Conceptual design and performance analysis of water electrolysis propulsion system with catalytic igniter for CubeSats

초록

Water electrolysis propulsion systems generate thrust by burning the hydrogen and oxygen generated by the electrolysis of water. Such systems combine the advantages of electric and chemical propulsion without the use of toxic substances. In this study, a water electrolysis propulsion system was conceptually designed for a 3U cube satellite (CubeSat) that performs a low-orbit mission at an altitude of 300 km. The system involved a polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer and catalyst igniter. The catalyst igniter is suitable for use in CubeSats to decrease the size and weight of the combustion chamber and entire system. Excellent ignition performance was observed in experiments. According to the experimental results, the ignition delay time of the thruster was assumed. And with the performance analysis of the water electrolysis propulsion system, the satellite lifetime was extended by up to 12 years when loaded with 1 kg of water, higher than that of other propulsion systems equipped with the same volume of propellant, and also has high efficiency compared to general electric thrusters.

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