Propulsion and Power Commons^™

Effect Of Chemical Reactions On The Fluidic Thrust Vectoring Of An Axisymmetric Nozzle, Rachid Chouicha, Mohamed Sellam, Said Bergheul

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Abstract:

During the last years, several thrust control systems of aerospace rocket engines have been developed. The fluidic thrust vectoring is one of them; it is simple in design and offers a substantial gain in weight and in performance. Most of studies related to this device were carried out with cold gas. It’s quite legitimate to expect that the thermophysical properties of the gases may affect considerably the flow behavior. Besides, the effects of reacting gases at high temperatures, under their effects all flow parameters like to vary.

This study aims to develop a new methodology that allows studying and …

Satellite Maintenance: An Opportunity To Minimize The Kessler Effect, Bettina M. Mrusek Dr.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Recently, there has been an emphasis on the growing problem of orbital debris. While the advantages of placing satellites into space are numerous, advances in satellite technology combined with the growth of the industry have resulted with a significant amount of debris in the orbits surrounding our planet. The harshness of the space environment has also contributed to the debris, as evidenced by the number of objects currently in orbit which are not operational. As the amount of debris grows, so too does the likelihood of collisions, ultimately culminating in the Kessler Effect. However, recent advances in propulsion, advanced navigation, …

Reducing Hazards Of Propulsive Secondary Payloads By Implementing A Post Launch Pressurization System, Mckynzie Perry

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Design Of A Thrust Stand For Low Power Electric Propulsion, John Norton

Undergraduate Research Symposium - Prescott

Electric propulsion (EP) has been gaining popularity due to the high efficiencies and specific impulse. These thrusters all follow the same general idea of converting stored electrical potential energy to kinetic energy for the craft; typically, this is accomplished by the acceleration of gas particles through three main methods, electrothermal, electromagnetic, and/or electrostatic. The specific impulse is the change of momentum per unit of propellant expended. While chemical propulsion produces a high change in momentum, they use much more propellant mass than an electric thruster. EP devices will typically produce very low thrust, which makes it difficult to measure thrust …

Experimental Evaluation Of A Krypton Propellant Arrangement In A T-100-3 Hall-Effect Thruster, Adam Patel, Javier Cortina Fernandez, Justin Chow, Osvaldo Alejandro Martin, Alexey Shashurin

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Stationary Hall thrusters are electric, moderate-specific impulse propulsion systems developed in Russia. These devices manipulate electric and magnetic fields to expel ionized gas (plasma) components, resulting in thrust. The success of Hall-effect engines in USSR satellite-transfer missions quickly sparked western interest in the design. Extensive government and academic study commenced shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when the technology was made available to the United States. The common SPT-100 model was the primary subject of such studies. Unfortunately, limited literature exists for rare and uncommon Hall thruster models. The T-100-3 stationary plasma thruster suffers from this gap; few …

Characterization And Analysis Of Plasma Instabilities In A 600 W Permanent Magnet Hall Thruster, Samuel D. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Electric propulsion is an important technology for the future of space operations and exploration. Within the range of electric propulsion devices, Hall Effect Thrusters provide a balance of thrust and specific impulse well-suited for many Earth-centric missions. Hall Effect Thrusters have been studied since their development in the 1960s and have been flown on hundreds of spacecraft, but the intimate details of the plasma behavior within the thruster exhaust plume are still not well understood. Furthering this knowledge may be key to improving thruster design to yield better performance and longer lifetimes. To this end, experiments were conducted to measure …

Optimized Thruster Allocation Utilizing Dual Quaternions For The Asteroid Sample Return Mission (Osiris-Rex), Asher Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As spacecraft require higher positional accuracy from the attitude control systems, new algorithm developments, along with sensor and actuator resolution and range improvements are necessary to achieve the desired science accuracies. For agile 6-Degrees of freedom (6-DOF) spacecraft with redundancy, the actuators are usually oversized or overpopulated to meet the desired slew requirements. Currently, most spacecraft utilize an over-actuated thruster system to produce 6-DOF control. This thesis presents a simulation of the OSIRIS-REx mission during the descent phase to the asteroid Bennu, with a focus on utilizing dual quaternion dynamics and a newly developed thruster allocation method. The dual quaternion …

Time Optimal State Feedback Control With Application To A Spacecraft With Cold Gas Propulsion, Samuel J. Kitchen-Mckinley, Sergey V. Drakunov

