Patent ID: 11878818
Assignee: PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method of manufacturing a microthruster for a spacecraft, comprising:
forming a nozzle throat channel for a micronozzle in a first layer or a second layer;
forming a water reservoir channel in the first layer or the second layer, the water reservoir channel defined by a reservoir lower wall and a side surface;
forming a water supply port, the water supply port having a central axis;
forming a heating element, wherein the heating element is spaced at least 1 μm from the nozzle throat;
bonding the first layer and the second layer to one another, said bonding forming a nozzle throat between the first layer and the second layer for ejecting water from the microthruster, and said bonding forming a water reservoir between the first layer and the second layer, wherein the water reservoir is bounded by a reservoir upper wall and the reservoir lower wall, the water reservoir being in fluidic communication with the nozzle throat,
wherein the heating element partially covers the reservoir upper wall or the reservoir lower wall, the heating element is configured to contact water within the water reservoir, the heating element is positioned along the reservoir upper wall or the reservoir lower wall, and the central axis of the water supply port intersects the heating element.