Intake design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP)

F. Romano; J. Espinosa-orozco; M. Pfeiffer; G. Herdrich; N.h. Crisp; Peter Roberts; B.e.a. Holmes; S. Edmondson; S. Haigh; S. Livadiotti; A. Macario-rojas; V.t.a. Oiko; L.a. Sinpetru; K. Smith; J. Becedas; V. Sulliotti-linner; M. Bisgaard; S. Christensen; V. Hanessian; T. Kauffman Jensen; J. Nielsen; Y.-a. Chan; S. Fasoulas; C. Traub; D. García-almiñana; S. Rodríguez-donaire; M. Sureda; D. Kataria; B. Belkouchi; A. Conte; S. Seminari; R. Villain

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.06.033

Intake design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP)

F. Romano, J. Espinosa-orozco, M. Pfeiffer, G. Herdrich, N.h. Crisp, Peter Roberts, B.e.a. Holmes, S. Edmondson, S. Haigh, S. Livadiotti, A. Macario-rojas, V.t.a. Oiko, L.a. Sinpetru, K. Smith, J. Becedas, V. Sulliotti-linner, M. Bisgaard, S. Christensen, V. Hanessian, T. Kauffman JensenJ. Nielsen, Y.-a. Chan, S. Fasoulas, C. Traub, D. García-almiñana, S. Rodríguez-donaire, M. Sureda, D. Kataria, B. Belkouchi, A. Conte, S. Seminari, R. Villain

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Challenging space missions include those at very low altitudes, where the atmosphere is source of aerodynamic drag on the spacecraft. To extend the lifetime of such missions, an efficient propulsion system is required. One solution is Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) that collects atmospheric particles to be used as propellant for an electric thruster. The system would minimize the requirement of limited propellant availability and can also be applied to any planetary body with atmosphere, enabling new missions at low altitude ranges for longer times. IRS is developing, within the H2020 DISCOVERER project, an intake and a thruster for an ABEP system. The article describes the design and simulation of the intake, optimized to feed the radio frequency (RF) Helicon-based plasma thruster developed at IRS. The article deals in particular with the design of intakes based on diffuse and specular reflecting materials, which are analysed by the PICLas DSMC-PIC tool. Orbital altitudes h = 150−250km and the respective species based on the NRLMSISE- 00 model (O, N2, O2, He, Ar, H, N) are investigated for several concepts based on fully diffuse and specular scattering, including hybrid designs. The major focus has been on the intake efficiency defined as ηc = ˙Nout/ ˙Nin, with ˙Nin the incoming particle flux, and ˙Nout the one collected by the intake. Finally, two concepts are selected and presented providing the best expected performance for the operation with the selected thruster. The first one is based on fully diffuse accommodation yielding to ηc < 0.46 and the second one based un fully specular accommodation yielding to ηc < 0.94. Finally, also the influence of misalignment with the flow is analysed, highlighting a strong dependence of ηc in the diffuse-based intake while, for the specular-based intake, this is much lower finally leading to a more resilient design while also relaxing requirements of pointing accuracy for the spacecraft.

Original language	English
Journal	Acta Astronautica
Early online date	26 Jun 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.06.033
Publication status	Published - 26 Jun 2021

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Dalton Nuclear Institute

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10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.06.033

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2106.15912.pdf

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Space Systems Research Group
Smith, K. (PI), Roberts, P. (PI), Crisp, N. (PI), Mcgrath, C. (PI), Parslew, B. (CoI), Hollingsworth, P. (CoI), Utyuzhnikov, S. (CoI), Lo, K. C. J. (Researcher), Muirhead, I. (PGR student), Wijacinski, K. (PGR student), Kent, B. (PGR student), Mackintosh, J. (PGR student) & Lopez Pardo, B. (PGR student)
Project: Research
DISCOVERER: Disruptive Technologies for Very Low Earth Orbit Platforms
Roberts, P. (PI), Edmondson, S. (CoI), Haigh, S. (CoI), Smith, K. (CoI) & Crisp, N. (Researcher)
1/01/17 → 31/03/22
Project: Research

