Factors Affecting Ion Thruster’s Performance

In this project, we investigated how ion thrusters produce propulsion and how the design of ion thrusters affects the performance of the thruster. In the experiment, we build a high voltage power supply (0- 50 kV) and foil rings to produce ion wind. When considering the design of the thruster, we focus on three variables: the volume of the space, where ions are produced and the electric field intensity. Thus, to investigate the first variable we made foil rings with different radius and change the distance between the ring and positive cathode. To determine the propulsion produced we use a speed sensor to determine the magnitude of the wind produced.

Radial distribution of electrons rotation moment in hall effect and plasma-ion thrusters

The subject matter of the article is the radial distribution of electrons movement parameters inside electric propulsion thrusters with closed electrons drift. The radial magnetic field in Hall effect thrusters is the limits the axial flow of electrons because of interaction with azimuth electron current. In turn, this azimuth current exists as a result of rivalry between the attempt of the magnetic field to transform electrons current completely closed one and the loss of electrons rotation moment in collisions. Similar processes take place in the ionization chamber of plasma-ion thrusters with the radial magnetic field. The attempts to estimate electrons parameters through only collisions with ions and atoms inside volume have given the value of axial electrons current much lower than really being. This phenomenon is called anomalous electrons conductivity, which was tried to be explained as a consequence of various effects including "near-the-wall-conductivity", which was explained as a result of non-mirror reflection of electrons from the Langmuir layer near the walls of the thruster channel. The disadvantage of this name is the fact that the reflection of the electron occurs before reaching the surface from the potential barrier at the plasma boundary with any environment: the wall, but also with the environment vacuum. The potential distribution in the Langmuir layer is non-stationary and inhomogeneous due to the presence of so-called plasma oscillations. The definition of "conductivity" is just as unfortunate in this name, because the collisions are always not a factor of conductivity, but on the contrary – of resistance. The goal is to solve the task of electrons rotation moment distribution in the thruster channel. The methods used are the formulation of the kinetic equation for electrons distribution function over the velocities, radius, and projections of the coordinates of the instantaneous center of cyclotron rotation; solution of this equation and finding with its use the distribution of the gas-dynamic parameters of electrons along the cross-section of the channel. Conclusions. A mathematical model of electrons rotation moment dynamics is proposed, which allows using plasma-dynamics equations to analyze its distribution along the cross-section of thruster channel and to estimate the effect of "near-the-wall-conductivity" using appropriate boundary conditions.

Global models for radio-frequency ion thrusters

The emerging “new space” age strengthens the importance of rapid development and qualification procedures of electric engines and their peripheral devices. A key element is the reliable simulation of the thrusters and their supply units on short time scales. Global models seem to be well suited for this purpose. In this article, three variants of global models are presented and validated by comparison with experimental results. All models show excellent agreement with experiment, illustrating the strength of this modeling approach. Future developments of radio-frequency ion thrusters can be significantly accelerated with the help of these global models.

INFLUENCE OF WALL SCATTERING EFFECT ON ELECTRONS GAS DYNAMICS PARAMETERS IN ELECTRIC PROPULSION THRUSTERS WITH CLOSED ELECTRON DRIFT

The analysis is represented of some works devoted to the mathematical modeling of processes in plasma-ion thrusters and Hall effect thrusters. It is shown that the common in these works is the use of approximate forms of the equations of gas dynamics, which are applicable to the description of relatively dense gases, but not to analyze the processes in the rarefied plasma of electric propulsion thrusters. As a result, the above mathematical models do not represent the processes that are significantly responsible for the values of the thruster operating parameters.Authors try to partially correct this drawback by insertion into the initial approximate forms of the equations written for a point in the plasma volume, the parameters that actually represent the boundary effects and should be written not in the equations of gas dynamics themselves, but in the boundary conditions for these equations.The most complete forms of the necessary equations are given in this paper. It is shown that it is necessary to take into account electrons thermal conductivity as well as at least one (radial-azimuth) component of viscosity tensor to describe the "wall scattering" effect.It is concluded that the most productive approach in mathematical modeling is to write the most complete forms of equations with their subsequent simplification – removing the terms responsible for the processes recognized on the basis of primary numerical estimates as such, which can be neglected.

Лучистый тепловой поток от возбужденных атомов в высокочастотном ионном двигателе

The radiant heat flux coming from the discharge plasma on the surfaces of radio frequency ion thrusters is considered. Spontaneous emission of photons is formed when the excitation of plasma atoms and ions is removed. The distributions of the densities of the heat flux brought by radiation to the surface in the thrusters are calculated. The distributions can be used in numerical calculations of temperatures in thrusters design.