Download or read book Performance Potential of Plasma Thrusters Arcjet and Hall Thruster Modeling written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the second and final yearly Report on Grant 91-0256, for the period 5/1/92-4/30/93. The Report describes two recently completed and highly successful models for the internal physics and the performance of hydrogen arcjets and Hall thrusters, respectively. These are thought to represent the state-of the art in their respective topics. Also discussed is an equally significant theoretical model of MPD anode drops, which completes previously funded work.

Download or read book Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports written by and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 804 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lists citations with abstracts for aerospace related reports obtained from world wide sources and announces documents that have recently been entered into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Database.

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 A Preliminary Investigation of Hall Thruster Technology written by National Aeronautics and Space Adm Nasa and published by . This book was released on 2018-10-21 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A three-year NASA/BMDO-sponsored experimental program to conduct performance and plume plasma property measurements on two Russian Stationary Plasma Thrusters (SPTs) has been completed. The program utilized experimental facilitates at the University of Michigan's Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL). The main features of the proposed effort were as follows: (1) Characterized Hall thruster (and arcjet) performance by measuring ion exhaust velocity with probes at various thruster conditions; (2) Used a variety of probe diagnostics in the thruster plume to measure plasma properties and flow properties including T(sub e) and n(sub e) ion current density and ion energy distribution, and electric fields by mapping plasma potential; (3) Used emission spectroscopy to identify species within the plume and to measure electron temperatures. A key and unique feature of our research was our collaboration with Russian Hall thruster researcher Dr. Sergey A Khartov, Deputy Dean of International Relations at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). His activities in this program included consulting on and participation in research at PEPL through use of a MAI-built SPT and ion energy probe. Gallimore, Alec D. Glenn Research Center NAG3-1504...

Download or read book A Hall Thruster Performance Model Incorporating the Effects of a Multiply Charged Plasma written by National Aeronautics and Space Adm Nasa and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2018-10-03 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Hall thruster performance model that predicts anode specific impulse, anode efficiency, and thrust is discussed. The model is derived as a function of a voltage loss parameter, an electron loss parameter, and the charge state of the plasma. Experimental data from SPT and TAL type thrusters up to discharge powers of 21.6 kW are used to determine the best fit for model parameters. General values for the model parameters are found, applicable to high power thrusters and irrespective of thruster type. Performance of a 50 kW thruster is calculated for an anode specific impulse of 2500 seconds or a discharge current of 100 A. Hofer, Richard R. and Jankovsky, Robert S. Glenn Research Center NASA/TM-2002-211214, E-13066, NAS 1.15:211214, AIAA Paper 2001-3322

Download or read book A Hall Thruster Performance Model Incorporating the Effects of a Multiply Charged Plasma written by Richard R. Hofer and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 18 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 Performance Improvements in Plasma Thrusters written by and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Report documents our research in two areas of Electric Propulsion: (a) A preliminary study of the performance of cesium seeded hydrogen arcjets, which showed a feasible design range in which frozen losses can be nearly eliminated, and (b) A particle simulation numerical model of Hall thrusters, which can give both, fairly accurate overall performance predictions, and also detailed information about internal parameter distributions.

Download or read book Plasma Thruster Development written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The research objective for this project was to investigate and resolve technical issues associated with electric propulsion thrusters, specifically performance and spacecraft integration issues. The thrusters examined include magneto-plasma-dynamic (MPD) thrusters, arcjets, Hall thrusters, and pulsed plasma thrusters. The specific tasks were to identify methods to significantly increase MPD efficiencies, characterize and test laboratory arcjets in support of flight experiments, demonstrate significant gains in impulse to wet mass ratios for Hall thrusters, and develop and test advanced PPT design concepts. Results are summarized and more detail is provided in 34 referenced papers and journal articles.

