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Investigation of the Effects of Facility Background Pressure on the Performance and Voltage-Current Characteristics of the High Voltage Hall AcceleratorThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate In-Space Propulsion Technology office is sponsoring NASA Glenn Research Center to develop a 4 kW-class Hall thruster propulsion system for implementation in NASA science missions. A study was conducted to assess the impact of varying the facility background pressure on the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAc) thruster performance and voltage-current characteristics. This present study evaluated the HiVHAc thruster performance in the lowest attainable background pressure condition at NASA GRC Vacuum Facility 5 to best simulate space-like conditions. Additional tests were performed at selected thruster operating conditions to investigate and elucidate the underlying physics that change during thruster operation at elevated facility background pressure. Tests were performed at background pressure conditions that are three and ten times higher than the lowest realized background pressure. Results indicated that the thruster discharge specific impulse and efficiency increased with elevated facility background pressure. The voltage-current profiles indicated a narrower stable operating region with increased background pressure. Experimental observations of the thruster operation indicated that increasing the facility background pressure shifted the ionization and acceleration zones upstream towards the thruster's anode. Future tests of the HiVHAc thruster are planned at background pressure conditions that are expected to be two to three times lower than what was achieved during this test campaign. These tests will not only assess the impact of reduced facility background pressure on thruster performance, voltage-current characteristics, and plume properties; but will also attempt to quantify the magnitude of the ionization and acceleration zones upstream shifting as a function of increased background pressure.
Document ID
20140017063
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kamhawi, Hani (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Huang, Wensheng (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Haag, Thomas (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Spektor, Rostislav (Aerospace Corp. El Segundo, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
December 8, 2014
Publication Date
July 28, 2014
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
GRC-E-DAA-TN16586
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 Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Society for Electrical Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 3466220.04.08.01.01.01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
Electric Propulsion
Hall thrusters
high specific impulse

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