Optimum preliminary design of ion thrusters in concurrent design facility

Abstract

In recent years, the development of new satellites has accelerated, especially for small satellites like university-class Cubesats, due to low design and manufacturing costs. The preliminary design of these spacecraft requires the utilization of new tools that improve the interrelation among the different subsystems and optimize the design. One of the most suitable approaches is the concurrent design facility, which connects specialists of each subsystem in the same room to facilitate the communication among them. This method provides different preliminary designs for the complete system by an iterative process in a reduced time, taking into account the simultaneity with the designs of the subsystems. One of the main subsystems of a spacecraft is the propulsion system, which plays a key role in the success of a mission by allowing the spacecraft to reach the final destination. Electric propulsion has become an interesting option due to the high value of the specific impulse, which provides the necessary velocity increment with a lower propellant mass compared to the traditional chemical rockets. The purpose of this paper is to present the equations implemented in the propulsion module of the concurrent design facility to obtain optimum designs of ion thrusters, which supposes a novelty compared to the traditional design approach of these systems, where there is no interaction with the design of the rest of subsystems. The objective is to help the designer to select the best options in a fast and easy way and improve the efficiency of the iterative work of the concurrent design facility.