The characterization of a miniaturized ionic liquid electrospray thruster for nanosatellite applications is presented. The thruster investigated features an emitter array of 480 emitter tips per square centimeter and a 1  cm[superscript 3] propellant tank with an entirely passive propellant supply; it is operated at a power level of less than 0.15 W. The paper presents energy- and mass-resolving beam spectroscopy of the packaged thruster system, as well as two independent thrust measurements. This allows derivation of thruster performance parameters under realistic firing conditions, including individual thruster efficiency contributions, specific impulse, and thrust. The total thruster efficiencies of 36%; specific impulse of ∼760  s, including all losses; and thrust of 11–12.5  μN are presented at emission currents of 150  μA for a device of ∼1  cm[superscript 2]. The current emission data without current decay of ∼90  h are presented with a maximum of 172 h.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Emission Characteristics of Passively Fed Electrospray Microthrusters with Propellant Reservoirs


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2017


    Remarks:

    Krejci, David et al. “Emission Characteristics of Passively Fed Electrospray Microthrusters with Propellant Reservoirs.” Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets 54.2 (2017): 447–458.




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English





    Emission Characteristics of Passively Fed Electrospray Microthrusters with Propellant Reservoirs

    Krejci, David / Mier-Hicks, Fernando / Thomas, Robert et al. | AIAA | 2017



    Indium Field Emission Microthrusters

    Ruedenauer, F. G. / Fehringer, M. / Steiger, W. | British Library Online Contents | 1997


    Indium Field Emission Microthrusters

    Ruedenauer, F. G. / Fehringer, M. / Steiger, W. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1997