NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Collections About News Help Login
Back to Results
Design and Preliminary Testing Plan of Electronegative Ion ThrusterElectronegative ion thrusters are a new iteration of existing gridded ion thruster technology differentiated by their ability to produce and accelerate both positive and negative ions. The primary motivations for electronegative ion thruster development include the elimination of lifetime-limiting cathodes from a thruster system and the ability to generate appreciable thrust through the acceleration of both positive or negative-charged ions. Proof-of-concept testing of the PEGASES (Plasma Propulsion with Electronegative GASES) thruster demonstrated the production of positively and negatively-charged ions (argon and sulfur hexafluoride, respectively) in an RF discharge and the subsequent acceleration of each charge species through the application of a time-varying electric field to a pair of metallic grids similar to those found in gridded ion thrusters. Leveraging the knowledge gained through experiments with the PEGASES I and II prototypes, the MINT (Marshall's Ion-ioN Thruster) is being developed to provide a platform for additional electronegative thruster proof-of-concept validation testing including direct thrust measurements. The design criteria used in designing the MINT are outlined and the planned tests that will be used to characterize the performance of the prototype are described.
Document ID
20140012885
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Schloeder, Natalie R. (Georgia Inst. of Tech. Atlanta, GA, United States)
Liu, Thomas M. (Georgia Inst. of Tech. Atlanta, GA, United States)
Walker, Mitchell L. R. (Georgia Inst. of Tech. Atlanta, GA, United States)
Polzin, Kurt A. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Dankanich, John W. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Aanesland, Ane (Ecole Polytechnique Palaiseau, France)
Date Acquired
October 8, 2014
Publication Date
July 28, 2014
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
M14-3861
Meeting Information
Meeting: AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference
Location: Cleveland, OH
Country: United States
Start Date: July 28, 2014
End Date: July 30, 2014
Sponsors: American Society for Electrical Engineers, American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

Related Records

There are no records associated with this record.
No Preview Available