Validation of an additively manufactured resistojet through experimental and computational analysis
Validation of an additively manufactured resistojet through experimental and computational analysis
This paper presents the first proof of concept validation of the STAR thruster prototype. The device contains an innovative multifunctional monolithic heat exchanger, enabled by metal additive manufacturing processes. A 316L stainless steel printed thruster is characterized through a combination of dry heating and wet firing tests. This includes verification testing with argon in both cold and hot firing mode, at a range of electrical power inputs. Thrust measurements range from 9.7 mN ± 0.16 mN–29.8 mN ± 0.16 mN, with a maximum measured specific impulse of 80.11 ± 1.49 s. Thrust performance is measured using a high-precision balance, and liquid-metal power transfer terminals to eliminate thermal drift. Highly coupled multiphysics computational models provide validation of the electro-thermal and thermo-fluidic characteristics of the prototype, including a prediction of the maximum propellant stagnation temperature and structural temperature, which were 649 °C and 854 °C.
All-electric spacecraft, High-temperature, Multiphysics, Performance testing, Resistojet, Selective laser melting
14-22
Romei, Federico
2c01d8c3-430b-49f8-9c8c-e30d0d135f89
Grubišić, Angelo
a4cab763-bbc0-4130-af65-229ae674e8c8
February 2020
Romei, Federico
2c01d8c3-430b-49f8-9c8c-e30d0d135f89
Grubišić, Angelo
a4cab763-bbc0-4130-af65-229ae674e8c8
Romei, Federico and Grubišić, Angelo
(2020)
Validation of an additively manufactured resistojet through experimental and computational analysis.
Acta Astronautica, 167, .
(doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.10.046).
Abstract
This paper presents the first proof of concept validation of the STAR thruster prototype. The device contains an innovative multifunctional monolithic heat exchanger, enabled by metal additive manufacturing processes. A 316L stainless steel printed thruster is characterized through a combination of dry heating and wet firing tests. This includes verification testing with argon in both cold and hot firing mode, at a range of electrical power inputs. Thrust measurements range from 9.7 mN ± 0.16 mN–29.8 mN ± 0.16 mN, with a maximum measured specific impulse of 80.11 ± 1.49 s. Thrust performance is measured using a high-precision balance, and liquid-metal power transfer terminals to eliminate thermal drift. Highly coupled multiphysics computational models provide validation of the electro-thermal and thermo-fluidic characteristics of the prototype, including a prediction of the maximum propellant stagnation temperature and structural temperature, which were 649 °C and 854 °C.
Text
STAR performance testing v2 revised
- Version of Record
More information
In preparation date: 1 November 2017
Submitted date: 27 April 2019
Accepted/In Press date: 26 October 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 31 October 2019
Published date: February 2020
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This project was funded by the Doctoral Training Partnership through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), grant no. EP/M50662X/1 . This work was also supported by the UK Space Agency in the CEOI-ST National Space Technology Programme (NSTP-2) in partnership with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited as an end-user of the technology of the Very High Temperature Resistojet. The authors would like to thank the μ-VIS lab and the EDMC workshop of the University of Southampton for the technical support and Matthew Robinson for providing valuable help with the LabVIEW interface development. All data supporting this study are openly available from the University of Southampton repository at DOI:10.5258/SOTON/D0855.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019
Keywords:
All-electric spacecraft, High-temperature, Multiphysics, Performance testing, Resistojet, Selective laser melting
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 435394
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/435394
ISSN: 0094-5765
PURE UUID: 552e93ee-e784-4bb9-9661-6e610b9b908c
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Date deposited: 01 Nov 2019 17:31
Last modified: 24 Apr 2024 04:04
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