A New Mitigation Method for Space Robot Charging Effect Based on CNTs

3rd International Conference on Automation, Control and Robotics Engineering

工业技术;计算机科学;无线电电子学

Yang, X.N.^1,2 ; Liu, Y.M.^1,2 ; Li, M.^1 ; Wang, J.H.^1 ; Yuan, Z.H.^3

Beijing Institute of Spacecraft Environment Engineering, Beijing

100084, China^1

Science and Technology on Reliability and Environment Engineering Laboratory, Beijing

100084, China^2

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin

300384, China^3

关键词: Charging effect;    Chemical vapor deposition methods;    Electrostatic surfaces;    Lower voltages;    Mitigation devices;    Mitigation methods;    Mono-dispersed;    Porous anodic aluminum oxides;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/428/1/012058/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1757-899X/428/1/012058

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

Autonomous space robot will be widely used to complete various space missions in future. Unfortunately electrostatic surface discharge (ESD) induced by space plasma environment may produce one of the most common anomaly in space robots. Liquid Metal Ion Source (LMIS) is one of the effective mitigation methods for space robot charging effect. But as a devices for space-robots charging mitigation equipment, has strict requirements to its weight and volume. The present LMIS can only work at a very high voltage, so the weight and volume of LMIS isn't suitable for space robot. Here we propose that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be used as capillary-type emitters in LMIS to meet the challenge. Well-aligned CNT arrays are synthesized on self-ordered hexagonal porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The CNTs obtained are monodispersed and have open tip, which indicates that they have the similar geometry to the present capillary-type emitters in LMIS. So the LMIS made of CNTs can emit ions at a very lower voltage. A new mitigation device for space robot charging effects with very small weight and volume can be developed. The key steps for fabricating CNT emitters are presented.