The next generation of space-based gravitational wave observatories, such as LISA, TianQin, and Taiji, requires ultra-precise drag-free control and therefore micro-propulsion systems with thrust noise below 0.1μN/√Hz. This paper presents the design and experimental validation of a high-precision pressure regulation unit (PRU) for cold-gas micro-propulsion, guided by a requirement-driven analysis of pressure-induced thrust-noise sensitivity. A first-order mapping translates the mission-level thrust-noise constraint into a subsystem-level pressure-stability target, yielding an upper bound of about 50Pa/√Hz and an adopted design budget of about 40Pa/√Hz. On this basis, a dual-stage architecture integrating solenoid pre-conditioning and piezoelectric fine regulation is developed. Stochastic simulations indicate that thermal drift dominates at very low frequency, whereas pressure fluctuation is the dominant contributor in the main 0.01–1Hz control band under the adopted budget.
Pour en savoir plus : Design and Experimental Validation of a High-Precision Pressure Regulation Unit for Cold-Gas Micro-Propulsion