Cite this

Romano, F., Espinosa-orozco, J., Pfeiffer, M., Herdrich, G., Crisp, N. H., Roberts, P., Holmes, B. E. A., Edmondson, S., Haigh, S., Livadiotti, S., Macario-rojas, A., Oiko, V. T. A., Sinpetru, L. A., Smith, K., Becedas, J., Sulliotti-linner, V., Bisgaard, M., Christensen, S., Hanessian, V., ... Villain, R. (2021). Intake design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP). Acta Astronautica. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.06.033

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title = "Intake design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP)",

abstract = "Challenging space missions include those at very low altitudes, where the atmosphere is source of aerodynamic drag on the spacecraft. To extend the lifetime of such missions, an efficient propulsion system is required. One solution is Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) that collects atmospheric particles to be used as propellant for an electric thruster. The system would minimize the requirement of limited propellant availability and can also be applied to any planetary body with atmosphere, enabling new missions at low altitude ranges for longer times. IRS is developing, within the H2020 DISCOVERER project, an intake and a thruster for an ABEP system. The article describes the design and simulation of the intake, optimized to feed the radio frequency (RF) Helicon-based plasma thruster developed at IRS. The article deals in particular with the design of intakes based on diffuse and specular reflecting materials, which are analysed by the PICLas DSMC-PIC tool. Orbital altitudes h = 150−250km and the respective species based on the NRLMSISE- 00 model (O, N2, O2, He, Ar, H, N) are investigated for several concepts based on fully diffuse and specular scattering, including hybrid designs. The major focus has been on the intake efficiency defined as ηc = ˙Nout/ ˙Nin, with ˙Nin the incoming particle flux, and ˙Nout the one collected by the intake. Finally, two concepts are selected and presented providing the best expected performance for the operation with the selected thruster. The first one is based on fully diffuse accommodation yielding to ηc < 0.46 and the second one based un fully specular accommodation yielding to ηc < 0.94. Finally, also the influence of misalignment with the flow is analysed, highlighting a strong dependence of ηc in the diffuse-based intake while, for the specular-based intake, this is much lower finally leading to a more resilient design while also relaxing requirements of pointing accuracy for the spacecraft.",

author = "F. Romano and J. Espinosa-orozco and M. Pfeiffer and G. Herdrich and N.h. Crisp and Peter Roberts and B.e.a. Holmes and S. Edmondson and S. Haigh and S. Livadiotti and A. Macario-rojas and V.t.a. Oiko and L.a. Sinpetru and K. Smith and J. Becedas and V. Sulliotti-linner and M. Bisgaard and S. Christensen and V. Hanessian and Jensen, {T. Kauffman} and J. Nielsen and Y.-a. Chan and S. Fasoulas and C. Traub and D. Garc{\'i}a-almi{\~n}ana and S. Rodr{\'i}guez-donaire and M. Sureda and D. Kataria and B. Belkouchi and A. Conte and S. Seminari and R. Villain",

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month = jun,

day = "26",

doi = "10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.06.033",

language = "English",

journal = "Acta Astronautica",

issn = "0094-5765",

publisher = "Elsevier BV",

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Romano, F, Espinosa-orozco, J, Pfeiffer, M, Herdrich, G, Crisp, NH , Roberts, P, Holmes, BEA, Edmondson, S , Haigh, S, Livadiotti, S, Macario-rojas, A, Oiko, VTA, Sinpetru, LA, Smith, K, Becedas, J, Sulliotti-linner, V, Bisgaard, M, Christensen, S, Hanessian, V, Jensen, TK, Nielsen, J, Chan, Y, Fasoulas, S, Traub, C, García-almiñana, D, Rodríguez-donaire, S, Sureda, M, Kataria, D, Belkouchi, B, Conte, A, Seminari, S & Villain, R 2021, 'Intake design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP)', Acta Astronautica. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.06.033

TY - JOUR

T1 - Intake design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP)

AU - Romano, F.

AU - Espinosa-orozco, J.

AU - Pfeiffer, M.

AU - Herdrich, G.

AU - Crisp, N.h.

AU - Roberts, Peter

AU - Holmes, B.e.a.

AU - Edmondson, S.

AU - Haigh, S.

AU - Livadiotti, S.

AU - Macario-rojas, A.

AU - Oiko, V.t.a.

