Energetic ion emission for active spacecraft control

Future space missions aiming at the accurate measurement of cold plasmas and DC to very low frequency electric fields will require that the potential of their conductive surfaces be actively controlled to be near the ambient plasma potential. In the near-Earth space these spacecraft are usually solar-cell powered; consequently, parts of their surface are most of the time exposed to solar photons. Outside the plasmasphere, a positive surface potential due the dominance of surface-emitted photoelectrons over ambient plasma electrons is to be expected. Photo- and ambient electrons largely determine the potential and positive values between a few Volts up to 100 V have been observed. Active ion emission is the obvious solution of this problem. A liquid metal ion emitter and a saddle field ion emitter are nearing the stage of flight unit fabrication. We will attempt to clamp the spacecraft potential to values close to the plasma potential. We present first results from vacuum chamber tests and describe the emission behaviour and characteristics of emitters producing, respectively, In⁺ and N₂⁺ beams with an energy of ≥ 5 keV.     

气冷涡轮叶栅效率的计算方法

将气冷涡轮叶栅中的冷气与主流在边界层中的掺混模型和在边界层外的掺混层中的掺混模型结合起来, 建立了一个预估气冷涡轮叶栅效率的计算模型。根据该模型利用回转面叶栅无粘流场的计算结果和二维叶面边界层流动的计算结果来预估气冷涡轮叶栅的效率。该算法为气冷涡轮叶栅的优化气动设计提供了一个计算手段。