Abstract
Electrospray emitters are an obvious choice for miniaturized thrusters for a variety of applications on small satellites (e. g., CubeSats), as well as for other micropropulsion purposes. They are inherently small and require a relatively low electric power for operation, and therefore, they fulfill the requirements imposed due to the small volume of CubeSats. Electrospray emitters of the internally wetted capillary type were fabricated by 3D microlithography in the SU-8 photopolymer down to capillary diameters of about 10 μm. Thus, the emitters are an order of magnitude smaller in lateral dimensions than those fabricated by advanced 3D printing methods and still half an order of magnitude smaller than those made by planar photolithography in SU-8. Fabrication methods and process parameters are presented. Furthermore, the preliminary results of the electric characterization of the emission behavior are shown. The experiments show promising results regarding the fabrication quality and extraction behavior.
Highlights
AND MOTIVATIONIn recent years, small satellites have become more and more important for both commercial and scientific purposes.1–3 Alongside the demand for small satellites, the need for specialized micropropulsion systems arises
The emitters fabricated as described above were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and, in a destructive way, by milling with a focused ion beam (FIB) followed by SEM
The high surface quality of the SU-8 structures is obvious from the SEM image
Summary
AND MOTIVATIONIn recent years, small satellites have become more and more important for both commercial and scientific purposes. Alongside the demand for small satellites, the need for specialized micropropulsion systems arises. Small satellites have become more and more important for both commercial and scientific purposes.. Alongside the demand for small satellites, the need for specialized micropropulsion systems arises. Electric propulsion systems have become more important due to their high efficiency and high specific impulse, resulting in good fuel and power economy, for purposes such as attitude and orbit control (AOC).. There are two ways to develop miniaturized electric thruster systems for small satellites. The first is to scale down established thrusters, such as plasma-based propulsion systems, while the second is to develop systems from inherently small components. Electrospray emitters fall under the second approach to miniaturization, as they are inherently small and well suited for small satellites due to their low power requirements.
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