• actuators
• ion engines
• ion propulsion
• Piezoelectric actuators
• thrust vectoring

Ion propulsion systems are reliable enough to promise future space systems with high operational efficiencies. Conventionally, to control the thrust vector, ion engines are mounted on gimbals and oriented as a whole. To date, several studies and experiments have been conducted mounting compact thrust-vectoring systems within the thruster itself to reduce overall system mass. Gridded ion thruster is one of the most reliable propulsion systems with comparably higher operational efficiency, which allows for such vectoring techniques. The use of a microelectromechanical system combined with piezoelectric actuators for this process is promising. The thesis presents a study for a possible implementation of these actuators in a grid suspension mechanism in an Ion-engine, to obtain ion beam deflection and thereby thrust vectoring. A preliminary application is studied, and a proof of concept model is developed.

This thesis presents the study of piezoelectric actuators and the implementation of piezo actuators in the ion engine thrust vectoring system. The work is carried out in three phases. The study of ion engine thrust vectoring systems was carried out in the first phase and the study of piezoelectric actuators was carried out in the second phase and final phase was carried out to design the thrust vectoring system, by using piezo actuator as the main driver and designing promising suspension by considering mass, accuracy, compactness, and robustness of the system.
The proposed design in theory can eliminate the use of existing complex gimbal systems and thereby reduce the overall thruster vectoring system mass considerably. The preliminary application of the mechanism is studied, and a proof of concept model is developed.