High-temperature zirconia microthruster with integrated flow sensor

This paper describes the design, fabrication and characterization of a ceramic, heated cold-gas microthruster device made with silicon tools and high temperature co-fired ceramic processing. The device contains two opposing thrusters, each with an integrated calorimetric propellant flow sensor and a heater in the stagnation chamber of the nozzle. The exhaust from a thruster was photographed using schlieren imaging to study its behavior and search for leaks. The heater elements were tested under a cyclic thermal load and to the maximum power before failure. The nozzle heater was shown to improve the efficiency of the thruster by 6.9%, from a specific impulse of 66 to 71 s, as calculated from a decrease of the flow rate through the nozzle of 13%, from 44.9 to 39.2 sccm. The sensitivity of the integrated flow sensor was measured to 0.15 m Omega sccm(-1) in the region of 0-15 sccm and to 0.04 m Omega sccm(-1) above 20 sccm, with a zero-flow sensitivity of 0.27 m Omega sccm(-1). The choice of yttria-stabilized zirconia as a material for the devices makes them robust and capable of surviving temperatures locally exceeding 1000 degrees C.

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER Annan teknik Övrig annan teknik hsv//swe
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY Other Engineering and Technologies Other Engineering and Technologies not elsewhere specified hsv//eng
Keywords: Zirconia
YSZ
HTCC
schlieren imaging
flow sensor
microthruster
Teknisk fysik med inriktning mot mikrosystemteknik
Engineering Science with specialization in Microsystems Technology

Persson, AndersUppsala universitet,Institutionen för fysik och astronomi(Swepub:uu)andpe782 (författare)
Palmer, KristofferUppsala universitet,Mikrosystemteknik,ÅSTC(Swepub:uu)kripa149 (författare)
Ericson, FredricUppsala universitet,Mikrosystemteknik(Swepub:uu)frederic (författare)
Thornell, GregerUppsala universitet,Mikrosystemteknik,ÅSTC(Swepub:uu)gth12095 (författare)
Uppsala universitetMikrosystemteknik (creator_code:org_t)

Ingår i:Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering: IOP Publishing23:5, s. 055004-0960-13171361-6439

Av författaren/redakt...: Lekholm, Ville, ...; Persson, Anders; Palmer, Kristoff ...; Ericson, Fredric; Thornell, Greger

Om ämnet

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER: TEKNIK OCH TEKNO ...; och Annan teknik; och Övrig annan tekn ...

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