Liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster for propelling nanosatellites
A system for propelling a nanosatellite, including a pair of separated electrodes defining an ignition space therebetween a power source operationally connected to the pair of separated electrodes. Also included is a liquid propellant reservoir a pump reconnected in fluidic communication with reservoir and the ignition space and an electronic controller operationally corrected to the power source and to the pump.
1. A method for propelling a nanosatellite, the method comprising:
feeding a predetermined quantity of liquid propellant to an interelectrode space;
vaporizing and ionizing the liquid propellant in the interelectrode space to yield a plasma cloud; and
accelerating the plasma cloud by a Lorentz force;
wherein the liquid propellant is pentaphenyl trimethyl trisiloxane.
2. A liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster assembly, comprising:
a first pair of separated electrodes defining an ignition space therebetween;
a capacitive power source operationally connected to the first pair of separated electrodes;
a liquid propellant reservoir containing pentaphenyl trimethyl trisiloxane;
a pump connected in fluidic communication with the liquid propellant reservoir and the ignition space;
an electronic controller operationally corrected to the capacitive power source and to the pump; and
a second pair of separated electrodes positioned to receive and accelerate a plasma plume from the ignition space;
wherein the electronic controller may send a first signal to the pump to urge a predetermined amount of pentaphenyl trimethyl trisiloxane into the ignition space;
wherein the electronic controller may send a second signal to the capacitive power source to energize the first pair of separated electrodes to ionize the predetermined amount of pentaphenyl trimethyl trisiloxane into a plasma cloud;
wherein the second pair of separated electrodes generates a Lorentz force to accelerate the plasma cloud away from the ignition space.
3. The liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second set of electrodes is a pair of separated parallel plates.
4. The liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second set of electrodes is a pair of coaxial curved plates.
5. The liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster assembly of claim 2 wherein the first set of electrodes generates a breakdown voltage of 8 kV to ionize the predetermined amount of pentaphenyl trimethyl trisiloxane.