A Fast Response Thrust Transducer for Gasdynamic Thrusters.

Abstract : Problems associated with the measurement of the thrust and impulse of short pulses (20-100 ms) of low thrust (about 100mN) electrothermal hydrazine thrusters are discussed. Thrust pulses measured by a conventional transducer are distorted by the self-excitation of mechanical and acoustic resonances present in the thruster and thrust transducer. A technique for mitigating the effects of these resonances is described. This technique involves transforming the electrical signal from the thrust transducer in real time by an analogue network which has a transfer function which is the inverse of the transfer function of the thruster-thrust transducer system. Results are presented showing the transient thrust measurement of an electrothermal hydrazine thruster. (Author)