Modular micro-cathode arc thruster

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11465784-B2
Application number	US-201816500323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2018
Priority date	Apr 3, 2017
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A modular micro-cathode arc thruster for use in satellites. An exemplary satellite has a plurality of stacked modular arc thrusters, each having an external anode, an internal cathode, and an insulator therebetween. The arc thrusters are situated in a housing, wherein the housing has an opening to eject exhausted thrusters. Once an arc thruster is expended, the push rod ejects that arc thruster and the next arc thruster takes its place.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular arc thruster satellite comprising:
a plurality of arc thrusters, wherein each arc thruster of the plurality of arc thrusters has an outer electrode, an inner electrode, and an insulator therebetween;
a thruster housing having an open end leading to an exterior of the modular arc thruster satellite, the thruster housing receiving said plurality of arc thrusters;
a push rod; and
a motor for selectively operating the push rod to eject one of the plurality of arc thrusters from the modular arc thruster satellite via the open end of said thruster housing once that one of the plurality of arc thrusters has been expended.

2. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein each arc thruster of the plurality of arc thrusters has a triggering system lasting for over 10 6 pulses.

3. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , further comprising a spring-loaded door at the open end of the thruster housing.

4. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein the inner electrode is comprised of titanium.

5. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein the insulator is comprised of ceramic.

6. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of arc thrusters are cylindrical and stacked with respect to one another within the thruster housing.

7. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein the outer electrode forms an inward lip that retains the inner electrode and the insulator.

8. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein each arc thruster of said plurality of arc thrusters is a discrete device.

9. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein each arc thruster of said plurality of arc thrusters is modular.

10. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of arc thrusters are stacked with respect to each other within said thruster housing.

11. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein the motor is a stepper motor.

12. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein the inner electrode is cylindrical.

13. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein the insulator has a top surface, and further comprising a conductive paint deposited on the top surface of the insulator.

14. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 13 , wherein the conductive paint has a high resistivity.

15. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 1 , wherein a gap is located between the outer electrode and the inner electrode, the insulator located in the gap, and the length of the gap provides an optimized life of the plurality of arc thrusters.

16. A method for operating a satellite comprising:
providing a plurality of discrete arc thrusters in a stacked relationship with one another;
determining if a top arc thruster of the plurality of discrete arc thrusters, has been depleted; and,
ejecting the top arc thruster of the plurality of discrete arc thrusters if it is determined that the top arc thruster of the plurality of discrete arc thrusters has been depleted.

17. A modular arc thruster satellite comprising:
a plurality of discrete arc thrusters in a stacked relationship with one another to define a top arc thruster and a bottom arc thruster;
an ejector coupled to the bottom arc thruster;
a motor for selectively operating the ejector to eject the top arc thruster from the modular arc thruster satellite once that top arc thruster has been depleted;
a satellite housing, and wherein said ejector comprising a push rod having:
a threaded first end threadably rotationally coupled with said motor;
a second end opposite the first end, said second end having a head coupled to the bottom arc thruster;
an intermediate portion between the first end and the second end, said intermediate portion having a linear portion; and
a guide ring fixed to the satellite housing and having a central opening that receives the linear portion of said intermediate portion and prevents the push rod from rotating in response to the threaded first end being threadably coupled with said motor so that said push rod moves linearly with respect to said motor and said plurality of discrete arc thrusters.

18. A modular arc thruster satellite comprising:
a plurality of discrete arc thrusters in a stacked relationship with one another to define a top arc thruster and a bottom arc thruster;
an ejector coupled to the bottom arc thruster;
a motor for selectively operating the ejector to eject the top arc thruster from the modular arc thruster satellite once that top arc thruster has been depleted;
a thruster housing retaining said plurality of arc thrusters, and a spring-loaded door at an open end of the thruster housing.

19. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 18 , wherein each arc thruster of the plurality of discrete arc thrusters has an outer electrode, an inner electrode and an insulator therebetween.

20. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 19 , wherein the outer electrode forms an inward lip that retains the inner electrode and the insulator.

21. The modular arc thruster satellite of claim 19 , wherein the insulator has a top surface, and further comprising a conductive paint deposited on the top surface of the insulator.

Assignees

• Univ George Washington

Inventors

• Keidar Michael
• Teel George
• Hurley Samantha A
• Zolotukhin Denis Borisovich

Classifications

• F03H1/0081

  Electromagnetic plasma thrusters · CPC title

• B64G1/406 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F03H1/0012

  Means for supplying the propellant · CPC title

• B64G1/405

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64G1/413

  Ion or plasma engines · CPC title