Claims
- 1. A method for storing and delivering a noble gas propellant in an ion propulsion system, comprising the steps of:(a) opening a flow passageway between an adsorbent storage vessel containing an adsorbent and a primary storage vessel; (b) allowing a noble gas propellant comprising at least one noble gas to flow from the primary storage vessel onto the adsorbent in the adsorbent storage vessel; (c) closing the flow passageway between the adsorbent storage vessel and primary storage vessel; (d) desorbing the noble gas propellant from the adsorbent in an adsorbent storage vessel by heating, thereby increasing a pressure within the storage vessel; (e) flowing a quantity of the noble gas propellant from the adsorbent storage vessel; (f) reducing the pressure of the quantity of the noble gas propellant with a porous metal flow restrictor, heating the porous metal flow restrictor to increase a control of a flow rate of the noble gas propellant; and (g) flowing the quantity of the noble gas propellant to a thruster component.
- 2. A noble gas storage and delivery system for ion propulsion, comprising:an adsorbent storage vessel containing an adsorbent for adsorbing a noble gas propellant, wherein the noble gas propellant comprises at least one noble gas; a primary storage vessel containing noble gas propellant operatively connected to the adsorbent storage vessel; an isolation valve and a pressure reduction device operatively associated with the adsorbent storage vessel, wherein the pressure reduction device is a porous metal flow restrictor; a restrictor heater connected to and for heating the pressure reduction device, wherein a control of a noble gas propellant flow rate is increased; at least one filter operatively connected between the storage vessel and the isolation valve; a heating device for heating the absorbent; a pressure sensor operatively associated with the storage vessel, for determining the pressure inside the storage vessel; a controller operatively associated with the heating device for adjusting a pressure in the storage vessel by controlling temperature within the storage vessel; and at least one thruster component selected from the group consisting of a main thruster, a neutralizing cathode, and a discharge cathode; wherein a fluid passageway is provided from the adsorbent storage vessel to the at least one thruster component.
STATEMENT REGARDING CONTINUATION-IN-PART
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/159,387 filed Sep. 23, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
8-4606 |
Feb 1988 |
JP |
4-8873 |
Jan 1992 |
JP |
8801020 |
Feb 1988 |
WO |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/159387 |
Sep 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/611263 |
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US |