Acta Astronautica最新文献_第8页

The feasibility of potentially hazardous asteroids flybys using multiple Venus gravity assists 利用多个金星引力辅助，潜在危险小行星飞掠的可行性

IF 3.4 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-08 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.01.016

Vladislav Zubko

This work develops low-energy spacecraft (SC) trajectories using Venus gravity assists to study asteroids during heliocentric transfer segments between planetary encounters. The study focuses on potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) as primary exploration targets. This paper proposes a method for calculating SC trajectories that enable asteroid flybys after a Venus gravity assist. The method involves formulating and solving an optimization problem to design trajectories incorporating flybys of selected asteroids and Venus. Trajectories are calculated using two-body dynamics by solving the Lambert problem. A preliminary search for candidate asteroids uses an algorithm to narrow the search space of the optimization problem. This algorithm uses the V-infinity globe technique to connect planetary gravity assists with resonant orbits. The resonant orbit in this case serves as an initial approximation for the SC’s trajectory between two successive planetary flybys. Four flight schemes were analyzed, including multiple flybys of Venus and asteroids, with the possibility of an SC returning to Earth. The proposed solutions reduce flight time between asteroid approaches, increase gravity assist frequency, and enhance mission design flexibility. The use of Venus gravity assists and resonant orbits ensures a close encounter with at least one asteroid during the SC’s trajectory between two consecutive flybys of Venus, and demonstrates the feasibility of periodic Venus gravity assists and encounters with PHAs. The developed method was applied to construct trajectories that allow an SC to approach both co-orbital asteroids with Venus and PHAs via multiple Venus gravity assists. An additional study was carried out to identify asteroids accessible during the Earth–Venus segment in launch windows between 2029 and 2050.

这项工作开发了低能航天器（SC）的轨迹，利用金星引力辅助研究小行星在行星相遇之间的日心转移段。这项研究将潜在危险小行星（PHAs）作为主要的探测目标。本文提出了一种计算金星重力辅助后小行星飞掠的SC轨迹的方法。该方法包括制定和解决一个优化问题，以设计包含选定小行星和金星飞越的轨迹。通过求解朗伯问题，利用二体动力学计算轨迹。对候选小行星的初步搜索使用了一种算法来缩小优化问题的搜索空间。该算法使用v无限球技术将行星引力辅助与共振轨道连接起来。在这种情况下，共振轨道作为SC在两次连续的行星飞掠之间的轨迹的初始近似。分析了四种飞行方案，包括多次飞越金星和小行星，以及SC返回地球的可能性。提出的解决方案减少了小行星接近之间的飞行时间，增加了重力辅助频率，并增强了任务设计的灵活性。金星引力辅助和共振轨道的使用确保了在连续两次飞越金星之间的SC轨道上至少与一颗小行星近距离接触，并证明了金星引力辅助和周期性接触pha的可行性。该方法被应用于构建轨道，允许SC通过多个金星重力辅助来接近与金星和pha共轨道的小行星。另一项研究是在2029年至2050年的发射窗口期间，确定地球-金星段可到达的小行星。

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引用次数: 0

Attitude stabilization of slender payloads in partial space elevator transport by super-twisting sliding mode control 基于超扭转滑模控制的部分空间电梯运输细长有效载荷姿态稳定

IF 3.4 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-07 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.01.004

Gefei Shi , Zheng H. Zhu

This work develops the rigid-flexible coupled dynamic model of a partial space elevator transporting a slender structural payload by the climber during cross-orbit payload transfer. The payload is modeled by Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, and analysis shows that even small bending deformation of the payload can induce large attitude motion of the climber-payload assembly due to strong orbit-rigid–flexible coupling. To quantify this behavior, a closed-form expression is derived for the steady bending deformation of the payload under the gravity-gradient effect. Building on this analytical insight, a nonlinear compensation control torque is formulated to suppress attitude motion caused by rigid–flexible coupling without requiring impractically large control torques. To enhance control robustness, a super-twisting sliding mode control scheme is proposed by embedding the forward control law within a Lyapunov stability framework. This combined strategy eliminates residual dynamics and reduces the chattering inherent in sliding mode control while ensuring global attitude stability. Numerical simulations verify that the proposed strategy significantly reduces the attitude excursions of the climber-payload assembly while keeping the required control torques within the capacity of reaction wheels on the climber (rigid body). Overall, this work establishes a nonlinear dynamic framework for tethered transport systems with slender structure payloads and provides the first validated control solution enabling safe, stable, and efficient operation of partial space elevator transporting slender structure payloads.

