Detail Performance With Deployable Umbrella-shaped Keel Structure Concentrator

Solar thermal propulsion (STP) is a form of spacecraft propulsion that makes use of solar power to directly heat propellant, and does not require an electrical generator as most other forms of solar-powered propulsion do. Therefore, its structure is relatively simple and it has a high solar energy utilizing efficiency. STP has performance advantages of high specific impulse and moderate thrust levels. Consequently, solar thermal propulsion has the tremendously developmental potential to be the propulsion of satellites and improve kinds of special mission levels.In this paper a deployable umbrella-shaped keel concentrator has been proposed for the STP system, the improved concentrator will make up the inherent defect of traditional inflatable concentrators and rigid fixed concentrators. On the other hand, taking hydrogen and ammonia as the propellant gas, respectively. The performance of STP system equipped with this new structure prime concentrator and propellant gas with refractive secondary concentrator has been investigated by the software MATLAB. The results reveal that the thrust and specific impulse could reach to0.2N-27N,4700s with hydrogen as propellant gas and0.1N-43N,3500s with ammonia as propellant gas. Respectively, we will know that take ammonia as the propellant gas will overcomes the shortcomings of choosing hydrogen, indicating this system has significant interesting for selection of optimize parameters and further research of STP in deep layer space operation, and it has important meaning for the design and further research of STP.