Clarification of Reaction Conditions between Pulsed Electric Discharge and Green Propellant in Rockets

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K04919
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 24010:Aerospace engineering-related
• Research Institution: University of Yamanashi
• Principal Investigator: Aoyagi Junichiro 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 准教授 (10453036)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: グリーンプロペラント / パルスプラズマ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Green propellant is attracted to small satellites because of its lower toxicity and easy handling. I suggested a pulsed electric discharge device to induce the exothermal reaction of green propellant. An electro spray type injector was constructed and improved to reduce its feeding mass. Then, a green propellant was injected to an electric discharge reactor. As the result, improvement of impulse was observed when the green propellant was utilized in case of coaxial configuration. It was considered that effective exothermic reaction was induced from the propellant. On the other hand, a new injector was designed and constructed. Unfortunately, it was difficult to achieve stable operation about the new injector.

Free Research Field

宇宙工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、人工衛星の軌道を調整するロケットにおいて、安全性が高く性能も良い推進剤を着火するために放電を活用する研究である。真空中での推進剤噴射精度を上げて、放電による推力発生を今まで以上に正確に評価できたり、最終的には安定した噴射ができなかったが噴射装置を試作して真空中作動試験ができたことから、安全、高信頼性、高性能のロケットの設計指針が得られた。この成果は特に、現在利用が増え続けている質量500 kg以下の小型衛星の高性能化に貢献できる。