Cold Gas Thruster

Based on the Nammo Space well-established SVS01 range of high performance solenoid valves; the SVT01 series of Cold Gas Thrusters has been in production for over fifteen years.  Across the range, the same solenoid body is used, with the variation in thrust being achieved with an interchangeable nozzle cone at the outlet. This system allows the incorporation of a baffle which protects the elastomeric seal from atomic oxygen attack.

The mono-stable solenoid uses a single coil to energise the movement of a suspended sealing armature.  This assembly is located using a diaphragm spring to eliminate sliding fit issues.  The armature to seat profiles have been designed to minimise flow discontinuities, thereby reducing the susceptibility to contamination induced failures. It also uses a flat faced seal to reduce the risk associated with valve internal leakage due to a high cycle life.

When in the unpowered state, system pressure forces and a spring, work together to keep the armature held in the closed position.  The coil resistance, inlet filter rating, seal material and mechanical interfaces are all adjustable to suit the customer requirements.

Performance Characteristics

Status

The thruster has flown on a variety of spacecraft, including:

• CryoSAT 1 and CryoSAT 2
• TanDEMX
• Swarm
• Grace-FO
• Electra