Download or read book Development of a Plasma Simulation Tool for Radio Frequency Ion Thrusters written by Robert Henrich and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Numerical Modelling of a Radio frequency Micro Ion Thruster written by Michael Meng-Tsuan Tsay and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A simple performance model is developed for an inductively-coupled radio-frequency micro ion thruster. Methods of particle and energy balance are utilized for modeling the chamber plasma discharge. A transformer model is incorporated in the equations of energy balance for investigating the effect of plasma on the primary circuit and for calculating the absorbed power by the plasma. A simple and one-dimensional ion extraction model is developed based on experimental observation and the result is validated with experimental data. Performance of the RF micro ion thruster is satisfactory with thrust and specific impulse of approximately 2 mN and 2000 seconds, respectively. Comparison is made with a miniature bombardment-type ion thruster, and the RF ion thruster is found to be more efficient when the coupling efficiency is above 80%. Optimization in driving frequency increases power absorption and ionization fraction tremendously. It has a positive but limited effect on propulsive performance as the ion beam current is space-charge limited.

Download or read book Development of a Miniature Radio Frequency Ion Thruster with Inductively Coupled Plasma ICP Source for CubeSat Propulsion written by and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion written by Dan M. Goebel and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-12-22 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout most of the twentieth century, electric propulsion was considered the technology of the future. Now, the future has arrived. This important new book explains the fundamentals of electric propulsion for spacecraft and describes in detail the physics and characteristics of the two major electric thrusters in use today, ion and Hall thrusters. The authors provide an introduction to plasma physics in order to allow readers to understand the models and derivations used in determining electric thruster performance. They then go on to present detailed explanations of: Thruster principles Ion thruster plasma generators and accelerator grids Hollow cathodes Hall thrusters Ion and Hall thruster plumes Flight ion and Hall thrusters Based largely on research and development performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and complemented with scores of tables, figures, homework problems, and references, Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion: Ion and Hall Thrusters is an indispensable textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing to enter the aerospace industry. It also serves as an equally valuable resource for professional engineers already at work in the field.

Download or read book Two dimensional Numerical Modeling of Radio Frequency Ion Engine Discharge written by Michael Meng-Tsuan Tsay and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 109 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Small satellites are gaining popularity in the space industry and reduction in spacecraft size requires scaling down its propulsion system. Low-power electric propulsion poses a unique challenge due to various scaling penalties. Of high-performance plasma thrusters, the radio-frequency ion engine is most likely to succeed in scaling as it does not require an externally applied magnetic field and is structurally simple to construct. As part of a design package an original two-dimensional simulation code for radio-frequency ion engine discharge is developed. The code models the inductive plasma with fluid assumption and resolves the electromagnetic wave in the time domain. Major physical effects considered include magnetic field diffusion and coupling, plasma current induction and ambipolar plasma diffusion. The discharge simulation is benchmarked with data from an experimental thruster. It shows excellent performance in predicting the load power and the internal power loss of the plasma. Predictability of anode current depends on the operating power but is generally adequate. Optimum skin depth on the order of half of chamber radius is suggested by the simulation. The code also demonstrates excellent scaling ability as it successfully predicts the performance of a smaller thruster with errors less than 10%. Using the code a brief optimization study was conducted and the results suggest the maximum thrust efficiency does not necessarily occur at the same frequency that maximizes the power coupling efficiency of the matching circuit.

