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Porous Emitter Colloid Thruster Performance Characterization Using Optical Techniques Eric T Air Force Institute of Technology AFIT Scholar Theses and Dissertations Student Graduate Works 3-21-2013 Porous Emitter Colloid Thruster Performance Characterization Using Optical Techniques Eric T. Wolf Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.afit.edu/etd Part of the Aerospace Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Wolf, Eric T., "Porous Emitter Colloid Thruster Performance Characterization Using Optical Techniques" (2013). Theses and Dissertations. 848. https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/848 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Graduate Works at AFIT Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AFIT Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. POROUS EMITTER COLLOID THRUSTER PERFORMANCE CHARACTERIZATION USING OPTICAL TECHNIQUES THESIS Eric T. Wolf, Captain, USAF AFIT-ENY-13-M-36 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the United States Government. This material is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. AFIT-ENY-13-M-36 POROUS EMITTER COLLOID THRUSTER PERFORMANCE CHARACTERIZATION USING OPTICAL TECHNIQUES THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air Force Institute of Technology Air University Air Education and Training Command In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering Eric T. Wolf, BS Captain, USAF March 2013 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. AFIT-ENY-13-M-36 POROUS EMITTER COLLOID THRUSTER PERFORMANCE CHARACTERIZATION USING OPTICAL TECHNIQUES Eric T. Wolf, BS Captain, USAF Approved: ___________________________________ __________ Dr. David Liu, Capt, USAF (Chairman) Date ___________________________________ __________ Dr. Carl R. Hartsfield, Lt Col (Ret), USAF (Member) Date ___________________________________ __________ Dr. William E. Wiesel, Jr. (Member) Date AFIT-ENY-13-M-36 Abstract This research focuses on experimentally determining the performance parameters of a colloid thruster with porous emitters using optical techniques. Porous emitters contrast with traditional needles by allowing a variation in the number and size of Taylor Cone locations throughout a range of propellant flow rates. Droplet exhaust characteristics, thrust, and specific impulse specifications must be investigated across the span of flow rates to understand the thruster's operational envelope and potential mission capabilities. Optical methods, including image analysis, image correlation, and use of a fiber optic distance sensor, are evaluated to verify their applicability in obtaining the thruster's range of performance. Algorithms are created to calculate the estimated minimum and maximum number of emitter sites based on imaged porous emitter head topography. Then, theoretical performance models for the variable number of emitter sites are established. The variable and fixed numbers of emitter site models present a positive order of magnitude comparison demonstrating the initial accuracy of the variable model. This variable emitter baseline model can be utilized by future researchers to understand the expected performance range prior to laboratory testing. Experimental techniques for evaluating thrust through elasticity measurements and droplet exit velocity with image examination schemes are proposed and assessed for their compatibility with thruster testing. Calibration and sensitivity analyses show the elasticity procedure is a practical method for thrust determination. Comparisons explain why image correlation is a more promising approach to velocity determination than image streak tracking. Upcoming experimentalists may apply the predetermined elasticity and image correlation iv AFIT-ENY-13-M-36 methods to obtaining the colloid thruster thrust and exit velocity, respectively. The research results provide theoretical thruster performance models and experimental procedural investigations laying a foundation for future investigational colloid thruster testing and characterization. v AFIT-ENY-13-M-36 To my amazing wife and wonderful daughter vi Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisors Capt Liu and Lt Col (Ret) Hartsfield for their guidance in this endeavor. Also, I would like to thank my sponsor, Dr. Hargus for allowing me to work on this project and learn more about electric propulsion than I ever could in a classroom. I thank Dr. Reeder for his support and willingness to help me whenever needed. Lastly, I thank all of the ENY lab techs, Capt Ober, and everyone else who helped me along the way. I couldn’t have done it without you. Eric T. Wolf vii Table of Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgments............................................................................................................. vii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. viii List of Figures ......................................................................................................................x List of Tables .....................................................................................................................xv Nomenclature ................................................................................................................... xvi List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... xix I. Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 1.1 General Issue ....................................................................................................1 1.2 Problem Statement ............................................................................................3 1.3 Research Objectives ..........................................................................................5 II. Literature Review ...........................................................................................................6 2.1 Electrostatic Propulsion Theory .......................................................................6 2.2 Colloid Thruster Theory ...................................................................................9 2.3 Taylor Cone Formation ...................................................................................10 2.4 Droplet Theory ................................................................................................13 2.5 Performance Equations ...................................................................................17 2.6 Colloid Thruster and Electrospray Research History .....................................24 2.7 Current Colloid Thruster Research .................................................................25 2.8 Thrust Measurement .......................................................................................29 2.8.1 Force Balance ................................................................................................ 29 2.8.2 Time of Flight ................................................................................................ 30 2.8.3 Elasticity Measurement ................................................................................. 31 2.9 Flowfield Velocity Measurement ...................................................................33 2.9.1 Direct Visualization ....................................................................................... 34 2.9.2 Planar Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) .............................................................. 35 2.10 Summary .........................................................................................................37 III. Methodology ...............................................................................................................38 3.1 1U Colloid Thruster ........................................................................................38 3.2 Vacuum Chamber ...........................................................................................43 viii Page 3.3 Emitter Surface Imaging .................................................................................46 3.4 Theoretical Performance Envelope .................................................................53 3.5 Thrust Measurement .......................................................................................57 3.6 Exit Velocity Measurement ............................................................................69 3.7 Taylor Cone Formation ...................................................................................79 3.8 Summary .........................................................................................................85 IV. Analysis and Results ...................................................................................................86 4.1 Emitter Number Range Development ............................................................86
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