Polish space thruster

[czokletmuss]

Polish scientists device generates enough thrust to work on satellites weighing up to about 100 kg. "The probe SMART- 1, which ESA has sent to the Moon orbit, had a xenon engine with a capacity of less than 2 kW. It could increase the probe speed by about 3.6 kilometers per second. Accordingly, our drive could also work as propulsion system in a small space probes" - said Dr. Serge Barral from IFPiLM.

The aim of researchers from IFPiLM is to build a Hall thruster that will be cheaper to run than those currently used. They plan to acheve this by useing krypton as working gas. This noble gas is up to 10 times cheaper than the most commonly used xenon - reads the note sent to the PAP by the Institute.

Source: http://www.naukawpolsce.pap.pl/en/news/news,398704,polish-plasma-thruster-prototype-for-space-probes-already-operational.html

This prototype Polish-built plasma thruster is shown during test firing within an airless chamber at ESA’s Propulsion Laboratory.

Designed and built by Poland’s Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion (IFPiLM), this is the country’s first space thruster. Weighing 4 kg and 12 cm in length, it is a ‘Hall effect’ thruster, accelerating the ionised propellant with a magnetic field, boosting thrust compared to traditional designs.

It is designed to maintain or change the orbits of low-orbiting small satellites, including compensating for drag from the top of the atmosphere. Such thrusters typically employ the noble gas xenon for fuel, but this design can also operate with cheaper krypton.

Testing took place inside a 4 m by 2 m vacuum chamber in the Agency’s ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. The instrumented chamber is equipped to measure thrust down to the millinewton scale as well as gathering precise voltage and current levels.

Poland joined ESA at the end of 2012. The IFPiLM prototype was first tested at ESTEC last November, as part of ESA’s Plan for European Cooperating States (PECS) agreement signed with Poland. Two follow-up test campaigns are planned for later this year and 2015.

In operation for the last two decades, ESTEC’s ISO-certified Propulsion Laboratory specialises in electric propulsion systems, as well as some types of chemical propulsion. Its expertise includes micropropulsion testing and endurance firings, assessing thruster performance over hundreds or thousands of hours of operation.

Source: http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/01/Polish_space_thruster

I'm really happy to see this It's not much but the more countries participate in space exploration and engineering, the better.

Edited January 24, 2014 by czokletmuss

[CalculusWarrior]

All I can think of are the plasma thrusters from KSP Interstellar when I see this. Good to see that tech becoming reality!

[DaveofDefeat]

It sounds like an ion engine.

[Scotius]

Hall Effect thruster - quite old and proven technology, but apparently there is still space for upgrades. Good to know my country is not a dead weight in ESA.

[nhnifong]

The ion engines in KSP were designed after Hall effect thrusters like this one.

[Ravenchant]

Congratulations to the institute! Hopefully our country will one day advance from cooperating to member state... sigh.

[Streetwind]

Makes me wonder what kind of thrust you can achieve with a 4 kg thruster.

After all, the KSP ion thruster weighs much much more - 250 kg. It produces 500 newton worth of thrust. Of course, ingame parts are scaled down to match the tiny Kerbals on their tiny planet in their tiny solar system...

[DaveofDefeat]

Makes me wonder what kind of thrust you can achieve with a 4 kg thruster.

After all, the KSP ion thruster weighs much much more - 250 kg. It produces 500 newton worth of thrust. Of course, ingame parts are scaled down to match the tiny Kerbals on their tiny planet in their tiny solar system...

Well most of the ion thrusters top out at an entire .5 newtons of thrust! So who knows maybe the polish have figured out how to give it .6 newtons.

[sgt_flyer]

http://www.naukawpolsce.pap.pl/en/news/news,398704,polish-plasma-thruster-prototype-for-space-probes-already-operational.html

from this website, it seems that they designed the thruster for probes / satellites of around 100kg weight, but it seems they were working on limiting the construction costs rather than increasing the effectiveness (plus, they try to use krypton instead of xenon - much cheaper )

mmh, from the informations on the engine, it seems to be planned to operate at a maximum of 0.5kW - Smart 1 engine operated at 1.1 kW, with a thrust of 68 mN - so the polish thruster thrust should be around 30 mN of thrust.

