High-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system having variable temperature ranges and being applied in space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12156323-B2
Application number	US-202418595325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2024
Priority date	Jan 10, 2023
Publication date	Nov 26, 2024
Grant date	Nov 26, 2024

Abstract

A high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system, having variable temperature ranges and being applied in space, is provided. The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system includes: a cathode-anode assembly, a high-temperature superconducting magnet system, a supporting and adjusting platform, a power-and-gas supply and cooling system, and an obtaining control system. The cathode-anode assembly is disposed at a center of a ring of the high-temperature superconducting magnet system; the cathode-anode assembly and the high-temperature superconducting magnet system are spatially engaged with each other by the supporting and adjusting platform to form a main body of the thruster system; the power-and-gas supply and cooling system and the obtaining control system are located outside of the main body of the thruster system and are connected to the cathode-anode assembly and the high-temperature superconducting magnet system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system, having variable temperature ranges and being applied in space, wherein the high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system comprises:
a cathode-anode assembly, a high-temperature superconducting magnet system, a supporting and adjusting platform, a power-and-gas supply and cooling system, and an obtaining control system;
wherein the cathode-anode assembly is disposed at a center of a ring of the high-temperature superconducting magnet system; the cathode-anode assembly and the high-temperature superconducting magnet system are spatially engaged with each other by the supporting and adjusting platform to form a main body of the high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system; the power-and-gas supply and cooling system and the obtaining control system are located outside of the main body of the high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system and are connected to the cathode-anode assembly and the high-temperature superconducting magnet system; the cathode-anode assembly comprises;
a cathode-anode cooling and heat-exchanging assembly, a cathode-anode pressure-resistant and insulating assembly, and a cathode-anode plasma high-voltage ionization assembly;
the cathode-anode cooling and heat-exchanging assembly comprises:
an anode body, a spiral pipe heat-exchanging unit, and a multi-channel inlet-outlet pipe;
the cathode-anode pressure-resistant and insulating assembly comprises:
a sleeve-type ceramic and a G10 positioning flange plate;
the cathode-anode plasma high-voltage ionization assembly comprises:
a cathode inlet tube, a fixation ring, an inner cavity, a nozzle fixation seat, and a cathode nozzle.

2. The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system according to claim 1 , wherein the high-temperature superconducting magnet system comprises a high-temperature superconducting coil assembly, a low-temperature cooling system for high-temperature-superconducting, a low-temperature thermal-insulation system, a Stirling refrigerator, a high vacuum outer Dewar, and a high-temperature plume protection plate;
the high-temperature superconducting coil assembly comprises:
YBCO superconducting double-pancake coils, a VPI coil insulation, and a sawtooth-sleeve single-side coil mounting skeleton;
the low-temperature cooling system for high-temperature superconducting comprises:
a coldness conductive and storage block that has symmetrical wing surfaces, a U-shaped and adjustable copper foil crimped coldness-conductor plate, a cold head mounting seat of the Stirling refrigerator, and a safe transmission section of a current lead; and
the low-temperature thermal-insulation system comprises a transverse pulling rod and a radial pulling rod.

3. The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system according to claim 2 , wherein the supporting and adjusting platform comprises:
an adjustment base plate for a dispenser motor of the Stirling refrigerator;
a fixation flange assembly of the cathode-anode assembly; and
an L-type base;
wherein the fixation flange assembly of the cathode-anode assembly comprises a sleeve-type connecting seat and a rotatable fixation flange.

4. The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system according to claim 2 , wherein the obtaining control system includes an obtaining module, a communication module, a master computer control, an interlock warning and emergency control;
the obtaining module is configured to obtain:
a temperature of a cooling loop, a flow rate of the cooling loop, a mass and a flowing rate of a gas, a temperature of the Stirling refrigerator, a temperature of the high-vacuum outer outer Dewar, and a voltage of a high-temperature superconducting power supply coil;
the master computer control is configured to control:
the mass and the flow rate of the gas, the plasma torch power supply, the high-temperature superconducting power supply, and the Stirling refrigerator;
the interlock warning and emergency control is configured to provide:
a warning for a temperature of the cooling loop of the anode, a warning for a temperature of the magnet, emergency stop of the high-temperature superconducting power supply, and emergency stop of the plasma torch power supply.

5. The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system according to claim 4 , wherein the master computer is configured: to collect and control parameters of the cathode-anode assembly, the high-temperature superconducting magnet system, the supporting and adjusting platform, and the power-and-gas supply and cooling system; to provide warning for key limit values; and to emergently switch off devices.

6. The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system according to claim 1 , wherein the power-and-gas supply and cooling system comprises;
a plasma torch power supply, a gas supply system, another cooling system, a refrigerator power supply, and a high-temperature superconducting power supply.

7. The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system according to claim 6 , wherein the Stirling refrigerator is configured to perform unipolar continuous cooling operating at 77 K and 10 W; wherein heat dissipation and cooling of the Stirling refrigerator is achieved by another separated cooling loop to ensure stable and reliable refrigeration efficiency;
wherein the Stirling refrigerator is adapted to vacuum radiation impact within a wide temperature range of 116.15 K-394.15 K in space;
wherein the YBCO superconducting double-pancake coils are thermally insulated from an external space through the high vacuum outer Dewar, ensuring that the high-temperature superconducting magnet ensuring stability of a superconducting state of the high-temperature superconducting magnet;
wherein a high-temperature plume protection plate is tightly attached to an outside of a high-temperature plume injection port of the high vacuum outer Dewar, ensuring that an effective thermal insulation is formed between the high vacuum outer Dewar and the high-temperature plume injection port;
wherein the plasma torch power supply is connected to the cathode-anode assembly through a cable to form a plasma current;
the high-temperature superconducting power supply is connected to the high-temperature superconducting magnet through another cable to provide a direct current and protection against loss of superconductivity for the high-temperature superconducting magnet; and
wherein the power-and-gas supply and cooling system comprises another cooling system, and wherein the cooling system includes a cooling medium that is convective to transfer heat to ensure the cathode-anode assembly, the Stirling refrigerator, and the plasma torch power supply operate stably.

Assignees

• Hefei Inst Physical Sci Cas

Inventors

• Zheng Jinxing
• Liu Haiyang
• Zhu Xiaoliang
• Lu Yudong
• Li Ming
• Du Yifan
• Zhu Lei
• Tang Zhuoyao

Classifications

• B64G1/413 Primary

  Ion or plasma engines · CPC title

• F03H1/0031

  Thermal management, heating or cooling parts of the thruster (temperature control for cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/50) · CPC title

• H05H2242/10

  Cooling arrangements · CPC title

• H05H1/54

  Plasma accelerators · CPC title

• H05H1/28 Primary

  Cooling arrangements · CPC title