• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
• /
• v.57 no.1
• /
• pp.52-59
• /
• 2020

This study aims to investigate the bow thruster performance of the research vessel "NARA" by full-scale maneuvering trials. The thruster test method refers to ITTC's recommended procedures and guidelines. Turning tests with the bow thruster are performed at speed conditions of 0, 2, and 4 knots. The test results indicate that the Rate of Turn (ROT) increased when the ship is in a higher speed condition. Due to the position of the propeller and the housing of the bow thruster, there is difference in the efficiency of the bow thruster according to the turning direction. Zigzag tests with the bow thruster were conducted at speed conditions of 2 and 4 knots. At speeds above 4 knots, it seems difficult to change the course only with the bow thruster.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.490-495
• /
• 2009

A small Hall-effect thruster with a thrust range near 10 mN and a specific impulse of about 1500 s has been designed to control or maintain the orbits of small satellites. The thruster system consists of a hall-effect thruster head, a power processing unit and a Xenon (Xe) gas feed system. The total mass, the consumed electric power and the efficiency of the thruster are approximately 10 kg, 300W and 30%, respectively. Analyses results that support the selection of the thruster for small satellites are provided along with a brief description of the thruster system.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
• /
• v.52 no.1
• /
• pp.34-42
• /
• 2015

The development of an azimuth thruster which has the function of dynamic positioning and propulsion has been greatly required as the demand of vehicles with it increases. To develop or design a reliable azimuth thruster, it is appropriate that the performance and cavitation observation tests should be conducted in the regime of high Reynolds number. In the present study, to satisfy high Reynolds number condition new dynamometer for a large azimuth thruster is manufactured and arranged in the test section of the Large Cavitation Tunnel (LCT). The test method composed of the open water and the cavitation observation tests is established successfully in LCT, considering the thruster design.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
• /
• v.43 no.3 s.147
• /
• pp.304-312
• /
• 2006

For protection of the thruster against mechanical damage and reduction of tunnel resistance at ship forward speed, the tunnel grids are normally installed. Some of ship operators however, have a strong distrust of the protective function of the tunnel grids and so they do not want to install the protective grids for higher thruster efficiency. Since the grids should be installed at very close to the side shell as far as possible in due consideration of flow direction to minimize additional resistance induced by tunnel openings, it has been too hard and time consuming work to install the grids on the curved and chamfered tunnel entrances considering its relatively low resistance reduction effect. DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd) developed a substituting device named TG (Tunnel Guides) for bow thruster tunnel grids which is characterized by higher resistance reduction, higher thruster efficiency and easy to installation. This paper provides the principle idea of the TG with short history of the development using CFD calculations and model experiments in MOERI (former KRISO).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
• /
• v.30 no.8
• /
• pp.141-147
• /
• 2002

Estimation of thrusters efficiency is a very important process at the end of lifetime of a satellite. This paper introduces a technique to estimate the efficiency change of thrusters considering bubble effect for Koreasat I. During APEMAC(Automatic Pitch Error/ Momentum Adjust Control), the change in thruster efficiency is estimated to compare the attitude telemetry data of the Koreasat I with the results of the control logic using Simulink. The outcome of this study is expected to contribute to improving the operational load at the end of generic communication satellite mission.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.60 no.1
• /
• pp.80-86
• /
• 2024

We analyzed the performance of hubless rim propellers based on the number of blades, maintaining a fixed pitch ratio and expanded area ratio, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Thrust coefficient, torque coefficient and efficiency according to the number of blades were analyzed. In addition, the pressure distribution on the discharge and suction sides of the blade was analyzed. As the advance ratio increases, the thrust coefficient decreases. The highest thrust was shown when the advance ratio was lowest. For the three, four, five and six-blades, the torque coefficient tended to decrease as the advance ratio increased. In the case of seven and eight-blades, the torque coefficient tended to increase as the advance ratio increased. The maximum efficiency was found when the advance ratio was 0.8. When the three-blade, it showed high efficiency at all advance ratios. A high pressure distribution was observed at the leading edge of the discharge blade, and a low pressure distribution was observed at the trailing edge. Applying a hubless rim-driven thruster with the three-blade can generate higher thrust and increase work efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2004.03a
• /
• pp.262-270
• /
• 2004

