank that stores gas generated by the contained gas generation mechanism at a predetermined pressure via a pressure reducer;
a mechanism for gas heating including at least one electric heater further accommodated for heating up the propellant to be discharged;
a mechanism for thruster head having at least one nozzle that generates a thrust with the propellant heated; and
a mechanism for power supply including at least one battery for driving both the at least one electric pump and the at least one electric heater, wherein
the mechanism for propellant storage, the mechanism for propellant transport, the mechanism for gas heating, and the mechanism for thruster head are connected in series, and
the contained gas generation mechanism and the contained gas storage mechanism are connected in series, and are inserted and connected in series between the mechanism for propellant transport and the mechanism for gas heating.
2 . The resist jet propulsion engine according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of paths are provided in parallel,
in each of which at least one said mechanism for propellant storage, at least one said mechanism for propellant transport, at least one said mechanism for gas heating and at least one said mechanism for thruster head are connected in series.
3 . The resist jet propulsion engine according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of paths are provided in parallel,
in each of which at least one said mechanism for propellant storage, at least one said mechanism for propellant transport, at least one said mechanism for gas generation, at least one said mechanism for gas storage, at least one said mechanism for gas heating and at least one said mechanism for thruster head are connected in series.
4 . The resist jet propulsion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the propellant is an ethanol or an aqueous ethanol solution.