公开(公告)号：US5111656A

公开(公告)日：1992-05-12

申请号：US552711

申请日：1990-07-12

申请人： Mark A. Simon ,  George W. Butler

发明人： Mark A. Simon ,  George W. Butler

IPC分类号： F03H1/00

CPC分类号： B64G1/406

摘要： An arcjet thruster is disclosed which has an electrically conductive anode body having an anode cavity therein which defines a nozzle symmetrical about a central axis. The anode cavity has a tandemly arranged divergent recombination portion and a divergent expansion portion. The expansion portion has a greater rate of divergence than the recombination portion. The anode body further preferably comprises a cylindrical constrictor portion upstream and in tandem with the recombination portion. An electrically conductive cylindrical cathode body is coaxially arranged and spaced from the anode body by a gap. An electrical current source connected to the cathode and the anode produces an electrical arc across the gap. A vortex flow of propellant gas is fed through the gap and through the nozzle to produce thrust. The vortex flow of propellant gas pushes the arc through the constrictor into one of the divergent portions of the nozzle. The recombination and expansion portions merge at a transition being between a divergence of 5 and 15 degrees and within a diameter ratio range of the transition to the constrictor of about 1.5 to 4.0. The divergent recombination portion causes a portion of the ionized and disassociated propellant gas passing therethrough to recombine, recovering frozen flow losses prior to entering the expansion portion and increasing the overall energy conversion efficiency of the thruster.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种电弧喷射推进器，其具有在其中具有阳极腔的导电阳极体，其限定了关于中心轴对称的喷嘴。 阳极腔具有串列布置的发散复合部分和发散扩张部分。 膨胀部分具有比复合部分更大的发散速率。 阳极体还优选地包括在上游并与复合部分串联的圆柱形收缩部分。 导电圆柱形阴极体与阳极体同轴布置并间隔开间隙。 连接到阴极和阳极的电流源在间隙上产生电弧。 推进剂气体的涡流通过间隙进入并通过喷嘴产生推力。 推进剂气体的涡流将电弧通过压缩机推入喷嘴的一个发散部分。 复合和膨胀部分在5度和15度的发散度之间的过渡并且在约1.5至4.0的过渡到缩颈的直径比范围内合并。 发散的重组部分导致通过其的离子化和分解的推进剂气体的一部分重新组合，在进入膨胀部分之前恢复冷冻流失，并提高推进器的整体能量转换效率。

公开(公告)号：US4907407A

公开(公告)日：1990-03-13

申请号：US154405

申请日：1988-02-10

申请人： Mark A. Simon ,  Steve Knowles ,  William Smith

发明人： Mark A. Simon ,  Steve Knowles ,  William Smith

IPC分类号： F03H1/00

CPC分类号： B64G1/406

摘要： An arcjet thruster has an anode body forming a constrictor and a nozzle which define an arc chamber. The thruster also has a cathode in the form of a rod having a tip and being spaced upstream from the constrictor. The thruster employs several features which reduce anode and cathode erosion and increase the operational life of the thruster. One set of features relate to the employment of cathode and anode shaping. Another feature relates to the use of a propellant injector having a series of radially and tangentially arranged passages for providing direct injection of propellant gas into the arc chamber and enhanced convective cooling of the anode.

摘要翻译： 电弧喷射推进器具有形成缩颈的阳极体和限定电弧室的喷嘴。 推进器还具有呈杆状形式的阴极，该阴极具有尖端并且与缩颈部的上游间隔开。 推进器采用几个特点，减少阳极和阴极侵蚀，并增加推进器的使用寿命。 一组特征涉及使用阴极和阳极成型。 另一个特征涉及使用具有一系列径向和切向布置的通道的推进剂喷射器，用于将推进剂气体直接喷射到电弧室中并增强阳极的对流冷却。

公开(公告)号：US4995231A

公开(公告)日：1991-02-26

申请号：US411798

申请日：1989-09-25

申请人： Richard D. Smith ,  Steve Knowles ,  R. J. Cassady ,  William Smith ,  Mark A. Simon

发明人： Richard D. Smith ,  Steve Knowles ,  R. J. Cassady ,  William Smith ,  Mark A. Simon

