In recent years, there has been a tendency toward shrinking the size of spacecraft. New classes of spacecraft called micro-spacecraft have been defined by their mass, power, and size ranges. Spacecraft in the range of 20 to 100 kg represent the class most likely to be utilized by most small sat users in the near future. There are also efforts to develop 10 to 20 kg class spacecraft for use in satellite constellations. More ambitious efforts will be to develop spacecraft less than 10 kg, in which MEMS fabrication technology is required. These new micro-spacecraft will require new micro-propulsion technology. Although micro-propulsion includes electric propulsion approaches, the focus of this proposed program is micro-chemical propulsion which requires the development of microcombustors. As combustors are scaled down, the surface to volume ratio increases. The heat release rate in the combustor scales with volume, while heat loss rate scales with surface area. Consequently, heat loss eventually dominates over heat release when the combustor size becomes smaller, thereby leading to flame quenching. The limitations imposed on chamber length and diameter has an immediate impact on the degree of miniaturization of a micro-combustor.
Catalyzed Combustion in Micro-Propulsion Devices - Project Status
2004
4 pages
Report
No indication
English
Combustion & Ignition , Rocket Propellants , Space Technology , Combustion , Liquid rocket propellants , Microelectromechanical systems , Catalysis , Spacecraft propulsion , Microrocket engines , Microthrust , Propellants , Combustion chambers , Fabrication , Propulsion systems , Mathematical models , Navier-Stokes equation
CATALYZED COMBUSTION OF HYDROGEN-OXYGEN IN PLATINUM TUBES FOR MICRO-PROPULSION APPLICATIONS
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