Download or read book Numerical Modelling and Optimisation of Radio frequency Ion Thrusters written by Martin Felix Closs and published by Herbert Utz Verlag. This book was released on 2002 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Development of the Plasma Thruster Particle in cell Simulator to Complement Empirical Studies of a Low power Cusped field Thruster written by Stephen Robert Gildea and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cusped-field plasma thrusters are an electric propulsion concept being investigated by several laboratories in the United States and Europe. This technology was implemented as a low-power prototype in 2007 to ascertain if durability and performance improvements over comparable Hall thruster designs could be provided by the distinct magnetic topologies inherent to these devices. The first device tested at low-powers was eventually designated the "diverging cusped- field thruster" (DCFT) and demonstrated performance capabilities similar to state-of-the-art Hall thrusters. The research presented herein is a continuation of these initial studies, geared toward identifying significant operational characteristics of the thruster using experiments and numerical simulations. After a review of hybrid, fluid, and particle-in-cell Hall thruster models, experimental contributions from this work are presented. Anode current waveform measurements provide the first evidence of the distinct time-dependent characteristics of the two main modes of DCFT operation. The previously named "high-current" mode exhibits oscillation amplitudes several factors larger than mean current values, while magnitudes in "low-current" mode are at least a full order smaller. Results from a long-duration test, exceeding 200 hours of high-current mode operation, demonstrate lifetime-limiting erosion rates about 50% lower than those observed in comparable Hall thrusters. Concurrently, the plasma thruster particle-in-cell (PTpic) simulator was developed by upgrading numerous aspects of a preexisting Hall thruster model. Improvements in performance and accuracy have been achieved through modifications of the particle moving and electrostatic potential solving algorithms. Data from simulations representing both modes of operation are presented. In both cases, despite being unable to predict the correct location of the main potential drop in the thruster chamber, the model successfully reproduces the hollow conical jet of fast ions in the near plume region. The influences guiding the formation of the simulated beam in low-current mode are described in detail. A module for predicting erosion rates on dielectric surfaces has also been incorporated into PTpic and applied to simulations of both DCFT operational modes. Two data sets from highcurrent mode simulations successfully reproduce elevated erosion profiles in each of the three magnetic ring-cusps present in the DCFT. Discrepancies between the simulated and experimental data do exist, however, and are once again attributable to the misplacement of the primary acceleration region of the thruster. Having successfully captured the most significant erosion profile features observed in high-current mode, a simulation of erosion in low-current mode indicates substantially reduced erosion in comparison to the more oscillatory mode. These findings further motivate the completion of low-current mode erosion measurements, and continued numerical studies of the DCFT. Additionally, PTpic has proven to be a useful simulation tool for this project, and has been developed with adaptability in mind to facilitate its application to a variety of thruster designs -- including Hall thrusters.

Download or read book Development and Simulation of a Cylindrical Cusped field Thruster and a Diagnostics Tool for Plasma materials Interactions written by Anthony Pang and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A low power, Hall-effect type plasma thruster known as the MIT-Cylindrical Cusped- Field Thruster (MIT-CCFT) has been developed and simulated using a fully-kinetic plasma model, the Plasma Thruster particle-in-cell (PTpic) model. Similar to the Diverging Cusped-Field Thruster (DCFT) previously developed in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Space Propulsion Laboratory, this thruster uses cusped magnetic fields aligned in alternating polarity in order to confine electrons, thus slowing their flow to the anode and readily ionizing neutral gas, which is then electrostatically accelerated by the anode. The design methodology for the CCFT will be discussed, with significant emphasis on the effects of magnetic topology on thruster performance. In particular, while the topology is similar to that of the DCFT in that it also confines the discharge plasma away from the channel walls to limit wall erosion, the CCFT was also designed to minimize plume divergence. To predict the CCFTs performance and plasma dynamics, the design has been modeled and simulated with PTpic. From multiple simulations of the CCFT under different operating conditions, the thruster performance and plume characteristics were found and compared to past simulations of the DCFT. Specifically, the predicted nominal total efficiency ranged from 25 to 35 percent, providing 4-9 mN of thrust at a fixed xenon mass flow rate of 4.0 sccm, whilst consuming 90-400 W of power and with a corresponding nominal specific impulse of 1050 to 1800 s. Preliminary observations of the particle moments suggest that the magnetic confinement of the plasma isolates erosion of the channel walls of the discharge chamber to the ring cusps locations. In addition, in contrast to the DCFT, the CCFT does not have a hollow conic plume; instead, its beam profile is similar to that of traditional Hall-effect thrusters. To supplement the efforts for optimizing longevity of the cusped-field thruster, a new diagnostic tool for erosion studies, novel to the electric propulsion community, has been implemented and has undergone preliminary validation. Ion beam analysis (IBA) allows for in-situ measurements of both composition and profile of the surfaces of the discharge region of a plasma thruster during operation. The technique has been independently tested on individual coupons with the use of the Cambridge Laboratory for Accelerator Study of Surfaces (CLASS) tandem ion accelerator. The coupons, which are composed of materials with known sputtering rates and/or are commonly used as insulator material, are exposed to helicon-generated plasma to simulate the sputtering/re-deposition found in thruster discharge region. Through comparison of ion beam analysis traces taken before and after plasma exposure, the effective erosion rates were found and validated against simulated results.

