Ximo Gallud Cidoncha

Research Summary:

Electrosprays of the pure-ion variety are of particular interest to microrocketry because of its ability to produce high specific impulses and efficient electrical-to-kinetic energy transduction, together with its innate simplicity and spatial compactness. However, the difficulty of controlling and predicting the physical conditions that fuel the pure-ion mode has undermined their potential for paradigm-shifting impact in micropropulsion systems. We are interested in providing fundamental theoretical insights about the physical conditions that lie behind the pure-ion regime to better inform the design of future pure-ion sources. For this purpose, we are developing a multiphysics model of an electrospray emitter in this regime. This model could predict sets of conditions that would confer useful emission properties for propulsion (e.g, high currents), and give information about how the operational space parameters (hydraulic impedance, nominal electric field, size of the emission conduct, pressure of the propellant reservoir …) drive stable pure-ionic emission.