Design and operation of a laboratory benchmark PPT

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology

2013

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of power on pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) discharge current with respect to its peak, duration, and behavior while the power elevates in a low power range. Design/methodology/approach -A rectangular parallel-plate breech-fed PPT has been developed with a self-inductor coupling element connecting the PPT cathode to the ignitor plug cathode. The PPT has been operated in vacuum chamber at 10 2 6 mbar and its discharge current has been recorded using a Rogowski coil while input power has been changed by means of varying the capacitor voltage at given capacitance and frequency. Findings -The analysis leads to elucidate the effects of input power on discharge current of a PPT employing a self-inductor coupling element. The power varies within a range of less than 10 to more than 50 W. The results show that current peak rises from 5 to 10 kA while discharge duration and behavior seems to be independent of power within the operating range. Additionally, utilization of the coupling element seems to change the typical oscillating behavior of PPT discharge to a more efficient behavior.Research limitations/implications -The analysis is mainly focused on breech-fed PPTs while employing a coupling element. Originality/value -The paper analyzes the influence of power on discharge current of a PPT employing a self-inductor coupling element. It clarifies the behavior of current peak, duration and behavior while power varies in a low power range. The effect of coupling element is shown to be promising. The results can be a help in design of mPPTs.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previously, the effect of discharge energy on PPT performance has been studied by Benson and Arrington (1999), Kamhawi et al (1996), Pottinger and Scharlemann (2007) and Rezaeiha et al (2011a). The effect of frequency on PPT performance has been studied by Antropov et al (2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of power on PPT discharge current

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology

2013

“…All the studies unanimously report a quite linear relationship between discharge energy and impulse bit, and discharge energy and specific impulse. Although performance parameters presented in Pottinger and Scharlemann (2007) and Rezaeiha et al (2011a, b) were calculated from empirical relations and indirect measurement of thrust but the trend observed by them shows a reasonable compliance with the trend derived from direct measurement of thrust and performance parameters measured by Guman and Peko (1968), Kamhawi et al (1996) and Benson and Arrington (1999). Table IX presents the variations of impulse bit, specific impulse, mass bit per discharge, thruster efficiency, and exhaust velocity as a function of discharge energy (Rezaeiha et al, 2011a, b).…”

Section: Discharge Energymentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Furthermore, discharge energy is the best parameter to be changed and adjusted, when a multi-mode PPT with different levels of thrust is to be designed. Numerous studies have been done to clarify the effect of discharge energy on PPT performance including Guman and Peko (1968) at Fairchild Industries, Kamhawi et al (1996) at Ohio State University, Benson and Arrington (1999) at GRC, Pottinger and Scharlemann (2007) at ARC, Nawaz (2010) at IRS, Shaw(2011)atSurreySpaceCenter,andRezaeihaetal. (2011a at Sharif University of Technology.…”

Section: Discharge Energymentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of effective parameters on ablative PPT performance

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology

Schönherr

2012

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively review most of the significant works ever done worldwide to study the effects of essential parameters on pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) performance and to analyze the effects of each parameter on PPT performance. Design/methodology/approach -All the important works studying PPT performance are categorized by the parameter they have studied and its effect on the thruster performance, and their works have been reviewed to analyze the influence of each parameter. Findings -The analysis leads to elucidation of the effects of different geometrical parameters including aspect ratio, electrode width, electrode spacing, electrode shape, electrode length, and flare angle, in addition to the effects of other parameters such as electrode material, propellant type, propellant temperature, spark distance from propellant, pulse repetition frequency, discharge energy, capacitance, and hood angle on PPT performance.Research limitations/implications -The analysis is mainly focused on parallel-rail breech-fed PPTs and side-fed PPTs and does not deal with co-axial PPTs. Originality/value -The paper reviews and analyses many of the considerable works ever done to contribute to clarify the effects of different parameters on PPT performance. The results of the current analysis can be of invaluable assistance in PPT design and optimization procedure and help the designer to develop a system with better performance characteristics.

“…This interest stems from the ability of the PPT to operate at very low power levels, even at input powers of less than 10 W, while having low mass and size compared to other propulsion systems. 2) The many other benefits of PPTs listed below are also very persuasive for designers: 3) 1) Zero warm-up time, zero standby power.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design, Development and Operation of a Laboratory Pulsed Plasma Thruster for the First Time in West Asia

AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY JAPAN

Anbarloui

Farshchi

2011

Although the pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) was first utilized on a space mission in 1964, after more than four decades, it is still a space-rated technology which has performed various propulsion tasks, from station-keeping to three-axis attitude control for a variety of former missions. With respect to the rapid growth in the small satellite community and the growing interest for smaller satellites in recent years, the PPT is one of the promising electric propulsion devices for small satellites (e.g., CubeSats) due to the following advantages: simplicity, lightweight, robustness, low power consumption, low production cost and small dimensions. Therefore, a laboratory benchmark rectangular breech-fed pulsed plasma thruster using a self-inductor as a coupling element was designed, developed and successfully tested in a bell-type vacuum chamber at 10-4 Pa for the first time in west Asia (Iran). The PPT has been tested using a 35 μF, 2.5 kV oil-filled capacitor, producing an impulse bit varying from 300 μN-s to 1.3 mN-s at a maximum specific impulse of 1100 s. As a result a research program in Iran was initiated for working on PPTs and the miniaturization of PPTs while increasing the performance parameters. The present paper briefly reviews the PPT design and development.