Eventos Anais de eventos
ENCIT 2020
18th Brazilian Congress of Thermal Sciences and Engineering
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THE WATER VAPOUR THROUGH THE FEED SYSTEM OF THE LOW-PRESSURE MICRO-RESISTOJET
Submission Author:
Igor Guimarães , RJ
Co-Authors:
Igor Guimarães, Daduí Cordeiro Guerrieri
Presenter: Igor Guimarães
doi://10.26678/ABCM.ENCIT2020.CIT20-0742
Abstract
Cubesats have changed the paradigm of nanosatellites and have demonstrated several possibilities for technological innovation. The space industry has seen an increase in the number of nanosatellites launched lately. However, due to strict safety requirements or mission types, only 5 % were launched containing propulsion systems. The Low-Pressure Micro-Resistojet (LPM) uses electrical power to heat a gas through the heater chip, transforming enthalpy into kinetic energy generating thrust. The main aspect of this thruster type is that it works under very low pressure, being able to generate low thrust levels and ensuring a wider range of propulsive force. Additionally, the use of water as a green propellant has been proved a promising alternative to overcome many safety issues imposed without losing performance. Therefore, this paper describes a numerical analysis of the feed system and plenum for a Low-Pressure Micro-Resistojet working with water vapor at sublimation conditions inside the tube. The OpenFOAM software was used to simulate the flow behavior under different boundary conditions. It is shown that the LPM can generate different levels of thrust by properly controlling the phase change condition.
Keywords
Micro-Resistojet, green propellant, low-pressure, feed system, nanosatellite
DOWNLOAD PDF VIEW PRESENTATION