IPC分类号： F03H1/00

CPC分类号： B64G1/406

摘要： An arcjet thruster has a body defining a constrictor and nozzle constituting an anode and forming an arc chamber. An elongated rod constitutes a cathode spaced from the constrictor by a gap generally coextensive with the arc chamber. An electrical potential is applied to the anode and cathode to generate an electrical arc in the arc chamber from the cathode to the anode. Propellant is supplied to the arc chamber with generation of the arc so as to produce thermal heating and expansion of the propellant through the nozzle. The thruster employs several features which improve its performance. One feature relates to the use of propellant blends with high specific impulse additives. Another feature relates to injection of the high specific impulse additive into the bulk propellant feed at the region of the cathode tip. Still another feature relates to recirculation of a small fraction of propellant from the constrictor region of the arc chamber and injection thereof into the bulk propellant feed at the region of the cathode tip. A final feature relates to regeneration and reaction of the bulk propellant feed within the structure of the anode body and circulation to the region of the cathode tip.

摘要翻译： 电弧喷射推进器具有限定构成阳极的缩颈和喷嘴的主体并形成电弧室。 细长杆构成通过与电弧室大致共同延伸的间隙与收缩器间隔开的阴极。 向阳极和阴极施加电势，以在电弧室中从阴极到阳极产生电弧。 通过产生电弧将推进剂供应到电弧室，以便通过喷嘴产生推进剂的热加热和膨胀。 推进器采用了几个提高其性能的特征。 一个特征涉及使用具有高比冲量添加剂的推进剂混合物。 另一个特征涉及在阴极尖端的区域将高比冲量添加剂注入本体推进剂​​进料中。 另一个特征涉及一小部分推进剂从电弧室的缩颈区域的再循环，并将其注入到阴极尖端区域的本体推进剂​​进料中。 最后的特征涉及本体推进剂​​进料在阳极体结构内的再生和反应，并循环到阴极尖端的区域。

公开(公告)号：US4926632A

公开(公告)日：1990-05-22

申请号：US150591

申请日：1988-02-01

申请人： Richard D. Smith ,  Steve Knowles ,  R. J. Cassady ,  William Smith ,  Mark A. Simon

发明人： Richard D. Smith ,  Steve Knowles ,  R. J. Cassady ,  William Smith ,  Mark A. Simon

IPC分类号： F03H1/00

CPC分类号： B64G1/406

摘要： An arcjet thruster has a body defining a constrictor and nozzle constituting an anode and forming an arc chamber. An elongated rod constitutes a cathode spaced from the constrictor by a gap generally coextensive with the arc chamber. An electrical potential is applied to the anode and cathode to generate an electrical arc in the arc chamber from the cathode to the anode. Propellant is supplied to the arc chamber with generation of the arc so as to produce thermal heating and expansion of the propellant through the nozzle. The thruster employs several features which improve its performance. One feature relates to the use of propellant blends with high specific impulse additives. Another feature relates to injection of the high specific impulse additive into the bulk propellant feed at the region of the cathode tip. Still another feature relates to recirculation of a small fraction of propellant from the constrictor region of the arc chamber and injection thereof into the bulk propellant feed at the region of the cathode tip. A final feature relates to regeneration and reaction of the bulk propellant feed within the structure of the anode body and circulation to the region of the cathode tip.

摘要翻译： 电弧喷射推进器具有限定构成阳极的缩颈和喷嘴的主体并形成电弧室。 细长杆构成通过与电弧室大致共同延伸的间隙与收缩器间隔开的阴极。 向阳极和阴极施加电势，以在电弧室中从阴极到阳极产生电弧。 通过产生电弧将推进剂供应到电弧室，以便通过喷嘴产生推进剂的热加热和膨胀。 推进器采用了几个提高其性能的特征。 一个特征涉及使用具有高比冲量添加剂的推进剂混合物。 另一个特征涉及在阴极尖端的区域将高比冲量添加剂注入本体推进剂​​进料中。 另一个特征涉及一小部分推进剂从电弧室的缩颈区域的再循环，并将其注入到阴极尖端区域的本体推进剂​​进料中。 最后的特征涉及本体推进剂​​进料在阳极体结构内的再生和反应，并循环到阴极尖端的区域。