建立了由爬升器运输细长结构载荷的部分空间升降机跨轨道载荷转移的刚柔耦合动力学模型。利用欧拉-伯努利梁理论对载荷进行了建模，分析表明，由于轨道-刚柔耦合较强，即使载荷发生很小的弯曲变形，也会引起爬坡-载荷组件较大的姿态运动。为了量化这种行为，导出了重力梯度作用下载荷稳态弯曲变形的封闭表达式。基于这一分析见解，制定了非线性补偿控制力矩来抑制由刚柔耦合引起的姿态运动，而不需要不切实际的大控制力矩。为了提高控制鲁棒性，提出了一种将前向控制律嵌入Lyapunov稳定性框架的超扭转滑模控制方案。该组合策略在保证全局姿态稳定性的同时，消除了滑模控制中固有的残余动力学和抖振。数值仿真结果表明，该策略在保证爬升器（刚体）上反力轮所能承受的所需控制力矩的同时，显著降低了爬升器-载荷组件的姿态漂移。总体而言，本研究建立了细长结构有效载荷系留运输系统的非线性动力学框架，并提供了第一个经过验证的控制方案，使部分空间电梯运输细长结构有效载荷能够安全、稳定、高效地运行。

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引用次数: 0

Evaluating launcher options for Europe in a world of Starship 在星际飞船世界中评估欧洲的发射器选项

IF 3.4 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-07 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.01.018

Martin Sippel, Jascha Wilken, Ingrid Dietlein, Moritz Herberhold, Kevin Bergmann, Leonid Bussler

As soon as the SpaceX Starship & SuperHeavy launcher configuration is operationally available it likely will cause a fundamental shift to space transportation. In a first step, the paper provides a thorough technical analysis of Starship's estimated capabilities in its early operational phase, based on independent modeling with openly available data.

The main part of the paper is dedicated to the technical evaluation of European options for serving a roughly similar payload class above 20 Mg up to approaching 100 Mg in single launch to LEO. A launcher system analysis looks into Ariane 6 evolution options and explores the technical limits based on the assumption of expendable stages. A significantly better performance perspective can be achieved through a completely new architecture. In case of these new architecture launchers, all first stages are reusable and exclusively liquid cryogenic propellants are chosen. Fully reusable configurations have been addressed in the small ESA-funded PROTEIN-study for which some complementary concepts are summarized.

The different launcher options show a broad range in payload performance. As these diverse vehicles come with significantly different cost, the NRC and RC are modeled for reasonable European heavy-lift transportation scenarios.

The paper concludes with a comparative evaluation of main technical characteristics of the launch vehicle options and an indication of promising development roadmaps.

一旦SpaceX公司的超重型发射装置配置投入使用，它可能会导致太空运输的根本性转变。首先，本文基于独立建模和公开数据，对星舰早期作战阶段的估计能力进行了全面的技术分析。论文的主要部分致力于欧洲方案的技术评估，在单次发射到近地轨道时，提供大致相似的负载等级，从20毫克以上到接近100毫克。发射系统分析着眼于阿丽亚娜6的进化选择，并探讨了基于消耗性阶段假设的技术限制。通过全新的体系结构可以实现更好的性能透视图。在这些新结构的发射器中，所有的第一级都是可重复使用的，并且只选择液体低温推进剂。在esa资助的小型蛋白质研究中，已经解决了完全可重复使用的配置，其中总结了一些补充概念。不同的发射装置选项在有效载荷性能上显示了广泛的范围。由于这些不同的车辆成本差异很大，因此NRC和RC模型适用于合理的欧洲重型运输方案。最后，本文对各种运载火箭的主要技术特性进行了比较评价，并指出了有希望的发展路线图。

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引用次数: 0

Investigation of aluminum ignition dynamics with lower initial particle temperature 较低初始颗粒温度下铝点火动力学研究

IF 3.4 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-07 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.01.009

Zhan Wen , Yanfeng Jiang , Huisi Wang , Weichen Qu , Jiawei Yan , Peijin Liu , Wen Ao

