The ability to measure extremely low thrust levels with unusual precision is becoming more critical as attempts are made to characterize the performance of emerging micropropulsion systems. Many new attitude control concepts for nanospacecraft involve the production of thrust below 1 μN. A simple, but uniquely successful thrust stand has been developed and used to measure thrust levels as low as 86.2 nano-Newtons (nN) with an estimated accuracy of ±11%. Thrust levels in the range of 712 (nN) to 1 μN have been measured with an estimated accuracy of ±2%. Thrust is measured from an underexpanded orifice operating in the free molecule flow regime with helium, argon, and nitrogen propellants. The thrust stand is calibrated using results from direct simulation Monte Carlo numerical models and analytical solutions for free molecule orifice flow. The accuracy of the gas dynamic calibration technique, using free molecule orifice flow, has also been investigated. It is shown that thrust stand calibration using high Knudsen number helium flow can be accurate to within a few percent in the 80 to 1 μN thrust range for thin walled orifices when the stagnation pressure is accurately measured. The thrust stand and calibration technique exhibit significant improvement for accurate, low thrust measurements compared to currently published results.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
October 2002
Research Article|
October 01 2002
Gas dynamic calibration of a nano-Newton thrust stand
Andrew J. Jamison;
Andrew J. Jamison
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1191
Search for other works by this author on:
Andrew D. Ketsdever;
Andrew D. Ketsdever
Air Force Research Laboratory, Propulsion Directorate, Edwards AFB, California 93524
Search for other works by this author on:
E. P. Muntz
E. P. Muntz
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1191
Search for other works by this author on:
Rev. Sci. Instrum. 73, 3629–3637 (2002)
Article history
Received:
January 28 2002
Accepted:
June 24 2002
Citation
Andrew J. Jamison, Andrew D. Ketsdever, E. P. Muntz; Gas dynamic calibration of a nano-Newton thrust stand. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1 October 2002; 73 (10): 3629–3637. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1505096
Download citation file:
Pay-Per-View Access
$40.00
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
Citing articles via
Overview of the early campaign diagnostics for the SPARC tokamak (invited)
M. L. Reinke, I. Abramovic, et al.
An instrumentation guide to measuring thermal conductivity using frequency domain thermoreflectance (FDTR)
Dylan J. Kirsch, Joshua Martin, et al.
A glovebox-integrated confocal microscope for quantum sensing in inert atmosphere
Kseniia Volkova, Abhijeet M. Kumar, et al.
Related Content
Thrust stand for ground tests of solid propellant microthrusters
Rev. Sci. Instrum. (July 2002)
A torsional balance for the characterization of microNewton thrusters
Rev. Sci. Instrum. (October 2003)
Three-axis superconducting gravity gradiometer for sensitive gravity experiments
Rev. Sci. Instrum. (November 2002)
GEO 600 triple pendulum suspension system: Seismic isolation and control
Rev. Sci. Instrum. (June 2000)
Vibration isolation support system for a truncated icosahedral gravitational wave antenna
Rev. Sci. Instrum. (June 2000)