R & D of Pulsed Laser Microthruster with Hybrid Mechanism of Plasma Flows Acceleration for Small Space Apparatus and Orbit Platforms
- Paper number
IAC-06-C4.6.03
- Author
Prof. Yury S. Protasov, Moscow State Technical University named Bauman, Russia
- Coauthor
Dr. Yury Yu. Protasov, Moscow State Technical University named Bauman, Russia
- Coauthor
Dr. Victor Telekh, Moscow State Technical University named Bauman, Russia
- Coauthor
Dr. Vladimir Christoforov, Moscow State Technical University named Bauman, Russia
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The current status of the development of spacecraft is characterized by the creation of a highly integrated module architecture of a new class of small spacecraft (micro-nanosatellites) for a wide range of scientific and applied problems. The basic requirements for space microthrusters of this class of spacecraft are associated with the possibility of reaching minimum thrust J 1–5 nN s with a fine dosage of an individual pulse in a wide range (within 3–5 orders of magnitude) and high monochromaticity of the accelerated flow ε > 0.8 in the undeveloped micronewton propulsion range F p 10 −7 – 10 −5 N and specific impulses I sp > 10 3 s. An energy–ballistic analysis of promising beam space thrusters indicates that the pulse and quasi-steady-state laser microthrusters of the erosion type fulfill these requirements most completely. In the parametric set of erosion-type laser space thrusters (with various forms of optic discharges in vacuum) under development, the generation, heating, and shock-wave acceleration of gas-plasma flows occur at the following successive stages: laser ablation (light erosion) of a solid working medium (easily vaporized dielectric materials and metals) in the target chamber of a thruster, radiative-gasdynamic heating, the formation and acceleration of the plasma under the optic breakdown of the medium, and the generation of a light detonation shock wave in the acceleration chamber of the thruster. The results of design of components, experimental research and numerical simulation of radiative gasdynamic and thermophysical processes of plasma generation, heating and acceleration in laboratory scale double-stage repetitively-pulsed laser rocket thruster of erosion type with combined (thermal and laser detonation wave) mechanism of acceleration are presented. The descriptions are given for: 1) experimental setup and diagnostics of interchamber and opto-mechanical characteristics of plasma flows; 2) transport, optical and thermo-physical characteristics of constructive elements and active media of thruster in a wide range of thruster’ parameters. The efficiency of the two-stage acceleration of plasma flows and the results of multi parametric optimization of mass flow rates, specific impulse, flow monochromatic coefficient etc. of laser thruster in pulsed repetition regimes are given and discussed.
- Abstract document