This work utilized a technique known as single-particle laser ignition, paired with high-speed photography, spectrum to explore the ignition and combustion properties under −60 °C. The results indicate that while a decrease in temperature does not significantly alter the overall combustion processes—comprising melting expansion, rupture of the oxide film, stable combustion, and eventual extinction—it does diminish the intensity of the reactions occurring during ignition. When the temperature decreases, the ignition delay time for particles of the same size tends to increase, directly correlating with particle size. For instance, at −60 °C compared to 20 °C, Al particles with a diameter of 1000 μm show a notable rise in ignition delay time from 674 ms to 1098 ms, indicating a 62.9 % increase. In contrast, smaller Al particles are less sensitive to temperature changes. For 500 μm Al particles, the time it takes for ignition to occur increases from 163 ms to 218 ms as the temperature changes within the same range, resulting in a smaller percentage increase of 33.7 %. To better understand the ignition process, a model was created that accounts for the effects of both particle size and temperature on ignition behaviour. In the early stages of ignition, the main source of heat is convective heat transfer, which plays a crucial role in initiating the ignition process. Once the Al particles have melted completely, surface chemical reactions become a significant source of heat. This model accurately describes the influence of the initial temperature on the ignition process and energy transfer, showing an average deviation of 7.03 % between predicted ignition delay times for different temperatures and particle sizes compared to experimental data. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the ignition and combustion processes of Al particles across a range of temperatures.

这项工作利用了一种被称为单粒子激光点火的技术，结合高速摄影，光谱来探索- 60°C下的点火和燃烧特性。结果表明，虽然温度的降低不会显著改变整个燃烧过程——包括熔化膨胀、氧化膜破裂、稳定燃烧和最终熄灭——但它确实降低了点火过程中发生的反应的强度。当温度降低时，相同粒径颗粒的点火延迟时间有增加的趋势，且与粒径成正比。例如，与20℃相比，在−60℃时，直径为1000 μm的Al颗粒的点火延迟时间从674 ms显著增加到1098 ms，增加了62.9%。相比之下，较小的Al颗粒对温度变化不太敏感。对于500 μm Al颗粒，随着温度的变化，其着火时间从163 ms增加到218 ms，增加幅度较小，为33.7%。为了更好地理解点火过程，研究人员创建了一个模型，该模型考虑了颗粒大小和温度对点火行为的影响。在点火初期，主要的热源是对流换热，对流换热在点火过程中起着至关重要的作用。一旦铝颗粒完全熔化，表面化学反应就成为一个重要的热源。该模型准确地描述了初始温度对点火过程和能量传递的影响，在不同温度和颗粒尺寸下，预测的点火延迟时间与实验数据的平均偏差为7.03%。总的来说，这项研究增强了我们对铝颗粒在一定温度范围内的点火和燃烧过程的理解。

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引用次数: 0

Active spinning control for a flexible photonic electric solar wind sail spacecraft 柔性光子电太阳风帆航天器的主动自旋控制

IF 3.4 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-07 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.12.044

Shengjun Zeng, Wei Fan, Hui Ren

Motivated by a hybrid motivation mechanism, the photonic electric solar wind sail (E-sail) spacecraft is regarded as an innovative propellant-free propulsion concept for interstellar missions. Under typical operating conditions, the solar wind dynamic pressure (SWDP) interacts with the charged main tether to generate the primary thrust, while the solar radiation pressure (SRP) acts on the photonic film at the end of each main tether to generate attitude adjustment torque. Compared with the classical E-sail spacecraft, the photonic E-sail spacecraft enables active spinning control by regulating the inclination of the extra photonic films, while an effective spinning control strategy for the rigid–flexible coupled model remains underexplored. Based on the full-scale dynamical model derived by the referenced nodal coordinate formulation (RNCF) approach, this work investigates an active spinning control strategy for the photonic E-sail spacecraft. The reflectance control device (RCD) is integrated into the structural design of the photonic film, which enables active optical parameters modulation to regulate the solar radiation pressure (SRP) induced thrust. A practical spin rate feedback control strategy for the photonic E-sail spacecraft is proposed, where the reflectance distribution across its partitions drives the photonic film inclination, thereby indirectly manipulating the overall spin rate. By numerical simulations with different configurations, the dynamical characteristics of the varying optical parameters on the full-scale photonic E-sail spacecraft model are analyzed. Plus, the effectiveness of the proposed active spinning manipulation mechanisms is validated. Furthermore, the collaborative simulation on the spinning control module and the orientation control module demonstrates the feasibility of the simultaneous manipulation of the spin rate and the sail plane rotation parameters. The proposed spinning control strategy provides an accurate and efficient approach for comprehensive attitude control for the spinning spacecrafts.

