Research on the design and operational characteristics of a low-cost electric propulsion feed system

The paper aims to study a low-cost electric propulsion feed system. Firstly, comparisons of different previous design schemes are carried out, and a design scheme, consisting of a composite xenon vessel, Bang-Bang electronic pressure relief valves, and flow controllers, is proposed. Then, a simulation model is established by using AMESim software to describe the design scheme. Finally, the effects of the inlet pressure of the flow controllers and the xenon temperature in the flow controllers on the xenon flow rate are studied. The results show that the inlet pressure of the flow controllers has a greater effect on the xenon flow rate in comparison with the xenon temperature in the flow controllers. The pressure in the small chamber grows quickly from 1 atmosphere to 15 MPa at the beginning of the operation, and then it varies. The pressure changes in the small chamber are the same as those in the buffer vessel; There is less than a 10% variation of the flow rates in the flow controllers F1 and F2. Therefore, the xenon flow rate error is less than ±10%.