By Will Parnell

*Cold Gas System

* How the System Creates Propulsion

*The system creates propulsion using an inert gas such as Nitrogen or Helium as the fuel.

*The gas is stored under high pressure, then sent to the thruster which releases the gas.

*Components

*A cold gas thruster has four main parts: a storage tank, a gas line, a valve, and a thruster.

*When it’s used

*Cold gas thrusters are commonly used for vernier engines which are used for attitude control on spacecraft.

*They are generally used for fine adjustments to the attitude or velocity.

*An astronauts Manned Maneuvering Unit is another use.

*Fuel to Propulsion

*The gas is kept in a pressurized tank, then released the thruster

*The energy required for propulsion is contained in the pressurized gas.

*Fuel

*Cold gas systems do not produce as much thrust per kilogram of fuel as solid or liquid fuel.

*The thrust relies only on the pressure inside of the containment tank.

*References

*http://www.google.com/imghp

*http://www.lr.tudelft.nl/en/organisation/departments/space-engineering/space-systems-engineering/expertise-areas/space-propulsion/propulsion-options/chemical-rockets/cold-gas/

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_gas_thruster

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernier_engine

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manned_Maneuvering_Unit