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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024237185-A1
Application number	US-202418595325-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2024
Priority date	Jan 10, 2023
Publication date	Jul 11, 2024
Grant date	—

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 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; 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 highly-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 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 1 , 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 1 , wherein the power-and-gas supply and cooling system comprises: a plasma torch power supply, a gas supply system, a cooling system, a refrigerator power supply, and a high-temperature superconducting power supply.

5 . The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system according to claim 1 , wherein the obtaining control system includes an obtaining module, a communication module, a master computer control, an interlock warning and emergency control, and human-computer interaction;
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 refrigerator, a temperature of the outer Dewar of the magnet, and a voltage of a high-temperature superconducting power supply coil; the master computer control comprises: controlling the mass and the flow rate of the gas, controlling the plasma torch power supply, controlling the high-temperature superconducting power supply, controlling the refrigerator; the interlock warning and emergency control comprises: 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.

6 . The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system according to claim 1 , wherein the Stirling refrigerator is configured to perform unipolar continuous cooling, operating at 77 K of 10; heat dissipation and cooling of the Stirling refrigerator is achieved by a separated cooling loop to ensure a stable and reliable refrigeration efficiency;
the Stirling refrigerator is adapted to a vacuum radiation impact at high temperatures and low temperatures, within a wide temperature range of 116.15 K-394.15 K in the space; the YBCO superconducting double-pancake coils are thermally insulated from an external space through the highly-vacuum outer Dewar, ensuring that the high-temperature superconducting magnet is continuously conducted and ensuring stability of a superconducting state of the magnet; the high-temperature plume protection plate is tightly attached to an outside of a high-temperature plume injection port of the highly-vacuum outer Dewar, ensuring that an effective thermal insulation is formed between the highly-vacuum outer Dewar and the high-temperature plume; the plasma torch power supply is connected to the cathode and the anode through a cable to break through the plasma to form a plasma current; the high-temperature superconducting power supply is connected to the high-temperature superconducting magnet through a cable to provide a direct current and a protection against loss of superconductivity for the high-temperature superconducting magnet; and in the cooling system, the cooling medium is convective to transfer heat to ensure the cathode and the anode, the Stirling refrigerator, and the plasma torch power supply to operate stably.

7 . The high-temperature superconducting plasma thruster system according to claim 1 , wherein the obtaining control system takes the master computer to collect and control parameters of each system; to provide warning for key limit values; and to emergently switch off devices, ensuring the plasma thruster system to continuously and stably operate.

Assignees

• Hefei Inst Physical Sci Cas

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H05H1/28 Primary

  Cooling arrangements · CPC title

• H05H1/54

  Plasma accelerators · CPC title

• F03H1/0031

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

• B64G1/413 Primary

  Ion or plasma engines · CPC title

• H05H2242/10

  Cooling arrangements · CPC title