ELECTRIC SIMULATOR OF STATIONARY PLASMA ENGINE Russian patent published in 2024 - IPC F03H1/00 

FIELD: testing.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to means and methods of simulating operation of stationary plasma engines during inspection and testing of power supply and control systems of electric rocket engines. Simulator includes units for simulating the discharge gap, cathode ignition, cathode heater, magnetic system, working medium flow regulator and working medium supply valves. Simulator comprises a microcontroller with an analogue-to-digital converter, the input of which is connected to an analogue signal bus, and the output of the microcontroller is connected to the data address bus. Each simulation unit includes current and voltage sensors of the power circuit, the outputs of which are connected to an analogue signal bus, and a signal converter. Each signal converter contains a galvanic isolation, the input of which is connected to the data address bus, an address decoder, which multiplies the digital-to-analogue converter, which data input is connected to the galvanic isolation output, and the data recording input is connected to the address decoder output, a voltage divider connected to the power outputs of the signal converter, current-limiting and shunting resistors, an operational amplifier and a field-effect transistor. Drain of the field-effect transistor is connected through a current-limiting resistor to the first input of the voltage divider. Source of the field-effect transistor is connected through a shunting resistor to the second input of the voltage divider. Gate of the field-effect transistor is connected to the output of the operational amplifier. In the discharge gap simulation unit, the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier is connected to the analogue output of the multiplying digital-to-analogue converter. Inverting input of the operational amplifier is connected to the source of the field-effect transistor. Reference voltage input of the multiplying digital-to-analogue converter is connected to the midpoint of the voltage divider. In each unit for simulating cathode ignition, cathode heater and working medium flow regulator, the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier is connected to the middle point of the voltage divider. Inverting input of the operational amplifier is connected to the analogue output of the multiplying digital-to-analogue converter. Reference voltage input of the multiplying digital-to-analogue converter is connected to the source of the field-effect transistor. Each of the magnetic system simulation units and the working medium supply valves includes a throttle. In each of the above units, the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier is connected to the middle point of the voltage divider, the first input of which is connected to the power input of the simulation unit through a throttle. Inverting input of the operational amplifier is connected to the analogue output of the multiplying digital-to-analogue converter. Reference voltage input of the multiplying digital-to-analogue converter is connected to the source of the field-effect transistor.

EFFECT: simulator provides flexibility of control of simulation processes, high degree of reliability of simulated transient processes and expansion of functional capabilities.

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