AU - Sinpetru, L.a.

AU - Smith, K.

AU - Becedas, J.

AU - Sulliotti-linner, V.

AU - Bisgaard, M.

AU - Christensen, S.

AU - Hanessian, V.

AU - Jensen, T. Kauffman

AU - Nielsen, J.

AU - Chan, Y.-a.

AU - Fasoulas, S.

AU - Traub, C.

AU - García-almiñana, D.

AU - Rodríguez-donaire, S.

AU - Sureda, M.

AU - Kataria, D.

AU - Belkouchi, B.

AU - Conte, A.

AU - Seminari, S.

AU - Villain, R.

PY - 2021/6/26

Y1 - 2021/6/26

N2 - Challenging space missions include those at very low altitudes, where the atmosphere is source of aerodynamic drag on the spacecraft. To extend the lifetime of such missions, an efficient propulsion system is required. One solution is Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) that collects atmospheric particles to be used as propellant for an electric thruster. The system would minimize the requirement of limited propellant availability and can also be applied to any planetary body with atmosphere, enabling new missions at low altitude ranges for longer times. IRS is developing, within the H2020 DISCOVERER project, an intake and a thruster for an ABEP system. The article describes the design and simulation of the intake, optimized to feed the radio frequency (RF) Helicon-based plasma thruster developed at IRS. The article deals in particular with the design of intakes based on diffuse and specular reflecting materials, which are analysed by the PICLas DSMC-PIC tool. Orbital altitudes h = 150−250km and the respective species based on the NRLMSISE- 00 model (O, N2, O2, He, Ar, H, N) are investigated for several concepts based on fully diffuse and specular scattering, including hybrid designs. The major focus has been on the intake efficiency defined as ηc = ˙Nout/ ˙Nin, with ˙Nin the incoming particle flux, and ˙Nout the one collected by the intake. Finally, two concepts are selected and presented providing the best expected performance for the operation with the selected thruster. The first one is based on fully diffuse accommodation yielding to ηc < 0.46 and the second one based un fully specular accommodation yielding to ηc < 0.94. Finally, also the influence of misalignment with the flow is analysed, highlighting a strong dependence of ηc in the diffuse-based intake while, for the specular-based intake, this is much lower finally leading to a more resilient design while also relaxing requirements of pointing accuracy for the spacecraft.

AB - Challenging space missions include those at very low altitudes, where the atmosphere is source of aerodynamic drag on the spacecraft. To extend the lifetime of such missions, an efficient propulsion system is required. One solution is Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) that collects atmospheric particles to be used as propellant for an electric thruster. The system would minimize the requirement of limited propellant availability and can also be applied to any planetary body with atmosphere, enabling new missions at low altitude ranges for longer times. IRS is developing, within the H2020 DISCOVERER project, an intake and a thruster for an ABEP system. The article describes the design and simulation of the intake, optimized to feed the radio frequency (RF) Helicon-based plasma thruster developed at IRS. The article deals in particular with the design of intakes based on diffuse and specular reflecting materials, which are analysed by the PICLas DSMC-PIC tool. Orbital altitudes h = 150−250km and the respective species based on the NRLMSISE- 00 model (O, N2, O2, He, Ar, H, N) are investigated for several concepts based on fully diffuse and specular scattering, including hybrid designs. The major focus has been on the intake efficiency defined as ηc = ˙Nout/ ˙Nin, with ˙Nin the incoming particle flux, and ˙Nout the one collected by the intake. Finally, two concepts are selected and presented providing the best expected performance for the operation with the selected thruster. The first one is based on fully diffuse accommodation yielding to ηc < 0.46 and the second one based un fully specular accommodation yielding to ηc < 0.94. Finally, also the influence of misalignment with the flow is analysed, highlighting a strong dependence of ηc in the diffuse-based intake while, for the specular-based intake, this is much lower finally leading to a more resilient design while also relaxing requirements of pointing accuracy for the spacecraft.

U2 - 10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.06.033

DO - 10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.06.033

M3 - Article

SN - 0094-5765

JO - Acta Astronautica

JF - Acta Astronautica

ER -

Intake design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP)

Abstract

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DISCOVERER: Disruptive Technologies for Very Low Earth Orbit Platforms

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