光子-电-太阳风帆（E-sail）航天器采用混合动力机制驱动，是一种创新的无推进剂星际任务推进概念。在典型工况下，太阳风动压（SWDP）与带电的主系绳相互作用产生一次推力，太阳辐射压（SRP）作用于每根主系绳末端的光子膜产生姿态调节扭矩。与传统的E-sail航天器相比，光子E-sail航天器通过调节额外光子膜的倾角实现主动自旋控制，而刚性-柔性耦合模型的有效自旋控制策略还有待研究。基于参考节点坐标公式（RNCF）方法建立的全尺寸动力学模型，研究了光子E-sail航天器的主动自旋控制策略。将反射率控制装置（RCD）集成到光子薄膜的结构设计中，实现了主动光学参数调制来调节太阳辐射压力（SRP）诱导推力。提出了一种实用的光子E-sail航天器自旋速率反馈控制策略，该策略利用航天器各隔板间的反射率分布驱动光子膜倾角，从而间接控制整体自旋速率。通过不同构型的数值模拟，分析了全尺寸光子E-sail模型上不同光学参数的动力学特性。此外，还验证了所提出的主动旋转操纵机构的有效性。此外，对旋转控制模块和方向控制模块进行了协同仿真，验证了同步控制旋转速率和帆面旋转参数的可行性。所提出的自旋控制策略为自旋航天器的姿态综合控制提供了一种准确、有效的方法。

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引用次数: 0

MEMS Gyroscope Technology for Low-Earth Orbit Aerospace: Technologies, Environmental Challenges, and Emerging Design Strategies 低地球轨道航空航天MEMS陀螺仪技术：技术、环境挑战和新兴设计策略

IF 3.5 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-06 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.01.011

Donghua Chen, Yusen Guo, Pengyu Huo, Qiliang Li

引用次数: 0

Kinematic orbit determination for BDS-3 satellites with inter-satellite link data 基于星间链路数据的BDS-3卫星运动学定轨

IF 3.4 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-06 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.01.015

Chao Yang , Jing Guo , Xiaolong Mi , Yuanfan Deng , Xuexi Liu , Qile Zhao , Wu Chen

Kinematic orbit determination offers an efficient and highly accurate alternative to traditional methods by eliminating the need for time-consuming orbit integration and complex satellite dynamics modeling (e.g., solar radiation pressure, earth radiation pressure, etc.). Leveraging the Ka-band inter-satellite link (ISL) payloads deployed on the BeiDou global navigation satellite system (BDS-3), this study presents, for the first time, kinematic orbit determination results for BDS-3 satellites using real ISL measurements. The analysis reveals that the position dilution of precision (PDOP) for Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites ranges from 0.8 to 2.0, while for Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO) and Geostationary (GEO) satellites, PDOP values remain within 1.2–2.5 and 1.2–2.0, respectively. The mean 3D RMS values of kinematic orbits are approximately 13.6 cm, 23.5 cm, and 33.7 cm for MEO, IGSO and GEO satellites, respectively, when the orbits of all satellites except one are constrained to the precise dynamic solutions. The mean cross-track accuracy of BDS-3 satellites is 7.3 cm, which is more than 1.5 cm larger than that of the along-track and radial directions. Furthermore, this work systematically investigates the impact of the number of fixed satellites on kinematic solutions, demonstrating that fixing two satellites improves orbit accuracy by 29 % over fixing just one, and that constraining all IGSO and GEO satellites yields optimal results for MEO satellites, with mean 3D RMS values of 15.8 cm (along-track), 14.5 cm (cross-track), and 14.0 cm (radial). Notably, the kinematic orbit accuracy remains robust, as no significant decrease is detected during eclipse seasons.