Edited January 24, 2014 by sgt_flyer

[czokletmuss]

Much cheaper:

Polish scientists device generates enough thrust to work on satellites weighing up to about 100 kg. "The probe SMART- 1, which ESA has sent to the Moon orbit, had a xenon engine with a capacity of less than 2 kW. It could increase the probe speed by about 3.6 kilometers per second. Accordingly, our drive could also work as propulsion system in a small space probes" - said Dr. Serge Barral from IFPiLM.

The aim of researchers from IFPiLM is to build a Hall thruster that will be cheaper to run than those currently used. They plan to acheve this by useing krypton as working gas. This noble gas is up to 10 times cheaper than the most commonly used xenon - reads the note sent to the PAP by the Institute.

[magnemoe]

Makes me wonder what kind of thrust you can achieve with a 4 kg thruster.

After all, the KSP ion thruster weighs much much more - 250 kg. It produces 500 newton worth of thrust. Of course, ingame parts are scaled down to match the tiny Kerbals on their tiny planet in their tiny solar system...

Problem in KSP is time warp during trust, in real world its no problem with an multi month burn.

[sgt_flyer]

Much cheaper:

Yeah - some of the figures i have found states for around 120$ / for 100g of xenon... Smart 1 had 82kg of xenon - if this price is correct, it cost around 100000$ to fill the probe's tank with xenon so yeah, definitively interesting to use krypton instead of xenon

[czokletmuss]

What's even more cool is that currently in our Parliament they are working on a Polish Space Agency Bill:

W stosunkach z zagranicą Agencja posługuje się nazwą w języku angielskim w brzmieniu: Polish Space Agency (POLSA).

Source: http://sejmometr.pl/sejm_zamrazarka/1741431

I think I know where I will send my resume soon

[K^2]

Can't help but note the irony in you forgetting to translate the statement about the new agency given an English name to help cooperation with foreign agencies.

By the way, has anyone already made the joke about the "reverse Polish thruster?"

[Rokker]

It's not much but the more countries participate in space exploration and engineering, the better.

Except China, they are actually going to take things too far I feel. Try to claim land in space as theirs or something I feel. They are still kinda pissed that they are one of the only countries completely barred from participating in the ISS. That's thought to be one of the main reasons they are getting extremely involved in space as of late.

[THE META]

http://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2014/01/polish_space_thruster/13499334-1-eng-GB/Polish_space_thruster_node_full_image.jpg

Source: http://www.naukawpolsce.pap.pl/en/news/news,398704,polish-plasma-thruster-prototype-for-space-probes-already-operational.html

Source: http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/01/Polish_space_thruster

I'm really happy to see this It's not much but the more countries participate in space exploration and engineering, the better.

Is it just me, or did I see the acceleration of the engine in the upper paragraph at 3.6 KM/S. this seems a bit... un realistic. tell me I'm reading this wrong please.

[Andon]

Is it just me, or did I see the acceleration of the engine in the upper paragraph at 3.6 KM/S. this seems a bit... un realistic. tell me I'm reading this wrong please.

No, you're not reading it wrong. No, it's not really unrealistic. It's a very, VERY slow propulsion. It's like going 2 km/h across Siberia. Sure, you'll get there... but it'll take forever to do it.

Also, that picture is just begging to be used as a desktop. Quite pretty!

[sgt_flyer]

Is it just me, or did I see the acceleration of the engine in the upper paragraph at 3.6 KM/S. this seems a bit... un realistic. tell me I'm reading this wrong please.

It could increase the probe speed by about 3.6 kilometers per second.

i guess this is this part which bothered you ? this specific part was relative to the Smart-1 Probe and it's 2KW ion thruster

in this case, they are simply stating the Probe's delta-V (Change in Velocity) - the article is just badly oversimplified basically, they tried to tell that the thruster (+fuel) could change the probe's speed by 3.6 km/s before running out of fuel

Edited January 24, 2014 by sgt_flyer