ECRA thruster advances: 30W and 200W prototypes latest performances

Désangles, Victor; Packan, Denis; Jarrige, Julien; Peterschmitt, Simon; Dietz, Patrick; Scharmann, Steffen; Holste, K.; Klar, Peter J.

doi:10.1007/s44205-023-00046-x

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In this work, the absorbed microwave power (at frequency 2.45 GHz) is around 30 W. The thruster is fed with xenon at 1 and 2 SCCM flowrates. More details about the ECR thruster can be found in [12,[30][31][32][33][34].…”

Section: Results Inside the Ecr Thruster Plumementioning

confidence: 99%

A sheath correction method for electron density measurements with the microwave resonant curling probe

Boni,

Désangles,

Jarrige

2023

Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.

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A correction method accounting for plasma sheath effects that appear when performing an electron density measurement with a microwave resonant probe immersed in plasma is described. The diagnostic is the novel curling probe that has already shown promising capabilities in various plasma sources. The correction method is based on the evaluation of two effects relative to the resonant probe operation and its interface with the plasma. First, the characteristic decay length of the electromagnetic field emitted by the curling probe, which defines the probed volume, has been characterized for the different harmonic resonance modes. Second, a semi-analytical model has been adapted to describe the plasma structure forming near the probe, which quantitively describes the electron density profiles across the sheath structure. The correction method is then developed uniquely from numerical simulations and is independent of other diagnostics. Experimental results inside two plasma sources, an inductively coupled plasma and an ECR plasma thruster, are presented and discussed. The validity of the method is assessed (i) by comparing curling probe corrected densities with Langmuir probe results, (ii) by varying the probe orientation to the expanding plasma flow, and (iii) by using two harmonics of the probe. The method is shown to significantly improve the accuracy of electron density measurements. Possible improvements to the method are also discussed.

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Section: Results Inside the Ecr Thruster Plumementioning

confidence: 99%

A sheath correction method for electron density measurements with the microwave resonant curling probe

Boni,

Désangles,

Jarrige

2023

Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.

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“…The electron cyclotron resonance thruster (ECRT) [3][4][5][6][7][8] is a type of electrodeless plasma thruster that relies on said resonance to couple electromagnetic power to the plasma electrons. In general, these devices consist of a cylindrical source immersed in a static, quasi-axial magnetic field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first method consists of MW injected in the TE 11 (transverse electric) mode from a cylindrical waveguide through a dielectric window; the second method instead brings MW power through a coaxial cable and relies on the presence of an additional central conductor to obtain a TEM propagation mode. The coaxial ECRT was first developed at ONERA (France), showing promising and competitive performance, [5][6][7][8] and raising interest in it elsewhere. 15,16 This design, however, is not strictly electrodeless and suffers the erosion of the central conductor and metallic deposition on the thruster backplate, 7 posing a limitation on lifetime.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thrust measurements of a waveguide electron cyclotron resonance thruster

Inchingolo,

Merino,

Wijnen

et al. 2024

Journal of Applied Physics

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Direct thrust measurements are performed on a circular waveguide electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) thruster working at 5.8 GHz using a pendulum thrust balance with mechanically amplified displacement. Thrust levels between 1 and 3.5 mN are found for power levels in the range of 60–350 W and xenon flow rate between 2 and 8 SCCM. A maximum thrust efficiency of 3.5% is reached at 2 SCCM and 60 W. Plasma plume diagnostics are used to estimate the thruster partial efficiencies to understand the main losses, and to perform a comparative analysis between directly and indirectly measured thrust. Results suggest that the low energy conversion efficiency and propellant utilization efficiency (<6.4% and < 53%, respectively) are the key factors spoiling the ECR thruster performance. Finally, retarding potential analyzer measurements show the presence of energetic electrons with energy tail up to about 300 eV.

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“…In all instances, an applied magnetic field B a enables the propagation and absorption (resonant or not) of R waves in the plasma, reduces the plasma flux to the lateral walls, and conforms an external magnetic nozzle (MN) where the plasma is accelerated, producing magnetic thrust [12][13][14][15]. Currently, HPTs and ECRTs are still under development, and laboratory-demonstrated thrust efficiencies are still below 15%, with few exceptions [10,16,17].…”

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confidence: 99%

Magnetic arch plasma expansion\in a cluster of two ECR plasma sources

Boyé,

Navarro-Cavallé,

Merino

2024

Preprint

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The feasibility of a novel 'magnetic arch' topology for controllecd contactless plasma beam acceleration is experimentally demonstrated using a pair of coaxial electron cyclotron resonance sources with opposing magnetic polarities, such that their respective magnetic nozzles connect to form a closed-line configuration. Retarding potential analyser measurements are taken for a single source and the two sources with same and opposing polarities, as well as no applied magnetic field, showing that the magnetic arch yields higher maximum ion current and lower plume divergence angle than other configurations, albeit the mean ion energy is lower, in agreement with existing models. This validation paves the way to clustering magnetic-nozzle-based plasma thrusters for space propulsion.

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ECRA thruster advances: 30W and 200W prototypes latest performances

Cited by 11 publications

References 16 publications

A sheath correction method for electron density measurements with the microwave resonant curling probe

A sheath correction method for electron density measurements with the microwave resonant curling probe

Thrust measurements of a waveguide electron cyclotron resonance thruster

Magnetic arch plasma expansion\in a cluster of two ECR plasma sources

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