运动学定轨方法消除了耗时的轨道整合和复杂的卫星动力学建模（如太阳辐射压力、地球辐射压力等），为传统方法提供了一种高效、高精度的替代方案。利用部署在北斗全球导航卫星系统（BDS-3）上的ka波段星间链路（ISL）有效载荷，本研究首次展示了使用实际ISL测量的BDS-3卫星的运动学定轨结果。分析表明，中地球轨道（MEO）卫星的位置精度稀释系数（PDOP）在0.8 ~ 2.0之间，而倾斜地球同步轨道（IGSO）和静止地球轨道（GEO）卫星的位置精度稀释系数（PDOP）分别在1.2 ~ 2.5和1.2 ~ 2.0之间。除1颗卫星外，MEO、IGSO和GEO卫星在精确动力学解约束下的运动轨道三维均方根值分别约为13.6 cm、23.5 cm和33.7 cm。北斗三号卫星的平均横航迹精度为7.3 cm，比顺航迹和径向精度高1.5 cm以上。此外，本工作系统地研究了固定卫星数量对运动学解的影响，表明固定两颗卫星比只固定一颗卫星可提高29%的轨道精度，并且约束所有IGSO和GEO卫星对MEO卫星产生最佳结果，平均3D均方根值为15.8 cm（沿轨道），14.5 cm（交叉轨道）和14.0 cm（径向）。值得注意的是，由于在日食季节没有检测到明显的下降，运动学轨道精度保持稳定。

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引用次数: 0

Piecewise rational Padé and Hermite approximations for the elliptic Kepler equation 椭圆开普勒方程的分段有理Pad ' e和Hermite近似

IF 3.4 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-05 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.01.014

Manuel Calvo , Antonio Elipe, Luis Rández

Accurate and efficient solution of the Elliptic Kepler Equation (EKE) is fundamental in orbital mechanics and spacecraft trajectory analysis. In this work, we present a family of piecewise rational approximations for solving the EKE,

F (E; e) \equiv E - e sin E = M,

based on Padé and Hermite-type formulations. The proposed approaches replaces the transcendental term

sin E

with Hermite and Piecewise Padé-Type (PPT) approximants, the later originally introduced by Brezinski, providing higher accuracy than the traditional Piecewise Padé (PP) method of Wu et al. without increasing computational cost. With these approximants, the resulting rational form reduces the EKE to a cubic equation that can be solved analytically, making it suitable for onboard implementations or large-scale orbit propagation tasks. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the PPT-based solution significantly improves accuracy for moderate and high eccentricities, including near-parabolic cases. Additionally, optimized parameter selection in general [3/2] rational representations yields further accuracy gains. These results show that the proposed piecewise rational method offers a reliable and computationally efficient alternative for precise orbital position determination across a wide range of eccentricities.

精确、高效地求解椭圆开普勒方程是轨道力学和航天器轨道分析的基础。在这项工作中，我们提出了一组分段有理近似来求解EKE， F(E； E)≡E−esinE=M，基于pad和hermite型公式。本文提出的方法用Hermite和Piecewise pad - type （PPT）近似代替了超越项sin，后者最初是由Brezinski引入的，在不增加计算成本的情况下，提供了比Wu等人的传统Piecewise pad - type （PP）方法更高的精度。通过这些近似，得到的有理形式将EKE简化为可以解析求解的三次方程，使其适合于机载实现或大规模轨道传播任务。数值实验表明，基于ppt的解决方案显著提高了中、高偏心率的精度，包括近抛物线情况。此外，在一般[3/2]理性表示中优化的参数选择可以进一步提高精度。这些结果表明，所提出的分段合理方法提供了一种可靠且计算效率高的替代方法，可以在大范围的偏心距范围内精确确定轨道位置。

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引用次数: 0

Progress in metal additive manufacturing for space applications: A comprehensive review 金属增材制造空间应用研究进展综述

IF 3.4 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-05 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2026.01.003

Jieguang Huang , Xiaonan Cheng , Linhai Hao , Qian Wang , Jun Luo , Lehua Qi

Metal additive manufacturing (MAM) offers transformative potential for producing complex, high-performance components directly in space. However, a systematic understanding of which MAM processes are truly viable for in-space deployment, their current maturity levels, and the critical challenges that constrain further advancement remains limited. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the adaptability of major MAM technologies, including Direct Energy Deposition (DED), Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Material Extrusion (MEX), Material Jetting (MJT), and Vat Photopolymerization (VPP), to the unique conditions of microgravity and vacuum. By integrating dispersed findings into a unified framework that links process physics with environmental constraints, we offer a comparative analysis of terrestrial versus in-space operation, emphasizing how microgravity and vacuum reshape system architectures, melt-pool behavior, interlayer bonding, defect formation, and overall process capabilities. Key challenges related to equipment miniaturization and space adaptation, process monitoring and control, melt-solidification dynamics, and post-processing and quality assurance are critically examined, together with their implications for process-structure-property relationships under non-terrestrial conditions. Building on these insights, a technology-readiness roadmap is proposed to highlight priority research directions required to transition from isolated laboratory demonstrations toward robust, flight-ready MAM systems. This work establishes an integrated understanding of the state of the art and outlines future pathways for advancing metallic additive manufacturing in extreme space environments.

金属增材制造（MAM）为直接在太空中生产复杂、高性能的部件提供了变革性的潜力。然而，对于哪些MAM工艺在太空部署中真正可行、它们当前的成熟度水平以及限制进一步发展的关键挑战，系统的理解仍然有限。本文综述了包括直接能量沉积（DED）、粉末床熔融（PBF）、材料挤压（MEX）、材料喷射（MJT）和还原光聚合（VPP）在内的主要MAM技术在微重力和真空条件下的适应性。通过将分散的研究结果整合到一个统一的框架中，将过程物理与环境约束联系起来，我们对地面与空间操作进行了比较分析，强调微重力和真空如何重塑系统架构、熔池行为、层间键合、缺陷形成和整体过程能力。关键挑战涉及设备小型化和空间适应性，过程监测和控制，熔体凝固动力学，后处理和质量保证，以及它们对非地面条件下工艺-结构-性能关系的影响。在这些见解的基础上，提出了技术准备路线图，以突出从孤立的实验室演示过渡到强大的飞行准备MAM系统所需的优先研究方向。这项工作建立了对技术现状的综合理解，并概述了在极端空间环境中推进金属增材制造的未来途径。

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引用次数: 0

Optimization of vacuum arc thruster efficiency through inductive energy storage circuit control 通过电感储能电路控制优化真空电弧推力器效率

IF 3.4 2区物理与天体物理 Q1 ENGINEERING, AEROSPACE

Acta Astronautica

Pub Date : 2026-01-05 DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.12.063

Ping-Han Huang , Yueh-Heng Li

This study explores the optimization of vacuum arc thruster (VAT) performance through precise control of an inductive energy storage circuit. Two experimental approaches were investigated: (1) By varying the inductor charging time under single-pulse ignition, this experiment aims to determine the relationship between the circuit components and the performance of the VAT. (2) Implementing a dual-pulse ignition scheme with controlled inter-pulse delays, which aims to determine whether two ignitions interact with each other. In the single-pulse tests, maximum thrust performance occurred when the inductor current reached its peak. Reducing the charging current to approximately 76 % of this peak resulted in decreases of 28 %, 38 %, and 42 % in discharge energy, plasma plume, and mass ablation rate, respectively. These results demonstrate that VAT performance is strongly dependent on the energy stored in the inductor and the magnitude of the induced voltage generated upon IGBT turn-off.

In the dual-pulse tests, triggering two identical inductive circuits with a 3 μs inter-pulse delay significantly enhanced performance. Compared to a 3000 μs delay, this shortest delay resulted in a 68.74 % lower breakdown voltage for the second pulse, a 15.22 % increase in total discharge energy, a 98.7 % extension in discharge duration, and a 356 % increase in the ablation rate.

The highest thrust of 12.07 μN s and thrust-to-power ratio of 29.97 μN s/W were achieved at this shortest delay. These findings highlight that both induced voltage characteristics and short inter-pulse plasma dynamics play critical roles in maximizing VAT performance, offering practical insights for high-efficiency pulsed electric propulsion system design.

本研究通过精确控制电感储能电路来优化真空电弧推力器（VAT）的性能。研究了两种实验方法：(1)通过改变单脉冲点火下电感充电时间，确定电路元件与VAT性能之间的关系。(2)实现可控脉冲间延迟的双脉冲点火方案，确定两个点火是否相互作用。在单脉冲试验中，最大推力性能出现在电感电流达到峰值时。将充电电流降低到峰值的76%左右，放电能量、等离子体羽流和质量烧蚀率分别降低了28%、38%和42%。这些结果表明，增值性能强烈依赖于存储在电感的能量和感应电压的大小产生的IGBT关断。在双脉冲测试中，触发两个相同的电感电路，脉冲间延迟3 μs，显著提高了性能。与3000 μs延时相比，最短延时使第二脉冲击穿电压降低了68.74%，总放电能量增加了15.22%，放电时间延长了98.7%，烧蚀率提高了356%。在此延时下，系统的最大推力为12.07 μN s，推功率比为29.97 μN s/W。这些发现强调了感应电压特性和短脉冲间等离子体动力学在最大化增值性能方面发挥着关键作用，为高效脉冲电力推进系统的设计提供了实用的见解。

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