Basic experiments were carried out using the THT-IV low-power Hall thruster to examine the influences of magnetic field shape and strength, and acceleration channel length on thruster performance and to establish guidelines for design of high-performance Hall thrusters. Thrusts were measured with varying magnetic field and channel structure. Exhaust plasma diagnostic measurement was also made to evaluate plume divergent angles and voltage utilization efficiencies. Ion current spatial profiles were measured with a Faraday cup, and ion energy distribution functions were estimated from data with a retarding potential analyzer. The thruster was stably operated with a highest performance under an optimum acceleration channel length of 20 mm and an optimum magnetic field with a maximum strength of about 150 Gauss near the channel exit and with some shape considering ion acceleration directions. Accordingly, an optimum magnetic field and channel structure is considered to exist under an operational condition, related to inner physical phenomena of plasma production, ion acceleration and exhaust plasma feature. A new Hall thruster was designed with basic research data of the THT-IV thruster. With the thruster with many considerations, long stable operations were achieved. In all experiments at 200-400 V with 1.5-3 mg/s, the thrust and the specific impulse ranged from 15 to 70 mN and from 1100 to 2300 see, respectively, in a low electric power range of 300~1300 W. The thrust efficiency reached 55 %. Hence, a large map of the thruster performance was successfully made. The thermal characteristics were also examined with data of both measured and calculated temperatures in the thruster body. Thermally safe conditions were achieved with all input powers.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.1264-1270
• /
• 2004

In this paper research on micro solid propellant thruster is reported. Micro solid propellant thruster has four basic components; micro combustion chamber, micro nozzle, solid propellant and micro igniter. In this research igniter, solid propellant and combustion chamber are focused. Micro igniter was fabricated through typical micromachining and the effect of geometry was evaluated. The characteristic of solid propellant was investigated to observe burning characteristic and to obtain burning velocity. Change of thrust force and the amount of energy loss following scale down at micro combustion chamber were estimated by numerical simulation based on empirical data and through the calculation normalized specific impulses were compared to figure out the efficiency of combustion chamber.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2007.04a
• /
• pp.102-105
• /
• 2007

The performance evaluation of the micro thruster utilizing hydrogen peroxide decomposition is described. The catalyst bed was made of porous ceramic material($Isolite^{(R)}$) with large surface to mass ratio. 14%wt platinum was loaded on the catalyst support as a catalyst. Hydrogen peroxide with 85% concentration was used as a monopropellant. The length of the catalyst bed and the feed pressure of the hydrogen peroxide were taken as the parameters for the experiment. All experiments were carried out under cold start condition for 30 seconds. The $c^*$ efficiency was evaluated for each test case using measured pressure data. For the catalyst support length of 30 mm and feed pressure at 5.51 bar, satisfactory $c^*$ efficiency beyond 95% was observed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2004.03a
• /
• pp.577-587
• /
• 2004

A coaxial pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) with a Teflon cavity was designed, and its performance characteristics were examined varying stored energy, cavity length and capacitance. The PPT was tested as the entire system including the discharge circuit, and the results were explained with both the transfer efficiency and the acceleration efficiency. The transfer efficiency is defined as the fraction of energy in capacitors supplied into plasma, and the acceleration efficiency as the fraction of energy supplied into plasma converted to thrust energy. To estimate these efficiencies, the equivalent plasma resistance was defined and calculated using energy conservation during discharge. The equivalent plasma resistance proportionally increased with cavity length, and therefore the current peak increased with decreasing cavity length. The energy density calculated by the transfer efficiency was increased with decreasing cavity length. As a result, higher acceleration efficiency and lower transfer efficiency were obtained with shorter cavity length. Accordingly, there was an optimal cavity length for the thrust efficiency. The specific impulse and the impulse bit per unit stored energy ranged from 390 s and 50 $\mu$ Ns/J for a cavity length of 34 mm to 825 s and 11 $\mu$ Ns/J for a cavity length of 4 mm when the stored energy was fixed to 21.4J. Thus, it was showed that the performance of this PPT approached that of electromagnetic-acceleration-type PPT with decreasing cavity length. The PPT achieved thrust efficiencies of 10-12% at 21.4 J and 6-7% at 5.35 J at cavity lengths between 14 mm and 29 mm.