Publications

A cold gas propulsion system is well suited to provide the required thrust for a small surveyor spacecraft operated near an asteroid or planetary surface. The cold gas propellant can obtained in-situ from local surface or atmospheric constituents. For small spacecraft, the cold gas system may be limited to only on-off control of the main tank where the generated thrust is directly dependent on the tank pressure. As such the thrust will slowly decrease as the propellant is expended. A state feedback, time optimal, control law is developed for a vehicle with propellant is expended. A state feedback, time optimal, …

Variable Structure Feedback Control With Application To Spacecraft With Small Thrust Propulsion Systems, Samuel J. Kitchen-Mckinley

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Small spacecrafts requiring small propulsion systems are becoming more popular for low Earth orbit. It is important for these research satellites to have accurate guidance and control systems. Small propulsion systems will also be beneficial for multiple small spacecrafts used future exploration expeditions beyond low Earth orbit. These small spacecrafts benefit from the simplicity of low thrust cold gas propulsion systems. Additionally, large spacecrafts using low thrust, high specific impulse propellants for main propulsion systems, such as ion engines, allow longer and more flexible missions, including Earth orbiting spacecraft and interplanetary spacecraft.

In order to extend the life of future …

Configuration Validation Of A Novel In-Space Propellant Storage And Transfer System, Priyadarshan Sundararaju

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The concept of developing a new technology for on-orbit storage and refueling system has been a great interest among scientists for many decades. This study is about Centaur-based on-orbit propellant storage and transfer. This system takes the advantage of rotational settling to a simple fluid management (FM) system. Specifically, enabling settled fluid transfer and settled pressure control between two tanks. This thesis work focuses on configuration and validation of static and dynamic stability, mass gauging and CFD analysis of the rotational propellant transfer method in space. The application of this technology in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geo-Synchronous Orbit (GEO) …

Early Afternoon Concurrent Panel Sessions: Commercial Space Industry Snapshot: Presentation: Small Catapult-Assisted Horizontal-Launch Reusable Rbcc Ssto Spaceplane For Economical Short-Duration Leo Access, Nihad E. Daidzic,

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

This article discusses the conceptual design, flight trajectory calculations, and utilization of the possible future horizontally-launched reusable Single-Stage-to-Orbit (SSTO) spaceplane for small payload short-duration manned/unmanned access to Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO). The 10,000 lb spaceplane would use 5,000 ft catapult-assist horizontal-launch facility and conduct powered approach and landing on conventional horizontal paved runways following the gliding atmospheric re-entry. To increase the economy of operation, the launch facility located at high elevations (4,000+ ft) equatorial region is required, such as, the plateaus in Kenya and Tanzania in Africa and/or Ecuador in South America. A 500-lb payload, including pilot-commander, is envisioned. The propulsion cycle …

A Contribution Toward Better Understanding Of Overbanking Tendency In Fixed-Wing Aircraft, Nihad E. Daidzic

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The phenomenon of overbanking tendency for a rigid-body, fixed-wing aircraft is investigated. Overbanking tendency is defined as a spontaneous, unbalanced rolling moment that keeps increasing an airplane’s bank angle in steep turns and must be arrested by opposite aileron action. As stated by the Federal Aviation Administration, the overbanking tendency may lead to a loss of control, especially in instrument meteorological conditions. It was found in this study that the speed differential over wing halves in horizontal turns indeed creates a rolling moment that achieves maximum values for bank angles between 45 and 55 degrees. However, this induced rolling moment …

Suborbital Spaceflight: A Student Team’S Plan To Send A Rocket To Space, Bryce Chanes, William Carpenter, Julio Benavides, Matthew Haslam, Brenda Haven

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

The Eagle Space Flight Team was created with the goal of becoming the first undergraduate team to design, build, and launch a rocket capable of suborbital spaceflight. In order to achieve this goal, the team will have to design a rocket capable of atmospheric flight at speeds over Mach 5 and launch it on one of the largest amateur rocket motors ever made. Over the next three years, the team will progress towards accomplishing this feat through a series of incremental test flights. Before the space flight, the team will build three sub-scale rockets designed to reach altitudes of 30,000’, …

Design Improvements For A Reusable Horizontal Takeoff And Landing Aircraft For Use On Mars, Brian A. Skoog

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities are required for expanded exploration of the Martian surface. These vehicles can not only gather data at an altitude otherwise unreachable by rovers and satellites, but also deliver small payloads and retrieve samples from distant off-site locations. Previous multi-purpose reusable Mars aircraft studies have been unable to achieve the flight ranges required for expanded exploration. This study has focused on increasing the range of prototype aircraft designs. Assuming that large precision cargo delivery capabilities have been developed and much of the infrastructure associated with a fixed Mars base is in place, the challenge of linking dispersed …

