VACUUM CATHODE ARC-INDUCED PULSED THRUSTER

Abstract

A vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster includes a housing where a triggering room and an electric discharging room are defined and are in communication with each other, a first anode unit and a first cathode unit concentrically disposed in the triggering room, a second anode unit disposed in the electric discharging room, an insulating fuel layer concentrically located between the first anode unit and the first cathode unit, a main insulating layer concentrically surrounded by the first cathode unit, and a second cathode unit inserted from the triggering room into the electric discharging room. Thus, the vacuum cathode arc-induced pulse thruster is lightweight and has low manufacturing costs, low system complexity, and less energy consumption. Carbon deposition caused during an electric discharging process is prevented from affecting an inducing effect to thereby prolong the service life of the thruster and increase the control precision and inducing precision effectively.

Claims

1. A vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster comprising: a housing defining a central axis and having an inner peripheral wall, with a triggering room and an electric discharging room respectively enclosed by said inner peripheral wall, said triggering room and said electric discharging room being in communication with each other; a first anode unit and a second anode unit respectively disposed in said triggering room and said electric discharging room, said first anode unit and said second anode unit fitting said inner peripheral wall of said housing respectively and spaced from each other; an insulating fuel layer surrounded by said first anode unit; a first cathode unit disposed in said triggering room and spaced from said first anode unit, with said insulating fuel layer located between said first anode unit and said first cathode unit; a main insulating layer surrounded by said first cathode unit; and a second cathode unit disposed in said housing and inserted from said triggering room into said electric discharging room along said central axis; wherein said first anode unit, said insulating fuel layer, said first cathode unit, and said main insulating layer are in concentric relationship with one another around said central axis of said housing.

2. The vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster according to claim 1, further comprising a control device connected to said first anode unit, said first cathode unit, said second anode unit, and said second cathode unit respectively.

3. The vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster according to claim 1, wherein said insulating fuel layer is made of a Teflon material.

4. The vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster according to claim 1, wherein a partitioning unit projects from said inner peripheral wall of said housing so that said first anode unit and said second anode unit are spaced from each other.

5. The vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster according to claim 4, wherein said partitioning unit tapers from said triggering room to said electric discharging room.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first preferred embodiment of this invention;

[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the first preferred embodiment of this invention;

[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the first anode unit and the first cathode unit interact and induce the electric discharge;

[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the plasma is generated;

[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the plasma enters into the electric discharging room from the triggering room and forms a channel; and

[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the second anode unit and the second cathode unit interact and induce the electric discharge and generate thrust.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster 3 of a first preferred embodiment of this invention comprises a housing 31 defining a central axis R and having an inner peripheral wall 311 which encloses a triggering room 312 and an electric discharging room 313 respectively, a first anode unit 32 disposed in the triggering room 312 and fitting the inner peripheral wall 311 of the housing 31, a second anode unit 33 disposed in the electric discharging room 313 and fitting the inner peripheral wall 311 of the housing 31, an insulating fuel layer 34 surrounded by the first anode unit 32, a first cathode unit 35 disposed in the triggering room 312 and spaced from the first anode unit 32 to allow the insulating fuel layer 34 to be located between the first anode unit 32 and the first cathode unit 35, a main insulating layer 36 surrounded by the first cathode unit 35, and a second cathode unit 37 disposed in the housing 31 and inserted from the triggering room 312 into the electric discharging room 313 along the central axis R. The first anode unit 32 and the second anode unit 33 are spaced from each other. The triggering room 312 and the electric discharging room 313 are in communication with each other. Further, the first anode unit 32, the insulating fuel layer 34, the first cathode unit 35, and the main insulating layer 36 are in concentric relationship with one another around the central axis R of the housing 31. In this preferred embodiment, the insulating fuel layer 34 is made of a Teflon material.

[0017] In this preferred embodiment, a partitioning unit 38 projects from the inner peripheral wall 311 of the housing 31 so that the first anode unit 32 and the second anode unit 33 are spaced from each other. Meanwhile, the partitioning unit 38 tapers from the triggering room 312 to the electric discharging room 313. A control device 4 is connected to the first anode unit 32, the first cathode unit 35, the second anode unit 33, and the second cathode unit 37 respectively. The control device 4 can input positive voltage into the first anode unit 32 and the second anode unit 33 and input negative voltage into the first cathode unit 35 and the second cathode unit 37 to thereby control the first anode unit 32 and the first cathode unit 35 to execute the electric discharge and control the second anode unit 33 and the second cathode unit 37 to execute the electric discharge.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, during an operation of the vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster 3, the control device 4 controls the first anode unit 32 and the first cathode unit 35 to interact and induce the electric discharge to thereby generate an electric arc between the first anode unit 32 and the first cathode unit 35. The electric arc is concentrated on a surface of the first cathode unit 35 to form a cathode spot. The extremely high temperature of the cathode spot then causes the thermionic emission and generates plasma. The plasma is further discharged to the triggering room 312 to thereby generate thrust initially. Meanwhile, the plasma is generated from the micro-explosion and the evaporation of the first cathode unit 35, and that will consume carbon formed the surface of the first cathode unit 35 and a surface of the insulating fuel layer 34.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the plasma enters into the electric discharging room 313 from the triggering room 312 to thereby form a channel in the electric discharging room 313. Simultaneously, the control device 4 actuates the second anode unit 33 and the second cathode unit 37 to interact and induce the electric discharge. The electric discharge then allows the plasma in the electric discharging room 313 to induce an interaction of electric field and magnetic field to further generate Lorentz force and accelerate the thrust. Moreover, because the insulating fuel layer 34 is made of the Teflon material, part of carbon will deposit on the surface of the first cathode unit 35 and the surface of the insulating fuel layer 34 when the plasma is generated from the electric arc to thereby resupply the carbon of the first cathode unit 35 and the insulating fuel layer 34. Thus, the carbon deposition in this invention will not affect the inducing effect and the electric discharge. Further, it can help resupply the carbon of the first cathode unit 35 and the insulating fuel layer 34 to thereby prolong the service life of the first cathode unit 35 and the insulating fuel layer 34. Hence, this invention is unlike the conventional thruster which needs extremely high voltage to induce the electric discharge by the spark plug. Meanwhile, the vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster 3 can avoid the deficiency of poor fire-lighting effect caused when the electrodes of the spark plug of the conventional thruster is covered by carbon. Thus, the vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster 3 can increase the control precision and inducing precision without being affected by the carbon deposition.

[0020] To sum up, the vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster of this invention takes an advantage of the entire structure which has the housing enclosing the electric discharging room and the triggering room and defining the central axis, the first anode unit and the second anode unit respectively disposed in the triggering room and the electric discharging room, the insulating fuel layer enclosed by the first anode unit, the first cathode unit disposed in the triggering room and spaced from the first anode unit to allow the insulating fuel layer located between the first anode unit and the first cathode unit, the main insulating layer enclosed by the first cathode unit, and the second cathode unit penetrating from the triggering room into the electric discharging room along the central axis to thereby be lightweight and have low manufacturing costs, low system complexity, and less energy consumption. Further, carbon deposition caused during an electric discharging process is prevented from affecting an inducing effect to thereby prolong the service life of the thruster and increase the control precision and inducing precision effectively.

[0021] While the embodiments of this invention are shown and described, it is understood that further variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this invention.