Snecma

Gerard Passagot

Michael Oberg

A three-port valve including a casing and a movable element received in the casing. The casing includes a fluid inlet, first and second fluid outlets, a first fluid-flow passage between the fluid inlet and the first fluid outlet, and a second fluid-flow passage between the first and second fluid outlets. The movable element includes a rod, a first valve member fastened to a first end of the rod and configured to be received towards the rod in a first valve seat for closing the first fluid-flow passage, and a second valve member fastened to a second end of the rod and configured to be received towards the rod in a second valve seat of the casing for closing the second fluid-flow passage. The valve also includes at least one diaphragm spring supporting the movable element in a plane substantially perpendicular to a movement axis between first and second positions.

Three-port valve

An electric thruster includes at least one electric engine, a feed system for the engine including a high-pressure tank of ionizable gas, a low-pressure buffer tank connected to the high-pressure tank by a valve, and a system of pipes for conveying the gas from the low-pressure buffer tank to an anode and to a cathode of the engine. The low-pressure buffer tank is in open connection with the engine. The thruster detects that a magnitude of the discharge current between the anode and the cathode is less than a threshold value and switches off the discharge voltage as a result of the detection. The thruster can be for use in a satellite.

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Vernon, France

Gerard Passagot