Optimization of a coaxial electron cyclotron resonance plasma thruster with an analytical model
- 1 May 2015
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Physics of Plasmas
- Vol. 22 (5), 053503
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4920966
Abstract
A new cathodeless plasma thruster currently under development at Onera is presented and characterized experimentally and analytically. The coaxial thruster consists of a microwave antenna immersed in a magnetic field, which allows electron heating via cyclotron resonance. The magnetic field diverges at the thruster exit and forms a nozzle that accelerates the quasi-neutral plasma to generate a thrust. Different thruster configurations are tested, and in particular, the influence of the source diameter on the thruster performance is investigated. At microwave powers of about 30W and a xenon flow rate of 0.1 mg/s (1 SCCM), a mass utilization of 60% and a thrust of 1 mN are estimated based on angular electrostatic probe measurements performed downstream of the thruster in the exhaust plume. Results are found to be in fair agreement with a recent analytical helicon thruster model that has been adapted for the coaxial geometry used here. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.Keywords
This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- A magnetic nozzle calculation of the force on a plasmaPhysics of Plasmas, 2012
- Space Exploration Technologies PegasesEurophysics News, 2011
- Probe measurements of electron-energy distributions in plasmas: what can we measure and how can we achieve reliable results?Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 2011
- Plasmas for spacecraft propulsionJournal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 2009
- Microwave-excited microplasma thruster: a numerical and experimental study of the plasma generation and micronozzle flowJournal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 2008
- Powered Flight of Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Engines on Hayabusa ExplorerJournal of Propulsion and Power, 2007
- Ion Detachment in the Helicon Double-Layer Thruster Exhaust BeamJournal of Propulsion and Power, 2006
- Ion Propulsion Development Projects in U.S.: Space Electric Rocket Test I to Deep Space 1Journal of Propulsion and Power, 2001
- Matching planetocentric and heliocentric low- acceleration trajectories.AIAA Journal, 1966
- Experiments with an electron cyclotron resonance plasma acceleratorAIAA Journal, 1964