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Operational Characteristics of a Low-Energy FARAD ThrusterData from a 100 J per pulse electrodeless accelerator employing pulsed RF-preionization are presented to gain insight into the accelerator's operating characteristics. The data suggest that the propellant distribution is highly unoptimized, with most of the gas inaccessible to the discharge and the remainder mostly concentrated at the inner radius of the coil. The pulsed RF-preionization discharge produces a visible plasma, but like the gas distribution it mostly appears concentrated at the inner radius of the thruster. Magnetic field probes in the discharge point to a current sheet that is not magnetically impermeable. These data also exhibit signs of nonrepeatability, and time-integrated discharge photography shows signs of spatial nonuniformity in both the radial and azimuthal directions. Terminal voltage measurements on the two capacitor banks of the thruster do not exhibit the asymmetric nature (in time) typically associated with an efficient pulsed plasma accelerator. Based on the experimental evidence, the poor performance of the thruster is thought to be due to insufficient preionization, which at these low discharge energy levels severely limits the ability of the main current pulse to couple with and effectively accelerate the propellant.
Document ID
20080048098
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Polzin, Kurt A. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Rose, M. Frank (Radiance Technologies, Inc. Huntsville, AL, United States)
Miller, Robert (Radiance Technologies, Inc. Huntsville, AL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
July 20, 2008
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
AIAA Paper-2008-5011
Meeting Information
Meeting: 44th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference/American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Location: Hartford, CT
Country: United States
Start Date: July 20, 2008
End Date: July 23, 2008
Sponsors: American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society for Electrical Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNM06AA17G
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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