• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.297-315
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• 2011

New applications of streamlined Autonomous Underwater Vehicles require an AUV capable of completing missions with both high-speed straight-line runs and slow maneuvers or station keeping tasks. At low, or zero, forward speeds, the AUV's control surfaces become ineffective. To improve an AUV's low speed maneuverability, while maintaining a low drag profile, through-body tunnel thrusters have become a popular addition to modern AUV systems. The effect of forward vehicle motion and sideslip on these types of thrusters is not well understood. In order to characterize these effects and to adapt existing tunnel thruster models to include them, an experimental system was constructed. This system includes a transverse tunnel thruster mounted in a streamlined AUV. A 6-axis load cell mounted internally was used to measure the thrust directly. The AUV was mounted in Memorial University of Newfoundland's tow tank, and several tests were run to characterize the effect of vehicle motion on the transient and steady state thruster performance. Finally, a thruster model was modified to include these effects.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2007

The thruster is the crucial factor of an underwater vehicle system, because it is the lowest layer in the control loop of the system. In this paper, we propose an accurate and practical thrust modeling for underwater vehicles which considers the effects of ambient flow velocity and angle. In this model, the axial flow velocity of the thruster, which is non-measurable, is represented by ambient flow velocity and propeller shaft velocity. Hence, contrary to previous models, the proposed model is practical since it uses only measurable states. Next, the whole thrust map is divided into three states according to the state of ambient flow and propeller shaft velocity, and one of the borders of the states is defined as Critical Advance Ratio (CAR). This classification explains the physical phenomenon of conventional experimental thrust maps. In addition, the effect of the incoming angle of ambient flow is analyzed, and Critical Incoming Angle (CIA) is also defined to describe the thrust force states. The proposed model is evaluated by comparing experimental data with numerical model simulation data, and it accurately covers overall flow conditions within 2N force error. The comparison results show that the new model's matching performance is significantly better than conventional models'.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.138-143
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• 2017

A performance analysis for a pulsed plasma thruster(PPT) has been conducted to predict the thrust and current change. Two models were implemented - a one-dimensional lumped circuit analysis model and the Teflon ablation model provided by Michael Keidar. The circuit model incorporating resistance and inductance models was adapted to predict the magnitude of the discharge current. Numerical simulations like current discharge rates with different voltages were reasonably well compared with experimental data. The effects of Teflon ablation on thruster characteristics were investigated.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.18-24
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• 2009

This paper shows the result of development about the revolution system of azimuth thruster which of power is less than 250kW for small ship. Advanced Azimuth revolution system can revolve propeller and rudder from 360 degree so that this system for vessel maneuvering can be excellent of propulsion effectively. Fluid power control system for azimuth thruster is designed with PID control system by using CEMTool/SIMTool program. And the actuator used for servo valve can control rudder angle, pressure and direction. The first, We had a test for the angle control of revolution system. The result of angle control confirmed that it has the good efficiency from experiment result of time input degree $30^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}$ and $180^{\circ}$. The second, We had to a test for the pressure characteristic of hydraulic motor. As a result, We confirmed the maximum pressure 3.5MPa and steady state 0.7MPa nom experiment result of time input degree $30^{\circ}$. In this paper, it is identified the pressure characteristic of hydraulic motor and angle control for azimuth thruster by AMESim, and it has been confirmed the usefulness of AMEsim modeling was verified by comparison between AMESim simulation results and experiments results.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.697-703
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• 2017

A teflon ionization modeling has been conducted to predict the performance of a PPT(Pulsed Plasma Thruster). One dimensional unsteady circuit model and Teflon ablation model were implemented. The Saha equation was adapted to predict the ionization of Carbon and Fluorine gas. The lumped circuit model including a resistance and a inductance model of a plasma was adapted to predict the magnitude of a discharge current. Numerical simulation results had good agreements with pervious research. The degree of current change according to PPT operating voltage was examined.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.12-18
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• 2010

A numerical analysis was performed to predict the thermo-fluid dynamic characteristics of hydrazine monopropellant reaction in the thruster combustor and nozzle. A 1-D porous model was introduced to simulate catalytic reaction by iridium in the combustor while 2-D axisymmetric analysis was applied to predict the nozzle flow. The chemical species and temperature variations were predicted by changing the injection pressure and mass flow rate and their results were validated by comparison with limited experimental data. The thrust variation with injection pressure could be estimated using the current 1-D combustor modeling.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.215-218
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• 2007

Internal Ballistic modeling and performance prediction for solid propellant micro thruster was performed with heat loss to the chamber wall as an important factor of miniaturization. Simple l-D end-burner type thruster and general HTPB-AP type composite propellant were selected for computation model. The results showed that the performance loss with the heat loss to the surroundings becomes larger as the surface-to-volume ratio is increased. In this case, the total impulse was reduced about 3% of the case in adiabatic condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.907-915
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• 2008

The computational fluid dynamic analysis has been conducted for the thermo-chemical flow field in an arcjet thruster with mono-propellant Hydrazine (N2H4) as a working fluid. The Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are modified to analyze compressible flows with the thermal radiation and electric field. the Maxwell equation, which is loosely coupled with the fluid dynamic equations through the Ohm heating and Lorentz forces, is adopted to analyze the electric field induced by the electric arc. The chemical reactions of Hydrazine were assumed to be infinitely fast due to the high temperature field inside the arcjet thruster. The chemical and the thermal radiation models for the nitrogen-hydrogen mixture and optical thick media respectively, were incorporated with the fluid dynamic equations. The results show that performance indices of the arcjet thruster with 1kW arc heating are improved by amount of 180% in thrust and 200% in specific impulse more than frozen flow. In addition thermo-physical process inside the arcjet thruster is understood from the flow field results.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.746-752
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• 2017

High test hydrogen peroxide has been widely developed as green propellant for thrusters. Hydrogen peroxide is decomposed in the catalyst bed to produce the thrust. Catalyst bed design optimization is considered through existing model for catalyst beds. To verify the model, static firing tests were conducted under various conditions using a 100 N scale $H_2O_2$ monopropellant thruster. Temperature and pressure estimations from the model were well correlated to the experimental data. The model is used to obtain optimal design parameters by analyzing the catalyst capacity and pressure drop data for various simulated conditions. Catalyst beds can be optimized from the analysis of the catalyst capacity and pressure drop correlation through catalyst bed modeling.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.85-90
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• 2003

To control spacecraft including satellite, we should understand precisely the performance of propulsion system and the program logic with appropriate format for satellite operations. In this study, the thruster performance functions was generated by using the best curve fitting for performance data from bi-propellant thrusters. Detailed thruster performance data are, in general, company proprietary information, therefore real firing tests were performed to understand the basic characteristics of the performance curve. Experimental rocket motor utilize liquid oxygen and kerosine as propellant and designed average thrust was 100 pound.