Electrical double layer potential characteristics in porous electrospray thruster

Wei Sun; Pengkun Li; Zhiwen Wu; Yang Zhao; Xuhui Liu; Jin Li; Fuzhi Wei; Yuntao Guo

doi:10.1016/j.ast.2026.112577

Electrical double layer potential characteristics in porous electrospray thruster

Wei Sun
, Pengkun Li
, Zhiwen Wu
, Yang Zhao
, Xuhui Liu
, Jin Li
, Fuzhi Wei
, Yuntao Guo^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Aerospace Engineering

Beijing Institute of Technology
CAS - Beijing Institute of Control Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Porous ionic liquid electrospray thrusters have the characteristics of high specific impulse and self-neutralization of plume. Electrochemical reaction is one of the main lifetime-limiting factors. In this study, a porous electrospray thruster with a 499-emitter array is adopted. The electrical double layer (EDL) potential under different emission conditions is analyzed. Experimental results demonstrate that the average rate of the EDL potential variation exhibits positive correlations with both voltage and bipolar switching frequency. The average rate in the positive mode is generally higher than that in the negative mode. Prolonged operation induces continuous accumulation of the EDL potential in the positive mode, eventually triggering electrochemical reactions and establishing a non-equilibrium state under bipolar switching operation. This investigation provides experimental insights for optimizing operational parameters and mitigating electrochemical reactions in porous ionic liquid electrospray thrusters.

Original language	English
Article number	112577
Journal	Aerospace Science and Technology
Volume	176
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2026.112577
Publication status	Published - Sept 2026

Keywords

Electrical double layer
Electrochemical reaction
Ionic liquid electrospray thruster

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10.1016/j.ast.2026.112577

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title = "Electrical double layer potential characteristics in porous electrospray thruster",

abstract = "Porous ionic liquid electrospray thrusters have the characteristics of high specific impulse and self-neutralization of plume. Electrochemical reaction is one of the main lifetime-limiting factors. In this study, a porous electrospray thruster with a 499-emitter array is adopted. The electrical double layer (EDL) potential under different emission conditions is analyzed. Experimental results demonstrate that the average rate of the EDL potential variation exhibits positive correlations with both voltage and bipolar switching frequency. The average rate in the positive mode is generally higher than that in the negative mode. Prolonged operation induces continuous accumulation of the EDL potential in the positive mode, eventually triggering electrochemical reactions and establishing a non-equilibrium state under bipolar switching operation. This investigation provides experimental insights for optimizing operational parameters and mitigating electrochemical reactions in porous ionic liquid electrospray thrusters.",

keywords = "Electrical double layer, Electrochemical reaction, Ionic liquid electrospray thruster",

author = "Wei Sun and Pengkun Li and Zhiwen Wu and Yang Zhao and Xuhui Liu and Jin Li and Fuzhi Wei and Yuntao Guo",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 Elsevier Masson SAS.",

year = "2026",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1016/j.ast.2026.112577",

language = "English",

volume = "176",

journal = "Aerospace Science and Technology",

issn = "1270-9638",

publisher = "Elsevier Masson s.r.l.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Electrical double layer potential characteristics in porous electrospray thruster

AU - Sun, Wei

AU - Li, Pengkun

AU - Wu, Zhiwen

AU - Zhao, Yang

AU - Liu, Xuhui

AU - Li, Jin

AU - Wei, Fuzhi

AU - Guo, Yuntao

PY - 2026/9

Y1 - 2026/9

N2 - Porous ionic liquid electrospray thrusters have the characteristics of high specific impulse and self-neutralization of plume. Electrochemical reaction is one of the main lifetime-limiting factors. In this study, a porous electrospray thruster with a 499-emitter array is adopted. The electrical double layer (EDL) potential under different emission conditions is analyzed. Experimental results demonstrate that the average rate of the EDL potential variation exhibits positive correlations with both voltage and bipolar switching frequency. The average rate in the positive mode is generally higher than that in the negative mode. Prolonged operation induces continuous accumulation of the EDL potential in the positive mode, eventually triggering electrochemical reactions and establishing a non-equilibrium state under bipolar switching operation. This investigation provides experimental insights for optimizing operational parameters and mitigating electrochemical reactions in porous ionic liquid electrospray thrusters.

AB - Porous ionic liquid electrospray thrusters have the characteristics of high specific impulse and self-neutralization of plume. Electrochemical reaction is one of the main lifetime-limiting factors. In this study, a porous electrospray thruster with a 499-emitter array is adopted. The electrical double layer (EDL) potential under different emission conditions is analyzed. Experimental results demonstrate that the average rate of the EDL potential variation exhibits positive correlations with both voltage and bipolar switching frequency. The average rate in the positive mode is generally higher than that in the negative mode. Prolonged operation induces continuous accumulation of the EDL potential in the positive mode, eventually triggering electrochemical reactions and establishing a non-equilibrium state under bipolar switching operation. This investigation provides experimental insights for optimizing operational parameters and mitigating electrochemical reactions in porous ionic liquid electrospray thrusters.

KW - Electrical double layer

KW - Electrochemical reaction

KW - Ionic liquid electrospray thruster

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038905620

U2 - 10.1016/j.ast.2026.112577

DO - 10.1016/j.ast.2026.112577

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105038905620

SN - 1270-9638

VL - 176

JO - Aerospace Science and Technology

JF - Aerospace Science and Technology

M1 - 112577

ER -

Electrical double layer potential characteristics in porous electrospray thruster

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