METHOD OF DETERMINATION OF WORKING MEDIUM RATE IN PLASMA ENGINE INCORPORATED WITH SPACECRAFT ELECTROJET POWER PLANT Russian patent published in 2008 - IPC G01M15/14 F03H1/00 

FIELD: engines and pumps.

SUBSTANCE: invention may be used in ground testing and operating the various output plasma engines and electrojet power plants (EJPP) built around them. The method of determination of the working medium rate in plasma engine operated incorporated with the spacecraft power plant (EJPP) on board a spacecraft (SC) includes ground tests of the working medium rate control system (RCS) with the plasma engine, rate tests wherein the RCS output working medium rate dependence upon the RCS input parameters is coordinated and full-scale operation of EJPP on board a SC by algorithms allowing for the rate dependencies derived in plasma engine. The plasma engine discharge current (I_d) and the working medium rate in plasma engine (M) corresponding to the latter are measured in RCS ground testing with the proportionality factor being calculated as a rate measured value-to-measured discharge current value ratio K=M/I_d to be used in determination of working medium rate in plasma engine in the full-scale operation of EJPP on board a SC allowing for the rate functional dependence on the plasma engine operating time determined in rate tests. The proposed invention allows to increase the accuracy of the plasma engine working medium rate determination.

EFFECT: increase in accuracy of the plasma engine working medium rate determination.