Microthruster Fabrication And Characterization: In Search Of The Optimal Nozzle Geometry For Microscale Rocket Engines, Katherine L. Fowee, Alina Alexeenko

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

A major consideration in microsatellite design is the engineering of micropropulsion systems that can deliver the required thrust efficiently with tight restrictions on space, weight, and power. Cold gas thrusters are one solution to the demand for smaller propulsion systems to accommodate the advancements in technology that have allowed for a reduction in the size and thus the cost of satellites. While much research has been done in understanding the flow regimes within these microthrusters, there is a need to understand how different nozzle designs affect microthruster performance. This requires that experimental data be collected on varying nozzles shapes (orifices, …

The Effect Of The 2-Dimensional Magnetic Field Profile In Hall Thrusters, Megan Lewis Harvey

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Electric propulsion engines, in particular Hall thrusters, provide the possibility of long-distance, low-cost space travel. The geometrical details of the Hall thrusters, especially the magnetic field prole, are crucial to improving their efficiency. The effect of the magnetic field structure was investigated using a simple, two-dimensional model, assuming axial symmetry. The previous one-dimensional conclusion, namely that the details of the shape of the magnetic field are unimportant, was confirmed. This result has implications for the design of future Hall thruster engines, with an eye toward maximizing their efficiency.

Could We Colonize Venus?, Nihad E. Daidzic

Aviation Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Development Of Safety Standards For Cubesat Propulsion Systems, Liam Jon Cheney

Master's Theses

The CubeSat community has begun to develop and implement propulsion systems. This movement represents a new capability which may satisfy mission needs such as orbital and constellation maintenance, formation flight, de-orbit, and even interplanetary travel. With the freedom and capability granted by propulsion systems, CubeSat providers must accept new responsibilities in proportion to the potential hazards that propulsion systems may present.

The Cal Poly CubeSat program publishes and maintains the CubeSat Design Specification (CDS). They wish to help the CubeSat community to safety and responsibly expand its capabilities to include propulsive designs. For this reason, the author embarked on the …

Analysis Of An Inflatable Gossamer Device To Efficiently De-Orbit Cubesats, Robert A. Hawkins Jr.

Master's Theses

There is an increased need for spacecraft to quickly and efficiently de-orbit themselves as the amount of debris in orbit around Earth grows. Defunct spacecraft pose a significant threat to the LEO environment due to their risk of fragmentation. If these spacecraft are de-orbited at the end of their useful life their risk to future spacecraft is greatly lessened. A proposed method of efficiently de-orbiting spacecraft is to use an inflatable thin-film envelope to increase the body's area to mass ratio and thusly shortening its orbital lifetime. The system and analysis presented in this project is sized for use on …

De-Orbiting Upper Stage Rocket Bodies Using A Deployable High Altitude Drag Sail, Robert A. Hawkins Jr., Joseph A. Palomares

Aerospace Engineering

This report examines the effectiveness of a drag sail to de-orbit upper stage rocket bodies. Many other perturbations contribute to the de-orbiting of these rocket bodies, and these perturbations will also be discussed briefly. This paper will show the length of time needed to force the altitudes of various launch vehicle stages with varying drag area sizes to less than 100 km. The upper stage of the Delta IV launch vehicle in an orbit with an altitude of 500 km will naturally de-orbit in 720 days but when equipped with a 20 m² drag sail, it will de-orbit in …

Preliminary Design Of A Laboratory Cylindrical Hall-Effect Thruster, Scott Mcgrail, Sam Parker

Aerospace Engineering

A 3-cm cylindrical Hall thruster with permanent magnets was designed and modeled. The goal was to design a Hall thruster for Cal Poly’s propulsion laboratory of similar size and performance as Cal Poly’s MiXI thruster. The design process began with an investigation into the physics of Hall thrusters and selection of certain thruster parameters. The selected parameters were the diameter and depth of the channel, the total power input to the system, the discharge supply voltage, the cathode voltage, and the propellant flow rates to the anode and cathode. These parameters were used to determine the operational characteristics of the …

Implementation Of A ¼ Inch Hollow Cathode Into A Miniature Xenon Ion Thruster (Mixi), David Wayne Knapp