Download or read book Investigation of Magnetized Radio Frequency Plasma Sources for Electric Space Propulsion written by Jan Dennis Gerst and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The PEGASES thruster (Plasma Propulsion with Electronegative Gases) is a novel type of electric thruster for space propulsion. It uses negative and positive ions produced by an inductively coupled radio frequency discharge to create the thrust by electrostatically accelerating the ions through a set of grids. A magnetic filter is used to increase the amount of negative ions in the cavity of the thruster. The PEGASES thruster is not only a source to create a strongly negative ion plasma or even an ion-ion plasma but it can also be used as a classical ion thruster. This means that a plasma is created and only the positive ions are extracted and accelerated making it necessary to neutralize the plasma behind the acceleration stage like in other ion thrusters. The performances of the PEGASES thruster have been investigated mainly in xenon in order to compare the obtained results with RIT-type ion thrusters. The thruster has been investigated with the help of a variety of probes such as a Langmuir probe, a planar probe, a capacitive probe and a RPA (Retarding Potential Analyzer). In addition, an ExB probe has been developed to measure the velocity of the ions leaving the thruster and to differentiate between the ion species present in the plasma.

Download or read book Analysis of a Miniature Radio Frequency Ion Thruster with an Inductively Coupled Plasma Source written by Peter Paul Bumbarger and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A plasma chemistry study on global model for argon gas as a propellant to electrostatic gridded ion thruster written by Bernardo Vieira Magaldi and published by Editora Dialética. This book was released on 2024-07-31 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Electric propulsion optimizes propellant mass and meets new propulsion device demands. These devices adjust satellite orbits and enable long missions. Among various thrusters, electrostatic ones have well-defined physics, simplifying operational parameter optimization. This study developed a global model for an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) cylindrical ion thruster with an output polarized grid system. Argon propellant is injected into the chamber, and ICP plasma is generated by a radiofrequency current. Neutral and excited species are accelerated out by diffusion, while ionized species are accelerated via the polarized grids' electric field. The polarized grid system was optimized for better plasma sheath use. The model considers single and multi-step ionization, the Electron Energy Distribution Function (EEDF), neutral gas, and electron power balance equations. Excited species influence ionization energy, but not ionic density. However, the ion substitution rate increases, essential for thrust and specific impulse. The model determines the neutral gas temperature by considering the power balance and interactions with other species.

Download or read book Development of a High Performance RF ion Thruster written by Rainer Killinger and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Radio Frequency Plasma Applications for Space Propulsion written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 4 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent developments in solid-state radio frequency (RF) power technologies allow for the practical consideration of RF heated plasmas for space propulsion. These technologies permit the use of any electrical power source, de-couple the power and propellant sources, and allow for the effcient use of both the propellant mass and power. Effcient use of the propellant is obtained by expelling the rocket exhaust at the highest possible velocity, which can be orders of magnitude higher than those achieved in chemical rockets. Handling the hot plasma exhaust requires the use of magnetic nozzles, and the basic physics of ion detachment from the magnetic eld is discussed. The plasma can be generated by RF using helicon waves to heat electrons. Further direct heating of the ions helps to reduce the line radiation losses, and the magnetic geometry is tailored to allow ion cyclotron resonance heating. RF eld and ion trajectory calculations are presented to give a reasonably self-consistent picture of the ion acceleration process.

Download or read book Plasma Particle Simulation of Electrostatic Ion Thrusters written by Xiaohang Peng and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Introduction to Plasma Dynamics written by A. I. Morozov and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 828 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the twenty-first century progresses, plasma technology will play an increasing role in our lives, providing new sources of energy, ion-plasma processing of materials, wave electromagnetic radiation sources, space plasma thrusters, and more. Studies of the plasma state of matter not only accelerate technological developments but also improve the

Download or read book Plasma Processing of Materials written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1991-02-01 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plasma processing of materials is a critical technology to several of the largest manufacturing industries in the worldâ€"electronics, aerospace, automotive, steel, biomedical, and toxic waste management. This book describes the relationship between plasma processes and the many industrial applications, examines in detail plasma processing in the electronics industry, highlights the scientific foundation underlying this technology, and discusses education issues in this multidisciplinary field. The committee recommends a coordinated, focused, and well-funded research program in this area that involves the university, federal laboratory, and industrial sectors of the community. It also points out that because plasma processing is an integral part of the infrastructure of so many American industries, it is important for both the economy and the national security that America maintain a strong leadership role in this technology.

Download or read book Plasma Separator Ion Thruster Development written by B. A. Free and published by . This book was released on 1966 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: