Development of 300V direct-drive vacuum arc thruster for nano-satellite

• Project/Area Number: 24656521
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Aerospace engineering
• Research Institution: Kyushu Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: TOYODA Kazuhiro 九州工業大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (10361411)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2013)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
• Keywords: 真空アーク / 超小型衛星 / 300V発電 / 推進機 / 電気推進

Research Abstract

A vacuum arc thruster was developed for 300V direct-drive operation on nano-satellite. The cone-type target was produced for improving thrust measurement in place of the plate-type target. The metal vapor velocity was measured with changing the parameter of applied voltage and amount of capacitance. The average velocity did not change in this measurement. The thrust was proportional to amount of charge stored in capacitance. The engineering model of thruster was produced and drove directly by 300V solar array in vacuum chamber. The circuit of thruster was also developed for nano-satellite.

Research Products

• [Presentation] 超小型衛星搭載に向けた真空アーク推進機の開発 (2014)
  • Author(s): 渕上慎悟, 他
  • Organizer: 宇宙輸送シンポジウム
  • Place of Presentation: 相模原
  • Year and Date: 2014-01-16
• [Presentation] Development of Vacuum Arc Thruster for Nano-Satellite (2013)
  • Author(s): Shingo Fuchikami, 他
  • Organizer: International Electric Propulsion Conferenc
  • Place of Presentation: Washington D.C.(米国)
  • Year and Date: 2013-10-06
• [Presentation] Development of Vacuum Arc Thruster for Nano-Satellite in Low Earth Orbit (2013)
  • Author(s): Shingo Fuchikami, 他
  • Organizer: ISTS
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋
  • Year and Date: 2013-06-02
• [Presentation] 300V direct drive vacuumarc thruster for nano- satellite (2013)
  • Author(s): Masayoshi Nakamoto, 他
  • Organizer: 51st AIAA Aerospace Science Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Grapevine (米国)
  • Year and Date: 2013-01-09
• [Presentation] Development of vacuum arc thruster for nano satellites (2013)
  • Author(s): Shingo Fuchikami , Masayoshi Nakamoto , Kazuhiro Toyoda , and Mengu Cho
  • Organizer: International Electric propulsion conference
  • Place of Presentation: Washington D.C,, USA
• [Presentation] Development of Vacuum Arc Thruster for Nano-Satellite in Low Earth Orbit Plasma (2013)
  • Author(s): Shingo Fuchikami, Kazuhiro Toyoda, and Mengu Cho
  • Organizer: International Symposium on Space Technology and Science
  • Place of Presentation: Nagoya, Japan
• [Presentation] Measurement of preliminary performance of vacuumarc thruster for nano- satellite (2012)
  • Author(s): Masayoshi Nakamoto, 他
  • Organizer: 12th Spacecraft Charging Technology Conference
  • Place of Presentation: 北九州
  • Year and Date: 2012-05-21
• [Presentation] Measurement of preliminary performance of vacuum arc thruster for nano-satellite (2012)
  • Author(s): Masayoshi Nakamoto, Shingo Fuchikami, Kazuhiro Toyoda, Mengu Cho
  • Organizer: 12th Spacecraft Charging Technology Conference
  • Place of Presentation: Kitakyushu, Japan
• [Presentation] 300V direct drive vacuum arc thruster for nano-satellite
  • Author(s): Masayoshi Nakamoto, Shingo Fuchikami, Kazuhiro Toyoda, Mengu Cho
  • Organizer: 51st AIAA Aerospace Science Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Grapevine, Texas