{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":92047,"title":"Modeling of the Nanometric Regime of Cone-Jets to Improve the Design and Understanding of Electrospray Thrusters","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10544,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10542,"level":3,"code":"TX01.2.2","title":"Electrostatic","definition":"This area covers electric propulsion systems that use electrostatic fields to ionize and accelerate a propellant.","exampleTechnologies":"Ion engines, hall thrusters, electrospray propulsion","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":2,"currentTrl":4,"endTrl":4,"benefits":"A successful project will provide the model needed to design and optimize electrospray thrusters. Electrospray propulsion is an enabling technology for smallsats, one that will make it possible to use them in high value missions such as spacecraft constellations, formation flying, insertion in high altitude orbits, interplanetary voyage, etc. The fundamental knowledge provided by the model is needed to fulfill the potential of electrospray thrusters The model will also be useful for other electrospray applications based on the nanometric regime. The obvious applications is the use of nanodroplet beams for surface engineering (e.g. high rate sputtering, surface amorphization and texturing, etc.), which also requires the acceleration of nanodroplets to hypervelocities ","description":"This project will reproduce the electrohydrodynamic phenomena taking place in electrospray thrusters by constructing and numerically solving a model of cone-jets with realistic boundary conditions. The ultimate goal is to produce a modeling tool for guiding the design and optimizing the operation of electrospray thrusters. The key innovation is the inclusion, for the first time, of physics key to the operation of electrospray thrusters, namely ion evaporation and energy dissipation. Model results will be validated with experimental measurements of relevant electrospray characteristics. The interest in smallsats has exploded in the last two decades due to advancements in electronics, power and fabrication techniques, combined with the significant lower mission costs associated with the fabrication and launch of these platforms as secondary payloads. However, the current absence of advanced micropropulsion is preventing the use of smallsats in missions of high value to NASA such as spacecraft constellations, formation flying, insertion into high altitude orbits, interplanetary voyage, etc. The minimum thrust and power at which electrospray propulsion can operate, its high efficiency, the small footprint per emitter, and the easiness for scale up, make electrospray propulsion a technology ideal for primary propulsion and attitude control of cubesats and larger smallsats. This project will produce the fundamental knowledge needed to fulfill its potential.","startYear":2017,"startMonth":1,"endYear":2021,"endMonth":1,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":303934,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Manuel","lastName":"Gamero-Castano","fullName":"Manuel Gamero-castano","fullNameInverted":"Gamero-Castano, Manuel","publicEmail":false,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":84634,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Claudia","lastName":"Meyer","fullName":"Claudia M Meyer","fullNameInverted":"Meyer, Claudia M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"claudia.m.meyer@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":84634,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Claudia","lastName":"Meyer","fullName":"Claudia M Meyer","fullNameInverted":"Meyer, Claudia M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"claudia.m.meyer@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":183514,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Hung","lastName":"Nguyen","fullName":"Hung D Nguyen","fullNameInverted":"Nguyen, Hung D","middleInitial":"D","primaryEmail":"hung.d.nguyen@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"projectManagers":[{"contactId":236514,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"John","lastName":"Yim","fullName":"John T Yim","fullNameInverted":"Yim, John T","middleInitial":"T","primaryEmail":"john.t.yim@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"https://www.nasa.gov/strg#.VQb6T0jJzyE","libraryItems":[],"transitions":[{"transitionId":75962,"projectId":92047,"transitionDate":"2021-01-01","path":"Closed Out","details":"The goal of this project was to develop a first-principles model of electrospraying relevant to electrospray propulsion(ESP), that would provide the fundamental knowledge needed to develop this technology. The project addressedthe “Advances in analytical/physics-based modeling of EP device operation” research area outlined in the originalsolicitation. Before this project was executed existing models of electrospraying did not account for key phenomena innanometric cone-jets (the regime relevant to ESP), and we lacked the fundamental knowledge needed to: a) designoptimally electrospray thrusters; b) predict failure mechanisms; and c) understand the limits of this technology.The research effort has developed the sought first-principles model, obtained numerical solutions describing ingreat detail the physics of these electrosprays, and demonstrated the model by comparing the numerical results withexperiments of the relevant system. The research has produced four key articles in top peer-reviewed journals, as well asseveral articles presented at related conferences; we plan to continue publishing additional articles directly derived fromthis effort within the next two years. The description of electrosprays of highly conducting propellants (the propellantsrelevant to ESP) in these articles represents the state-of-the-art in the field, and has advanced significantly our knowledgeof these systems. These studies have demonstrated, for the first time, a first-principles framework for describing the per-formance of ESP, and key phenomena unique to the ESP regime such as self-heating due to ohmic and viscous dissipation.Finally, the work funded by this grant has been instrumental for obtaining further support from NASA and AFOSRto advance ESP technology for near-future mission applications (NASA Award 80NSSC20M0084 “Variable SpecificImpulse Electrospray Thrusters for Smallsat Propulsion”, 2020 SmallSat Technology Program), as well as to extend ourfundamental research work on ESP (AFOSR Award FA9550-21-1-0200 “Modeling of Ion-Emitting Taylor Cones forElectrospray Propulsion”, 2020 Space Propulsion and Power Program).","infoText":"Closed out","infoTextExtra":"","dateText":"January 2021"}],"responsibleMd":{"acronym":"STMD","canUserEdit":false,"city":"","external":false,"linkCount":0,"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","naorganization":false,"organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"program":{"acronym":"STRG","active":true,"description":"
\tThe Space Technology Research Grants Program will accelerate the development of "push" technologies to support the future space science and exploration needs of NASA, other government agencies and the commercial space sector. Innovative efforts with high risk and high payoff will be encouraged. The program is composed of two competitively awarded components.
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