Hirokazu Tahara

Research and development of pulsed plasma thruster systems for nano-satellites at Osaka Institute of Technology

In the Project of Osaka Institute of Technology Electric-Rocket-Engine onboard Small Space Ship (PROITERES), a nano-satellite with electrothermal pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) will be launched in the end of 2012, because the launching was delayed due to change of schedule of Indian PSLV launcher. The main mission is powered flight of small/nano satellite by electric thruster. This study aims at improvement in discharge stability by changing detailed configuration of PPT system. As a result, a new PPT head Flight-Model (FM), i.e., a nearly-optimized PPT head with high discharge stability was designed. From endurance tests with the two PPT head FMs connecting the PPU FM, the total impulse of each PPT head reached 5.0 Ns with no miss-firing. Finally, all interfaces among the PPT system, the onboard computer and the satellite electric-power BUS unit were completely accepted. An unsteady numerical simulation was also carried out to investigate physical phenomena in the discharge system including plasma and discharge electric circuit and to predict performance characteristics for electrothermal PPTs. Both the calculated impulse bit and mass shot agreed well with the measured ones. The calculated results of 40,000-shot endurance test agreed with the measured ones. Furthermore, the research and development of the 2nd PROITERES satellite with high-power and large-total-impulse PPT system are also introduced.

R&D, Launch and Initial Operation of the Osaka Institute of Technology 1st PROITERES Nano-Satellite with Electrothermal Pulsed Plasma Thrusters and Development of the 2nd and 3rd Satellites

The Project of Osaka Institute of Technology Electric-Rocket-Engine onboard Small Space Ship (PROITERES) was started at Osaka Institute of Technology in 2007. In PROITERES, a nano satellite named the 1st PROITERES satellite with electrothermal pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) was successfully launched by Indian PSLV C-21 rocket on September 9th, 2012. We developed Bread Board Model (BBM) and Engineering Model (EM) of the satellite, including electrothermal PPT system, high- resolution camera system, onboard-computer system, communication system and ground station, electric power system, attitude control system etc, in 2007-2009. Finally, the development of the satellite Flight-Model (FM) was completely finished in 2010. In this paper, we introduce the R&D feature and final checking, launch process and initial operation of the satellite FM including EP system. Furthermore, the research and development of the 2nd and 3rd PROITERES satellites with high-power electric thrusters, i.e., high-power electrothermal PPT and cylindrical Hall thruster, respectively, are also introduced.

Research and development of nano-satellite PROITERES with Electric Rocket Engines at Osaka Institute of Technology

In the Project of Osaka Institute of Technology Electric-Rocket-Engine onboard Small Space Ship (PROITERES), a nano-satellite with electrothermal pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) will be launched in the end of 2012, because the launching was delayed due to change of schedule of Indian PSLV launcher. The main mission is to achieve powered flight of nano-satellite by an electric thruster (EP) and to observe Kansai district in Japan with a high-resolution camera. We developed Bread Board Model (BBM) and Engineering Model (EM) of the satellite, including electrothermal PPT system, high-resolution camera system, onboard computer system, communication system and ground telemetry station, electric power system, attitude control system etc, in 2007-2009. Finally, the development of the satellite Flight-Model (FM) was completely finished in 2010. In this paper, we introduce the feature of the satellite FM including EP system. Furthermore, the research and development of the 2nd and 3rd PROITERES satellites with electric thrusters are also introduced.

Development of highly-functional nano/small satellites with pulsed plasma engines

In the Project of Osaka Institute of Technology Electric-Rocket-Engine onboard Small Space Ship (PROITERES), a nano-satellite with electrothermal pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) was launched on September 9th, 2012. The main mission is to achieve powered flight of nano-satellite by an electric thruster and to observe Kansai district in Japan with a high-resolution camera. We developed Bread Board Model (BBM) and Engineering Model (EM) of the satellite, including electrothermal PPT system, high-resolution camera system, onboard computer system, communication system and ground station, electric power system, attitude control system etc, in 2007-2009. Finally, the development of the satellite Flight-Model (FM) was completely finished in 2010. In this paper, we introduce the feature of the satellite FM including EP system. Furthermore, the research and development of the 2nd and 3rd PROITERES satellites with electric thrusters are also introduced.

