Author Topic: Spiky ferrofluid thrusters can move satellites  (Read 1976 times)

Offline A12

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Spiky ferrofluid thrusters can move satellites
« on: 07/11/2017 06:11 pm »
https://phys.org/news/2017-07-spiky-ferrofluid-thrusters-satellites.html

Brandon Jackson, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University, has created a new computational model of an electrospray thruster using ionic liquid ferrofluid—a promising technology for propelling small satellites through space. Specifically, Jackson looks at simulating the electrospray startup dynamics; in other words, what gives the ferrofluid its characteristic spikes.

He is the lead author of a recent article in Physics of Fluids, "Ionic Liquid Ferrofluid Interface Deformation and Spray Onset Under Electric and Magnetic Stresses".
« Last Edit: 07/11/2017 06:13 pm by A12 »

Offline Norm38

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Re: Spiky ferrofluid thrusters can move satellites
« Reply #1 on: 07/11/2017 07:50 pm »
Does that mean it leaves little droplets of iron rich liquid in it's wake?  That then can impact other spacecraft at orbital speeds?  That should be fine...

Offline A12

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Re: Spiky ferrofluid thrusters can move satellites
« Reply #2 on: 07/11/2017 08:04 pm »
Does that mean it leaves little droplets of iron rich liquid in it's wake?  That then can impact other spacecraft at orbital speeds?  That should be fine...

They are speaking  about micro-jets of ions, not droplets.

"When we apply a strong electric field to that array of peaks, each one emits an individual micro-jet of ions."

Offline Stan-1967

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Re: Spiky ferrofluid thrusters can move satellites
« Reply #3 on: 07/11/2017 09:35 pm »
Does that mean it leaves little droplets of iron rich liquid in it's wake?  That then can impact other spacecraft at orbital speeds?  That should be fine...

Would a nanogram of ferrofluid be particularly more damaging than a nanogram of some other ionic salt?  Probably not.   The exhaust particles should have enough velocity to escape earth orbit anyways.

Offline Katana

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Re: Spiky ferrofluid thrusters can move satellites
« Reply #4 on: 07/12/2017 12:36 pm »
Does that mean it leaves little droplets of iron rich liquid in it's wake?  That then can impact other spacecraft at orbital speeds?  That should be fine...

Would a nanogram of ferrofluid be particularly more damaging than a nanogram of some other ionic salt?  Probably not.   The exhaust particles should have enough velocity to escape earth orbit anyways.

Thruster plume disperse in the vast space, no  harm to other satellites.
But self contamination to the satellite itself (on lenses and solar arrays) could be problem, depending on the beam diverge angle.

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