Download or read book Development of Optical Diagnostics for Performance Evaluation of Arcjet Thrusters written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-07-06 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Laser and optical emission-based measurements have been developed and implemented for use on low-power hydrogen arcjet thrusters and xenon-propelled electric thrusters. In the case of low power hydrogen arcjets, these laser induce fluorescence measurements constitute the first complete set of data that characterize the velocity and temperature field of such a device. The research performed under the auspices of this NASA grant includes laser-based measurements of atomic hydrogen velocity and translational temperature, ultraviolet absorption measurements of ground state atomic hydrogen, Raman scattering measurements of the electronic ground state of molecular hydrogen, and optical emission based measurements of electronically excited atomic hydrogen, electron number density, and electron temperature. In addition, we have developed a collisional-radiative model of atomic hydrogen for use in conjunction with magnetohydrodynamic models to predict the plasma radiative spectrum, and near-electrode plasma models to better understand current transfer from the electrodes to the plasma. In the final year of the grant, a new program aimed at developing diagnostics for xenon plasma thrusters was initiated, and results on the use of diode lasers for interrogating Hall accelerator plasmas has been presented at recent conferences. Cappelli, Mark A. Unspecified Center...

Download or read book Performance Testing and Internal Probe Measurements of a High Specific Impulse Hall Thruster written by Noah Zachary Warner and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The BHT-1000 high specific impulse Hall thruster was used for performance testing and internal plasma measurements to support the ongoing development of computational models. The thruster was performance tested in both single and two stage anode configurations. In the single stage configuration, the specific impulse exceeded 3000s at a discharge voltage of 1000V while maintaining a thrust efficiency of 50 percent. Two stage operation produced higher thrust, specific impulse and thrust efficiency than the single stage configuration at most discharge voltages. The thruster thermal warmup was characterized using a thermocouple embedded in the outer exit ring, and the magnetic field topology was investigated using a Gaussmeter. The single stage thruster configuration was outfitted with a series of axially distributed Langmuir probes to determine plasma properties inside the discharge channel. Probe data were taken at discharge voltages between 300-900V. Axial profiles of electron temperature, electron density, and plasma potential were measured and compared to results of a previously developed two dimensional particle-in-cell simulation of the BHT-1000 thruster. The experimental data matched the simulation results well, particularly in profiles of electron temperature and plasma potential at low discharge voltages. The peak electron temperature was shown to depend on discharge voltage through a power law relationship in both the experimental and simulated data. The greatest discrepancies between experimental data and simulation results were found to be in comparisons of electron density, where it appears that the simulation may be "smearing" the plasma over too wide of an axial region. Hypotheses for this behavior were discussed along with recommendations for future work.

Download or read book Plasma Potential and Langmuir Probe Measurements in the Near Field Plume of the Nasa 300m Hall Thruster written by Daniel A. Herman and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-06 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In order to aid in the design of high-power Hall thrusters and provide experimental validation for existing modeling efforts, plasma potential and Langmuir probe measurements were performed in the near-field plume of the NASA 300M Hall thruster. A probe array consisting of a Faraday probe, Langmuir probe, and emissive probe was used to interrogate the plume from approximately 0.1 - 2.0 DT, m downstream of the thruster exit plane at four operating conditions: 300 V, 400 V, and 500 V at 20 kW as well as 300 V at 10 kW. Results show that the acceleration zone and high-temperature region were contained within 0.3 DT, m from the exit plane at all operating conditions. Isothermal lines were shown to strongly follow magnetic field lines in the nearfield, with maximum temperatures ranging from 19 - 27 eV. The electron temperature spatial distribution created large drops in measured floating potentials in front of the magnetic pole surfaces where the plasma density was small, which suggests strong sheaths at these surfaces. The data taken have provided valuable information for future design and modeling validation, and complements ongoing internal measurement efforts on the NASA 300

