Ion engine grids: Function,main parameters,issues, configurations,geometries, materials and fabrication methods

Ion optics are crucial components of ion thrusters and the study of the different ion extraction solutions used since the beginning of the electric propulsion era is essential to understand the evolution of ion engines. This work describes ion engine grids' main functions, parameters and issues related to thermal expansion and sputter erosion, and then introduces a review of ion optics used for significant launched and tested ion thrusters since 1970. Configurations, geometries, materials and fabrication methods are analyzed to understand when typical ion thrusters use two or three grids, what are the thicknesses and aperture sizes of the screen, accelerator and decelerator grids, why molybdenum and carbon-based materials such as pyrolytic graphite and carbon–carbon are the best available options for ion optics and what is the manufacturing method for each material.     

Structure and kinetic properties of slow-mode shocks associated with magnetic reconnection in the near-Earth magnetotail

We study the structure and kinetic properties of slow-mode shocks near the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) associated with magnetic reconnection by Cluster observation. The presence of slow-mode shocks is confirmed by traditional Rankine–Hugoniot (RH) analysis and Monte-Carlo shock fitting method. The Walén analysis, applied to the tailward flow associated with slow-mode shocks, also supports that plasma was accelerated across a Petschek-type slow-mode shock connected to the diffusion region. Back-streaming ions were observed on the shock layer, and cold ions were accelerated and heated by slow-mode shocks. In addition, whistler and electrostatic solitary waves were observed around the slow-mode shocks. These waves might be excited by the observed field-aligned electron beams near the shocks.     

Particle simulation of grid system for krypton ion thrusters

The transport processes of plasmas in grid systems of krypton (Kr) ion thrusters at different acceleration voltages were simulated with a 3D-PIC model, and the result was compared with xenon (Xe) ion thrusters. The variation of the screen grid transparency, the accelerator grid current ratio and the divergence loss were explored. It is found that the screen grid transparency increases with the acceleration voltage and decreases with the beam current, while the accelerator grid current ratio and divergence loss decrease first and then increase with the beam current. This result is the same with Xe ion thrusters. Simulation results also show that Kr ion thrusters have more advantages than Xe ion thrusters, such as higher screen grid transparency, smaller accelerator grid current ratio, larger cut-off current threshold, and better divergence loss characteristic. These advantages mean that Kr ion thrusters have the ability of operating in a wide range of current. Through comprehensive analyses, it can be concluded that using Kr as propellant is very suitable for a multi-mode ion thruster design.     

LIPS-200离子推力器放电室原初电子动力学行为的数值模拟研究

为了得到试验测量不到的气体放电过程中电磁场作用下单个原初电子的动力学行为,建立了LIPS-200离子推力器放电室二维仿真模型,应用网格粒子法(PIC)和蒙特卡洛碰撞(MCC)模拟法对其进行了研究。模拟得到在额定工况下原初电子和中性原子之间的碰撞概率、原初电子损耗率、电磁场分布对其运动速度及运动轨迹的影响等。结果表明磁铁表面磁感强度最大,越靠近放电室内部磁感强度越小,对称轴区域无磁场分布,原初电子在电磁场作用下沿磁力线作加速螺旋运动;运动等离子体的自洽电势大小范围仅为0~2.0V,几乎不会影响等离子体运动;对应总原初电子个数为1.2×106时直接被阳极表面吸收的损耗率仅为0.02%。     

卫星490N发动机安装位置优化研究

针对490N发动机推力在卫星变轨过程中不能始终通过卫星质心,由此形成额外力矩对卫星姿态控制造成干扰的问题,文章提出了一种根据发动机推力偏斜和卫星质心位置变化情况,优化发动机安装位置的方法。此方法通过平移和旋转两种方式调整发动机的安装位置,改变推力作用点和方向,使其指向卫星质心变化范围的中心,以缩小推力相对卫星质心的偏心距,从而达到减小干扰力矩的目的。以某卫星490N发动机安装的工程实施为例,对比优化安装位置前后推力形成的干扰力矩的变化情况。结果表明:优化方法对减小干扰力矩能起到显著作用,可为工程中确定卫星变轨发动机安装位置及实施安装提供参考。     

相对论性离子束（环束）流引起的电磁不稳定性

在相对论性框架下，研究了冷离子流产生的右旋共振模，非共振模电磁不稳定性的特征结果表明，非共振模不稳定性增长率受离子流初始参数影响较大，而右旋共振模的增长率则受离子流初始参数影响较小。此结果可应用于太阳高能离子流通过低日冕区和地球磁层辐射带俘获的高能质子情形。     

月面高温下推力器可靠性试验

嫦娥五号着陆上升组合体落月后将经历月昼强红外辐射环境，由于推力器喷管导热影响，使推进剂管路与电磁阀面临高温环境，推进系统存在管路内氧化剂汽化和推力器性能下降甚至无法正常工作的问题，影响上升器月面起飞正常姿态控制。为了研究高温下推力器的工作性能，进行了高温下氟塑料阀芯与氧化剂相容性调研，提出了电磁阀和推力器可靠性增长及可靠性验证试验方法，分析了温度与电磁阀阀芯行程的关系，获取了高温环境下推力器的稳态及脉冲工作性能，在小子样条件下评估了推力器可靠性置信下限及月面起飞上升推进系统可靠度，通过月面高温排气及月面起飞上升姿态控制对研究结果进行了航天器在轨飞行验证，圆满完成了上升器月面起飞上升任务。所提出的研究方法及思路具有很好的工程适用性。     

离子非线性极化漂移对动力学Alfvén孤波特性的影响

考虑离子极化漂移中非线性项对动力学Alfven孤波特性的影响，采用双流体模型研究磁化等离子体中低频动力学Alfven稀疏型孤波的特性，所得的结果表明，两种类型的动力学Alfven稀疏型孤波在磁层中大范围内均存在（参数β约为10^-6,0,1,β为等离子体的热压之磁压之比，即β＝20μ0nT/B0^2)，它们或以超Alfven速或以亚Alfven速传播。同时发现在β值较小（10^-6-10^-4)时，离子极化漂移非线性项对动力学Alfven孤波特性有较大的影响，不可忽略，而在较大值时（β－0．1），此修正作用不大，由于动力学Alfven孤波允许平行电场存在，故它对等离子体中带电粒子的加速和能化起重要作用。同时也对离子的横向加速有一定的作用，它使一种新的能量转换机制成为可能。     

微型脉冲推力器点火启动过程计算与点火药量选择

建立了微型脉冲推力器点火启动模型,模型中考虑了两相流动和颗粒对推进剂表面的冲击传热。根据数值计算结果,给出了不同产物颗粒含量下的点火药量选择参考范围。该参考范围对于产物颗粒含量小于50%的点火药是适用的;由于过多的颗粒含量将对装药表面产生强烈的热力冲蚀破坏作用,产物颗粒含量超过50%的点火药不适合微型火箭发动机。     

针栓式推力室冷却特性试验研究

针栓式发动机具有推力调节简单、声学燃烧稳定性好和成本低廉等一系列优点,但目前对针栓式推力室的冷却特性掌握还不够深入,研制过程中曾多次出现因推力室冷却组织不好而烧蚀的问题。采用针栓式推力室试验件,对身部的冷却特性进行了深入研究,结果表明:推力室圆柱段前端的温度较低,无需采用专门的冷却措施;末端内侧气壁温度会达到约1650℃,局部存在明显的烧蚀现象,必须采取有效的热防护措施;下游冷却液膜量的变化对圆柱段的冷却特性影响较小。