Patent · US Active

Propellant gas supply for an ionic propulsion unit

US10718318B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

1References

9Claims

0Family size

Assignee

SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES · FR

Inventors

Manuel Klein · Stuttgart, DE
Serge Le Gonidec · Vernon, FR

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 21, 2013
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 26, 2034

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG05D16/2013
WIPO fieldControl
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A field of feeding propellant gas to ion thrusters, and in particular a method of feeding an ion thruster with propellant gas coming from a pressurized tank via a feed circuit including an on/off valve and, in succession downstream from the on/off valve, a high pressure restrictor, a buffer tank, and at least one low pressure restrictor. The method includes the steps of calculating a pressure setpoint for the buffer tank as a function of a flow rate setpoint, calculating the difference between the pressure setpoint for the buffer tank and a pressure measured in the buffer tank, calculating a setpoint for the opening time of the on/off valve as a function of the difference and of a pressure inside the pressurized tank, and opening the on/off valve in compliance with the opening time setpoint.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.