Download or read book Performance Evaluation of the SPT 140 written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Applied Mechanics Reviews written by and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 1036 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Low Power Magnetically Shielded Hall Thrusters written by Ryan Conversano and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation presents an investigation of the applicability of magnetic shielding to low-power Hall thrusters as a means to significantly improve operational lifetime. The key life-limiting factors of conventional Hall thrusters, including ion-bombardment sputter erosion of the discharge channel and high-energy electron power deposition to the channel walls, have been investigated extensively for a wide range of thruster scales. As thruster power is reduced to the "miniature" (i.e. sub-500 W) power regime, the increased surface-to-volume ratio of the discharge channel and decreased thruster component sizes promotes increased plasma-wall interactions and susceptibility to overheating, thereby reducing thruster operational lifetime and performance. Although methods for compensating for these issues have been investigated, unshielded miniature Hall thrusters are generally limited to sub-45% anode efficiencies and maximum lifetimes on the order of 1,000 h. A magnetically shielded magnetic field topology aims to maintain a low electron temperature along the channel surfaces and a plasma potential near that of the discharge voltage along the entire surface of the discharge channel along its axial length. These features result in a reduction of the kinetic energy of ions that impact the channel surfaces to near to or below the sputtering threshold, thus preventing significant ion-bombardment erosion of the discharge channel. Improved confinement of high-energy electrons is another byproduct of the field structure, aiding in the reduction of electron power deposition to the channel. Magnetic shielding has been shown to dramatically reduce plasma-wall interactions on 4 - 6 kW Hall thrusters, resulting in significant increases in projected operational lifetimes with minimal effects to thruster performance. In an effort to explore the scalability of magnetic shielding to low-power devices, two magnetically shielded miniature Hall thrusters were designed, fabricated and tested. The performance of the first thruster, called the MaSMi 40, was characterized at an operating condition of 275 V and 325 W. A peak thrust of approximately 13 mN with a specific impulse of approximately 1,100 s at an anode efficiency of approximately 22% were measured at the nominal operating point. Observations of the near exit plasma discharge during operation, and the discharge channel after operation, suggested that the outer channel wall of the thruster was well shielded from ion bombardment while the inner channel wall appeared to be weakly shielded. Further analysis concluded that the MaSMi-40 generated a partially-magnetically shielded field topology. However, the shortcomings of the MaSMi-40's magnetic circuit design were investigated in detail and are now well understood. The second design iteration in the development of a low-power magnetically shielded Hall thruster was the MaSMi-60. Magnetic field measurements confirmed that a symmetric and fully shielded magnetic field topology was generated by this device across a wide range of possible operating conditions. At operating powers of 160 W to nearly 750 W, the key performance metrics of the MaSMi-60 included a measured thrust ranging from approximately 8 mN to over 33 mN with anode specific impulses of up to approximately 1370 s at anode efficiencies of over 28%. Downstream plume measurements identified the primary factors contributing to the low anode efficiency. Visual observations of the discharge plasma and channel walls during and after thruster operation offered strong evidence of magnetic shielding. Erosion rates of the channel were approximated using carbon backsputter measurements; the results suggested a 10x - 100x decrease in wall erosion compared to unshielded Hall thrusters, corresponding to an equal increase in discharge channel lifetime compared to conventional miniature unshielded Hall thrusters. The physics and behaviors of the MaSMi-60's plasma discharge upstream of and in the near-field of the thruster exit plane were investigated using Hall2De, the 2-D axisymmetric code developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the simulation of the partially ionized plasma in Hall thrusters. Simulations of the MaSMi-60 suggested that the thruster achieved the plasma properties required for effective magnetic shielding, including low electron temperatures and a near-constant plasma potential along the channel walls. This was the final piece of evidence suggesting that magnetic shielding was attained at the miniature scale. The experimentally measured performance of the MaSMi-60 was captured by the Hall2De model, offering physical explanations for the low measured anode efficiency and leading to suggestions for improving the performance in future design iterations.

Download or read book Ion Propulsion for Space Flight written by Ernst Stuhlinger and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book International Aerospace Abstracts written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 1032 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: