Engine for spacecraft (space vehicles)

摘要

A thermal arc-jet engine which serves, in particular, the purpose of attitude correction and orbital (orbit) correction of spacecraft consists of a housing constructed as an anode, at the same time an expansion nozzle, and a rod-shaped, electrically insulated cathode which is held centrally therein. The cathode is arranged in a combustion chamber into which gaseous ammonia is injected as the working gas. The tip of the cathode is spaced from the restricted cross-section of the nozzle throat by a small air gap. When there is a flow of gas, an arc is struck between the anode and cathode and the working gases absorb additional thermal energy from it. The entire arrangement is designed such that the device for generating the working gases, the guide device for the working gases generated in it, and the actual arc-jet engine are arranged in series on a common axis. For this purpose, the cathode is connected to the device for applying electric power via a flexible lead element which is guided laterally out of the housing. Connected upstream of the combustion chamber is a device in which the ammonia is dissociated in a catalytic and/or thermal way into the components of hydrogen and nitrogen.