DEEP - Decentralized Energy supplied Electric Propulsion - a new propulsion system developed for small satellites

Abstract

The market for small satellites is currently expanding at a rapid pace. However, space and volume on these satellites are very limited. For a number of scientific and commercial tasks on satellites, manoeuvrability through propulsion is necessary. Due to the major advantages in terms of fuel efficiency and mass savings, this is increasingly being realized with electric thrusters. However, these naturally place high demands on the power supply system. One of the significant limitations of small satellites is featuring a power supply for these same engines due to mass and volume restrictions In addition, space transport is undergoing a rapid transformation. On the one hand, space projects that were previously mostly organized by the state are increasingly being carried out by private companies. On the other hand, space missions are increasingly being miniaturized and transported into orbit in large numbers in order to reduce costs. It is precisely these developments that the DEEP project is addressing with a compact electric propulsion system that has a hybrid, integrated energy supply. In heated plasmas, energy is coupled into the plasma using high-frequency electromagnetic waves. This heats up the electrons, which then transfer their energy to the heavy particles. To increase efficiency, the resulting plasma is accelerated electromagnetically or electrostatically. The high-frequency generator for engines in the range of 100-200 W places demands on current and voltage that can hardly be realized with conventional energy supply systems. The hybrid energy system has the potential to fulfill these special energy supply requirements. In the DEEP-projects, five DLR institutes, the Institute for Optical Sensor Systems in Berlin, the Institute of Lightweight Systems in Braunschweig, the Institute of Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology in Göttingen, the Institute of Material Science in Köln and the Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics in Stuttgart work closely together and use the knowledge gained from previous projects to develop a high-performance engine system. Within the project, DLR's entire development potential will be realized by means of material developments, laboratory tests, upscaling of processes, the construction of full-scale demonstrators and their qualification in space verification tests. Finally, the engine system is to be tested in orbit on a DLR satellite in 2029.