High-performance, miniaturized and configurable power and control unit for electrospray thrusters Articles uri icon

publication date

  • July 2024

start page

  • 1

end page

  • 19

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1868-2502

abstract

  • Electrospray thrusters offer remarkable efficiency at low power levels and compact form factor, positioning them as promising propulsion systems for small satellite platforms. This paper introduces the design of a miniaturized Power and Control Unit for electrospray thrusters. The system fits within the pocketsat form factor while ensuring high-performance, high-voltage power conversion and effective thrust generation in this propulsion technology. The paper goes through the architecture of the Power and Control Unit and its different subsystems, where the high-performance power converter is studied in detail.
    The system is built in a 42 × 42 × 25 mm3 and 39 g weight stacked hardware unit, achieving a configurable bipolar voltage output with the implemented control algorithm. The system undergoes experimental verification, where a power conversion efficiency over 90% was measured within the output range of 2-10W and 1-2kV, validating soft-start, thruster voltage alternation, and variation of the thruster set point in real time. The final milestone is the successful 7-hour emission test with electrospray thrusters under vacuum conditions, ensuring the system¿s suitability for real-world applications related to electrospray propulsion for small satellites.

subjects

  • Electronics
  • Industrial Engineering

keywords

  • dc–dc converter; high-voltage techniques; satellite applications; propulsion; small satellites; electrospray thruster