碩士生: 劉勝文
畢業年分: 2021年7月
論文名稱: 真空陰極電弧誘發脈衝電漿推進器之研發(中文) / The development of vacuum arc cathode induced pulsed plasma thruster (英文)
中文摘要:
由於電漿技術的快速發展，各種電力推進裝置應運而生，以滿足不同任務微衛星的需求。其中，脈衝式電漿推進器 (PPT) 在當今蓬勃發展的太空工業中獲得廣泛地應用，但碳沉積（阻礙其放電）的機制與問題相對未得深入探討，也幾乎沒有得到有效的解決方案。本文研究兩種電力推進系統—真空陰極電弧推進器（VCAT 或 VAT）和 PPT，取其優點進而提出創新的組合。本研究的重點是如何利用這兩種推進器的優勢並將它們用於 3U 或更小的立方衛星。所有特性和參數都進行了分類和量化，以確定新的組合—真空陰極電弧誘發脈衝式電漿推進器(簡稱VAI-PPT)，並將當前的設計進行優化。研究證實VCAT可以替代原本PPT的點火器，縮小推進器的總體積。此外，鐵氟龍 (PTFE) 可視為取代絕緣層之介電材料同時又可作為推進劑取代石墨層。另一個重要發現是推進器的效率在很大程度上是取決於電源系統的電容。根據多種可靠的診斷系統，本研究所提出的 VAI-PPT 可以完成 1500 ~ 3000 秒的比衝範圍。在輸入能量為20 J的情況下， impulse bit理論上可達到760 μNs，這將會是作為太空探索立方衛星的推進系統之高潛力選擇。
英文摘要:
Due to the rapid development of plasma technology, various electric propulsion devices have emerged to meet the needs of micro-satellites for different missions. Among these, the Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) has gained widespread application in the booming space industry. However, the mechanisms and issues related to carbon deposition (which hinders discharge) have not been thoroughly explored, and effective solutions are scarce. This paper studies two types of electric propulsion systems—Vacuum Cathode Arc Thruster (VCAT or VAT) and PPT—and combines their advantages to propose an innovative hybrid system.
The focus of this research is on how to utilize the strengths of these two thrusters and apply them to 3U or smaller CubeSats. All characteristics and parameters were classified and quantified to determine the new combination—the Vacuum Arc-Induced Pulsed Plasma Thruster (VAI-PPT), and the current design was optimized. The study confirmed that the VCAT could replace the original igniter of the PPT, reducing the overall volume of the thruster. Additionally, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can be considered as a dielectric material to replace the insulating layer while also serving as a propellant to replace the graphite layer.
Another significant finding is that the efficiency of the thruster largely depends on the capacitance of the power system. Based on various reliable diagnostic systems, the proposed VAI-PPT can achieve a specific impulse range of 1500 to 3000 seconds. With an input energy of 20 J, the impulse bit can theoretically reach 760 μNs, making it a highly promising choice for the propulsion system of CubeSats used in space exploration.
