MEMS microthrusters with nanoenergetic solid propellants

Abstract

Solid propellants are used in various flight and underwater systems as well as in propulsion platforms. Micromachining, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and automatic dispensing of high-energy-density nanoenergetic materials are examined for current and next generation of application-specific flight and underwater platforms. The integrated MEMS-technology microthrusters with the optimized-by-design nanostructured propellants ensure the expected thrust-to-weight and thrust-to-power ratios, specific impulse, effective exhaust velocity, thrust, energy density, controlled combustion, etc. The flight-proven propulsion and micromachining technologies are suitable in a wide range of applications, such as payload delivery, stabilization, guidance, navigation, etc. Compared with mono- and bi-propellant, ion, laser, plasma, Hall-effect and other thrusters, our solution ensures fabrication simplicity, affordability, robustness, integration, compatibility, safety, etc. The experimental substantiation, evaluation and characterization of fabricated proof-of-concept devices with nanoenergetic propellants are reported.