Master's Theses

Over the last decade, miniature ion thruster development has remained an active area of research do to its low power, low thrust, and high efficiency, however, due to several technical issues; a flight level miniature ion thruster has proved elusive. This thesis covers the design, fabrication, assembly, and test of an altered version of the Miniature Xenon Ion thruster (MiXI), originally developed by lead engineer Dr. Richard Wirz, at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). In collaboration with Dr. Wirz, MiXI-CP-V3 was developed at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with the goal of implementing of a ¼ inch hollow cathode …

A Look At Near-Term Nuclear Fission And Fusion Rockets For Human Mars Missions, Douglass W. Casey

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Mars Carbon Dioxide Propulsion, Christopher Cushman Perry

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An experimental investigation was conducted to characterize the performance of a small-scale supersonic propulsion system using supercritical CO₂ as a propellant intended for Mars surface applications. This research has focused on estimating the specific impulse behavior of high-pressure carbon dioxide propellant that can be produced by condensing dry ice out of Mars's atmosphere and heating it at constant volume to temperatures above its 31.1 ° C critical temperature. Since supercritical fluid was created by heating different dry ice-vapor mixtures to moderate temperatures, the nominal initial density and thermodynamic state within the pressure vessel could be controlled. The instrumented test …

Designing Propulsion Systems For Future Aerospace Applications, Nihad E. Daidzic

Aviation Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Design, Manufacturing And Testing Of An Environmentally-Green Bipropellant Thruster, Alex Bendoyro, Gabriel Sanchez, Erin Stearns, Phillip Takahashi

Aerospace Engineering

This project reviews the design, manufacturing and experimentation process of a green bi-propellant thruster designed to output 5 lbf. The goals were to successfully design, manufacture and test a thruster, while discovering the complications that arise through out the complete design process of a green thruster. The thruster was successfully designed using ideal rocket equations and the design was successfully confirmed using CFD and FEA. Manufacturing of the thruster was fully planned and revealed mild flaws in thruster design. For example some features were not manufacturable to the exact measurements desired. Testing of the engine gave results inconsistent with expected …

Velocity Plume Profiles For Hall Thrusters Using Laser Diagnostic, Daniel B. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This research built a non-intrusive laser diagnostic tool using Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) and absorption techniques to measure the velocity and density plume profiles of low powered Hall thrusters. This tool was then applied to a Busek 200W Hall thruster to validate the performance against previous research on the same thruster. A laser frequency sweep through 834.72 nm produced LIF signals for ionized xenon –collected at 541.9 nm – in the thruster plume and absorption data outside the plume at a neutral transition at 834.68 nm. The absorption data provided a baseline reference to calculate the axial and radially velocity …

Exfit Flight Design And Structural Modeling For Falconlaunch Viii Sounding Rocket, Michael J. Vinacco

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort furthers the Air Force’s study of reusable launch vehicles and hypersonic airfoils by conducting a hypersonic flight test using the US Air Force Academy’s FalconLAUNCH VIII sounding rocket. In this study, two experimental fin tips were designed and attached to the sounding rocket in place of two stabilizer fins in order to collect data throughout the rocket’s hypersonic flight profile. The desire to research, study, and test experimental fin tips was driven by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Future responsive Access to Space Technologies (FAST) program and their desire to include vertical stabilizers on the wing tips …

Minimizing Losses In A Space Laser Power Beaming System, Charlie T. Bellows

Theses and Dissertations

A mathematical model is developed to track the amount of power delivered in a wireless laser power beaming system. In a wireless system the power proceeds through several different stages before being delivered to a payload for use. Each of these stages results in power losses that are thoroughly examined and modeled, allowing for the calculation of the likely amount of power delivered. Adjusting variable factors within the model allows for the optimization of the system for a specific task. The model shows that an optimized wireless power transfer system can deliver enough power to meet the space experiment objectives. …

Orbit Maneuver For Responsive Coverage Using Electric Propulsion, Timothy S. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

The use of continuous electric propulsion to manipulate a satellite’s orbit offers significant potential for enhancing coverage of a target in ways not previously considered. Elliptical orbits utilizing a very low perigee can facilitate access to the surface and atmosphere of the Earth at sub-ionosphere altitudes while counteracting atmospheric drag forces using continuous electric propulsion. Additionally, in-plane and out-of-plane manipulation of both circular and elliptical orbits can allow for passage of a satellite over a target at a given time. Sustained low perigee orbit was modeled with an initial perigee altitude of 100 km and various apogee altitudes to derive …