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CubeSat

FEMTA (Film-evaporated MEMS Tunable Array)

Film-evaporated MEMS Tunable Array (FEMTA) exploits microscale effects to permit fluid surface tension to act as a thermal valve, thereby creating a very simple propulsion and thermal management system for SmallSat applications. FEMTA uses water as its propellant.

Advanced MEMS microfabrication techniques have been developed for this technology. The experimentally confirmed capabilities of the 3rd generation FEMTA are:

  • Thrust up to 70 microNewton per nozzle at less than 0.1 Watt
  • Thrust to power ration of 250 microNewton per Watt
  • Cooling to input power of up to 14:1
  • ISP of 80 seconds.

Publications

  • A. G. Cofer, S. D. Heister, and A. A. Alexeenko, “Improved Design and Characterization of MicroNewton Torsional Balance Thrust Stand,” in 49th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Joint Propulsion Conferences, (AIAA 2013-3856), 2013.
  • A. G. Cofer, W. O. ’ Neill, S. Heister, A. Alexeenko, and E. Cardiff, “Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array: Theory of Operation and Proof of Concept,” in 50th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum, (AIAA 2014-3855), 2014.
  • A. G. Cofer, W. O. ’ Neill, S. Heister, A. Alexeenko, and E. Cardiff, “Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array for Low-Mass SmallSat Propulsion: Design Improvements and Thrust Characterization,” in 51st AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum, (AIAA 2015-3993), 2015.
  • W. O. ’ Neill, A. G. Cofer, A. Weaver, and A. Alexeenko, “Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of a Film Evaporative MEMS Tunable Array Thruster,” in 45th AIAA Thermophysics Conference, AIAA AVIATION Forum, (AIAA 2015-2352) 2015.
  • W. O. ’ Neill, L. Dongju, A. G. Cofer, and A. Alexeenko, “Dynamic Modeling and Experimental Validation of Thrust-stand for Micropropulsion Testing,” in 51st AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum, (AIAA 2015-4186), 2015.
  • A. Cofer, W. O. ’ Neill, S. Heister, and A. Alexeenko, “Ultracompact Microthruster for Pico/Nanosat Attitude and Thermal Control based on Film-Evaporation Effect,” in Proceedings of the AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, Propulsion, SSC16-V-3, 2016.
  • K. Fowee et al., “Quad-Thruster FEMTA Micropropulsion System for CubeSat 1-Axis Control,” in Proceedings of the AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, Propulsion, SSC17-WK-48, 2017.