Research and Development of Hall Thrusters at Osaka Institute of Technology

The experimental studies have been implemented to examine the effect of the magnetic field topography and the discharge channel structure on the performance of 1‐kW class anode‐layer Hall thruster TALT‐2. The thruster has been operated through the use of a divergent‐type hollow anode and a cylindrical discharge channel under various magnetic field topographies. The dependence of channel length was examined to find out the optimum anode front position. The confirmation about whether the performance enhancement was realized by using a divergent‐type hollow anode and a cylindrical discharge channel were carried out under the optimum channel length and various magnetic field topographies. The showed that some increment in thrust and thrust efficiency was obtained by using a divergent‐type hollow anode. The thrust efficiency was enhanced to 57% with the divergent‐type hollow anode at a discharge voltage of 400 V and a xenon mass flow rate of 3.0 mg/s.

Development of Electrothermal Pulsed Plasma Thruster Systems onboard Osaka Institute of Technology PROITERES Nano-Satellites

The Project of Osaka Institute of Technology Electric-Rocket-Engine onboard Small Space Ship (PROITERES) was started at Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT) in 2007. In PROITERES, a nano-satellite with electrothermal pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) was successfully launched by the Indian PSLV C-21 launcher on September 9th, 2012. The main mission is to achieve powered flight of a nano-satellite by an electric thruster and to observe Kansai district in Japan with a high-resolution camera. The PPT performance in the 1st PROITERES reached 5.0 Ns with no miss-firing. Furthermore, the project of the 2nd PROITERES was started in 2010. The 2nd PROITERES satellite aims at powered flight with longer distance, i.e. changing 200-400 km in altitude on near-earth orbits, than that of the 1st PROITERES. We are developing high-power and high-total-impulse PPT systems. In this paper, we introduce the research and development of PPT systems for PROITERES satellite series at OIT.

TiO2 Film Deposition by Atmospheric Thermal Plasma CVD Using Laminar and Turbulence Plasma Jets

In this study, to provide continuous plasma atmosphere on the substrate surface in the case of atmospheric thermal plasma CVD, TiO2 film deposition by thermal plasma CVD using laminar plasma jet was carried out. For comparison, the film deposition using turbulence plasma jet was conducted as well. Consequently, transition of the plasma jet from laminar to turbulent occurred on the condition of over 3.5 1/min in Ar working gas flow rate and the plasma jet became turbulent on the condition of over 10 1/min. In the case of the turbulent plasma jet use, anatase rich titanium oxide film could be obtained though plasma jet could not contact with the surface of the substrate continuously even on the condition that feedstock material was injected into the plasma jet. On the other hand,, in the case of laminar gas flow rate, the plasma jet could contact with the substrate continuously without melt down of the substrate during film deposition. Besides, titanium oxide film could be obtained even in the case of the l...

Research and development of high-power high-efficiency hall-type ion engines for space exploration

High-power and high-specific-impulse characteristics of Hall thrusters were experimentally studied. Input power and specific impulse reached above 5 kW and 3000 sec, respectively. As a result, the specific impulse and the thrust efficiency were 3202 sec and 61 %, respectively, with 2.8 kW. Discharge current oscillation also increased by raising discharge voltage.

Development of Electrothermal Pulsed Plasma Thrusters for Osaka-Institute-of-Technology Electric-Rocket-Engine onboard Small Space Ship

The Project of Osaka‐Institute‐of‐Technology Electric‐Rocket‐Engine onboard Small Space Ship (PROITERES) was started at Osaka Institute of Technology. In PROITERES, a 10‐kg small satellite with electrothermal pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs), named JOSHO, will be launched in 2010. The main mission is powered flight of small satellite by electric thruster itself. Electrothermal PPTs were studied with both experiments and numerical simulations. An electrothermal PPT with a side‐fed propellant feeding mechanism achieved a total impulse of 3.6 Ns with a repetitive 10000‐shot operation. An unsteady numerical simulation showed the existence of considerable amount of ablation delaying to the discharge. However, it was also shown that this phenomenon should not be regarded as the “late time ablation” for electrothermal PPTs.

Research and development of high-efflciency and high-performance electric rocket engines for future space missions at osaka institute of technology

Electric rocket engines (electric thruster), in which electric energy is converted to kinetic one, are suitable for future long missions in space because they can achieve higher specific impulse, i.e., higher propellant serving than conventional chemical thrusters. At Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT), several kinds of electric thruster, that is, magneto-plasma-dynamic (MPD) thruster, direct-current (DC) arcjet thruster, pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) and Hall thruster, have been investigated and developed for future space missions. Furthermore, a nano-satellite with the electric thruster, the 1st PROITERES (Project of Osaka Institute of Technology Electric Rocket Engine onboard Small Space Ship), was launched, and the next satellites of PROITERES 2 and 3 are under development. We introduce recent R&D feature of electric thrusters at OIT. Accordingly, our all thrusters had high efficiency and high performance, and their systems are under development in practical use in space.