| Issue |
E3S Web Conf.
Volume 16, 2017
11th European Space Power Conference
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 15004 | |
| Number of page(s) | 8 | |
| Section | Power Management & Distribution: High Voltage | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20171615004 | |
| Published online | 23 May 2017 | |
Power Processing Unit For Micro Satellite Electric Propulsion System
1 Sitael Hellas S.LTD, Dionisiou Solomou 4, Veria 59132 Imathia, Greece
2 Sitael, Via Livornese, 1019 S. Piero a Grado, 56122 Pisa, Italy
Email: spiridon.savvas@sitael-hellas.com
Email: luca.benetti@sitael.com
The Micro Satellite Electric Propulsion System (MEPS) program has been originated by the increasing need to provide a low-cost and low-power Electric Propulsion System (EPS) for small satellites (<300Kg) and finds applications in orbit insertion after launcher separation, orbit maintenance, orbit transfers and deorbiting.
The MEPS design was conceived as a “plug and play” subsystem that can be easily installed in a number of small spacecraft platforms, consisting of two Thruster Units (TU), Power Processing Unit (PPU), Xenon Propellant Tank Assembly (PTA) and Propellant Management Assembly (PMA). Being the “heart” of the system, the PPU supplies and monitors all the EPS voltages and currents.
The objective of this paper is to present the design of the PPU whose concept is focused on high efficiency (> 92%), small size and weight and high reliability. Its functional modules and preliminary results obtained at breadboard level are also presented.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2017
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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