Improvements on cool gas generators and their application in space propulsion systems

Cool Gas Generators are an innovative means to store gas which can be used in propulsion and pressurization systems but also for inflatable structures and terrestrial applications. In Cool Gas Generators, the gas is stored chemically, without pressure or leakage and with a long life time without maintenance. When initiated, a chemical reaction will start through which the gas is released. The gas then exits the Cool Gas Generator at the temperature in which the generator was stored. The CGG’s have been improved and matured considerably in recent years, highlights of this progress will be presented. Firstly, the mass and volume performance improvements made in recent years both in the CGG’s and systems containing them will be presented.Secondly three of the many applications for Cool Gas Generators in space will be elaborated, in particular, cold gas systems for small satellites, pressurization of mono-propellant propulsion systems and inflation of inflatable space structures. For these three applications system studies and developments will be discussed. Lastly the results of qualification and flight testing of the Cool Gas Generators will be discussed. More specifically the results of the second firing of the COGEX experiment on board of the Proba 2 satellite will be given as well as the first results of the Delfi -n3Xt micro propulsion system cool gas generator firings and the firing of a larger CGG