Vacuum test of amicro-solid propellant rocket array thruster

Kazuyuki Kondo; Shuji Tanaka; Hiroto Habu; Tokudome Shin-ichiro; Keiichi Hori; Hirobumi Saito; Akihito Itoh; Masashi Watanabe; Masayoshi Esashi

doi:10.1587/elex.1.222

Vacuum test of amicro-solid propellant rocket array thruster

Kazuyuki Kondo, Shuji Tanaka, Hiroto Habu, Tokudome Shin-ichiro, Keiichi Hori, Hirobumi Saito, Akihito Itoh, Masashi Watanabe, Masayoshi Esashi

ENG - Robotics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A Ф0.8mm micro-solid propellant rocket array thruster for simple attitude control of a 10 kg class micro-spacecraft was tested in vacuum. The micro-thruster uses boron/potassium nitrate propellant (NAB), because NAB has ignition temperature as low as 500°C, and easily start to burn in vacuum. For a half of the rockets, an ignition aid (RK) was also loaded. Ignition was succeeded in vacuum with NAB + RK and NAB. The maximum impulse thrust of 4.6ˣ10_-4 Ns, which is approximately a half of our requirement, was obtained with NAB. Compared to NAB, NAB + RK generated lower impulse thrust. The success rate of ignition was as low as 30%, although RK was used. These results suggest that RK has no benefit for the ignition of NAB, and other kinds of ignition aid should be found.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	222-227
Number of pages	6
Journal	IEICE Electronics Express
Volume	1
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1587/elex.1.222
Publication status	Published - 2004

Keywords

MEMS
ignition aid
impulse thrust
micro-propulsion
micro-thruster
solid propellant

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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10.1587/elex.1.222

Cite this

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title = "Vacuum test of amicro-solid propellant rocket array thruster",

abstract = "A Ф0.8mm micro-solid propellant rocket array thruster for simple attitude control of a 10 kg class micro-spacecraft was tested in vacuum. The micro-thruster uses boron/potassium nitrate propellant (NAB), because NAB has ignition temperature as low as 500°C, and easily start to burn in vacuum. For a half of the rockets, an ignition aid (RK) was also loaded. Ignition was succeeded in vacuum with NAB + RK and NAB. The maximum impulse thrust of 4.6ˣ10-4 Ns, which is approximately a half of our requirement, was obtained with NAB. Compared to NAB, NAB + RK generated lower impulse thrust. The success rate of ignition was as low as 30%, although RK was used. These results suggest that RK has no benefit for the ignition of NAB, and other kinds of ignition aid should be found.",

keywords = "MEMS, ignition aid, impulse thrust, micro-propulsion, micro-thruster, solid propellant",

author = "Kazuyuki Kondo and Shuji Tanaka and Hiroto Habu and Tokudome Shin-ichiro and Keiichi Hori and Hirobumi Saito and Akihito Itoh and Masashi Watanabe and Masayoshi Esashi",

year = "2004",

doi = "10.1587/elex.1.222",

language = "English",

volume = "1",

pages = "222--227",

journal = "IEICE Electronics Express",

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publisher = "The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE)",

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T1 - Vacuum test of amicro-solid propellant rocket array thruster

AU - Kondo, Kazuyuki

AU - Tanaka, Shuji

AU - Habu, Hiroto

AU - Shin-ichiro, Tokudome

AU - Hori, Keiichi

AU - Saito, Hirobumi

AU - Itoh, Akihito

AU - Watanabe, Masashi

AU - Esashi, Masayoshi

PY - 2004

Y1 - 2004

N2 - A Ф0.8mm micro-solid propellant rocket array thruster for simple attitude control of a 10 kg class micro-spacecraft was tested in vacuum. The micro-thruster uses boron/potassium nitrate propellant (NAB), because NAB has ignition temperature as low as 500°C, and easily start to burn in vacuum. For a half of the rockets, an ignition aid (RK) was also loaded. Ignition was succeeded in vacuum with NAB + RK and NAB. The maximum impulse thrust of 4.6ˣ10-4 Ns, which is approximately a half of our requirement, was obtained with NAB. Compared to NAB, NAB + RK generated lower impulse thrust. The success rate of ignition was as low as 30%, although RK was used. These results suggest that RK has no benefit for the ignition of NAB, and other kinds of ignition aid should be found.

AB - A Ф0.8mm micro-solid propellant rocket array thruster for simple attitude control of a 10 kg class micro-spacecraft was tested in vacuum. The micro-thruster uses boron/potassium nitrate propellant (NAB), because NAB has ignition temperature as low as 500°C, and easily start to burn in vacuum. For a half of the rockets, an ignition aid (RK) was also loaded. Ignition was succeeded in vacuum with NAB + RK and NAB. The maximum impulse thrust of 4.6ˣ10-4 Ns, which is approximately a half of our requirement, was obtained with NAB. Compared to NAB, NAB + RK generated lower impulse thrust. The success rate of ignition was as low as 30%, although RK was used. These results suggest that RK has no benefit for the ignition of NAB, and other kinds of ignition aid should be found.

KW - MEMS

KW - ignition aid

KW - impulse thrust

KW - micro-propulsion

KW - micro-thruster

KW - solid propellant

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VL - 1

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EP - 227

JO - IEICE Electronics Express

JF - IEICE Electronics Express

SN - 1349-2543

IS - 8

ER -

Vacuum test of amicro-solid propellant rocket array thruster

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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