Microwave electric heat thruster suitable for space electric heat propulsion

摘要

The present invention relates to a microwave electric thermal thruster (MET) suitable for space electric heat propulsion, and includes a frequency variable microwave electric thruster propulsion module that enables initial propulsion and altitude control of a satellite / spacecraft, The RF semiconductor is the first microwave generator inside the cavity body to improve its efficiency and response time and to allow the thruster to operate at two frequencies by mechanically tuning its cavity. Is introduced to make the thruster compact and lightweight. Free floating plasma inside the resonant cavity couples the incident power with the propellant gas injected in the tangential direction. The plasma is formed by concentrating microwave energy in the first vertically polarized mode and operates independently of the type of propellant gas used. For the first time, it has become possible to adjust the diameter of the resonant cavity faster and more effectively when a shape memory alloy is introduced into the thruster cavity and the two operable frequencies are switched.