Demonstration of 25,000 ignitions on a proto-flight compact heaterless lanthanum hexaboride hollow cathode

Becatti, Giulia; Conversano, Ryan W.; Goebel, Dan M.

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.09.013

Cited by 24 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…As can be seen in Fig. 4 and 5, the anode voltage decreases when the current increases and it stays in the [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] V range, in agreement with outcomes of preceeding studies [15,17,23,24]. The self-heating regime of hollow cathodes depends on the discharge current magnitude [7].…”

Section: Current-voltage Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Moreover, in the case of Hall thrusters, electrons generated by the cathode also play a key role in ion production and plasma discharge sustainment [7,8]. The hollow cathode technology has greatly evolved and improved over the past decades thanks to advances in material science, manufacture processes and numerical simulations as explained in several articles [8][9][10][11][12]. Available cathodes are stable and efficient, have a long lifespan and are able to operate in a wide range of discharge currents from less than 1 A up to several tens of Amperes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Discharge and plasma plume characterization of a 100 A-class LaB6 hollow cathode

Mazouffre

Joussot

Vincent

et al. 2021

Journal of Applied Physics

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HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

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Section: Current-voltage Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discharge and plasma plume characterization of a 100 A-class LaB6 hollow cathode

Mazouffre

Joussot

Vincent

et al. 2021

Journal of Applied Physics

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“…Hollow cathodes, as shown in (c) of Figure 2, however, typically have a long life and offer robust performance [59,67]. For small satellites with low power, a heaterless hollow cathode is a popular choice as it reduces weight, has a compact size and is suitable under low power conditions [68]. Various configurations of the magnetic and electric fields provide shielding to prevent erosion in the discharge chamber which is caused due to ion flux and ion energy at the wall [63].…”

Section: Hall Thrustermentioning

confidence: 99%

Electric Propulsion Methods for Small Satellites: A Review

2021

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Over 2500 active satellites are in orbit as of October 2020, with an increase of ~1000 smallsats in the past two years. Since 2012, over 1700 smallsats have been launched into orbit. It is projected that by 2025, there will be 1000 smallsats launched per year. Currently, these satellites do not have sufficient delta v capabilities for missions beyond Earth orbit. They are confined to their pre-selected orbit and in most cases, they cannot avoid collisions. Propulsion systems on smallsats provide orbital manoeuvring, station keeping, collision avoidance and safer de-orbit strategies. In return, this enables longer duration, higher functionality missions beyond Earth orbit. This article has reviewed electrostatic, electrothermal and electromagnetic propulsion methods based on state of the art research and the current knowledge base. Performance metrics by which these space propulsion systems can be evaluated are presented. The article outlines some of the existing limitations and shortcomings of current electric propulsion thruster systems and technologies. Moreover, the discussion contributes to the discourse by identifying potential research avenues to improve and advance electric propulsion systems for smallsats. The article has placed emphasis on space propulsion systems that are electric and enable interplanetary missions, while alternative approaches to propulsion have also received attention in the text, including light sails and nuclear electric propulsion amongst others.

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“…The boron from lanthanum hexaboride is prone to diffuse into the supporting structure of the refractory metal at high temperatures, which not only heightens the work function of the lanthanum hexaboride but also results in the embrittlement of the refractory metal [14]. Consequently, when refractory metals are selected as the material for the cathode tube, a thin graphite sheath is typically employed to cover the exterior of the emitter, ensuring no direct contact between it and the cathode tube [29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of anode surface roughness influence on heaterless hollow cathode discharge

Hsieh,

Huang,

Huang

et al. 2024

Phys. Scr.

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This research delves into the influence of cylindrical and planar anode surface roughness on heaterless hollow cathode discharge characteristics. Three surface roughness levels, Ra 1.6 µm, Ra 3.2 µm, and Ra 6.4 µm, along the cylindrical anode's azimuthal direction and the planar anode's radial direction, have been selected and modified by the machining process. A central finding is the correlation between the discharge voltage and anode surface roughness. As the roughness increases, cylindrical and planar anodes require less discharge voltage to sustain the primary discharge. This reduction is likely due to the enhanced surface area from the roughness, which aids in electron current collection. The discharge voltage oscillations appear inversely related to the surface roughness of planar anodes, which may be associated with changes in the neutral gas density gradient between the planar anode and the cathode. In contrast, cylindrical anodes show fewer effects from their surface roughness, likely due to the distinct neutral gas flow dynamics. These findings offer insights into standardizing hollow cathode testing and allow future research to explore these interactions more deeply.

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Demonstration of 25,000 ignitions on a proto-flight compact heaterless lanthanum hexaboride hollow cathode

Cited by 24 publications

References 22 publications

Discharge and plasma plume characterization of a 100 A-class LaB6 hollow cathode

Discharge and plasma plume characterization of a 100 A-class LaB6 hollow cathode

Electric Propulsion Methods for Small Satellites: A Review

Analysis of anode surface roughness influence on heaterless hollow cathode discharge

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