Ferroelectric Emission Cathodes for Low-Power Electric Propulsion

Kovaleski, Scott D.

doi:10.2514/6.2002-4242

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The discussion will focus on the observation of ion current from these sources. These observations were made in a previous study of RF driven ferroelectric sources for cathode applications, with the ion emission evidence being reexamined in this study [9]. The ferroelectric material and experimental parameters were chosen for proof of concept experiments and are not necessarily the best choices for an ion source or thruster.…”

Section: Rf Driven Ferroelectric Source Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 86%

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Ion acceleration in a radio frequency driven ferroelectric plasma source

Kovaleski

2005

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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Ion emission from ferroelectric plasma sources driven by radio frequency (RF) applied voltage is studied. An experimental investigation of particle emission from lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric ceramics driven by bursts of seven cycles of RF voltage at 248 kHz has revealed significant ion current emission. Measured electron to ion peak current ratios ranged from 11 to 19, which is much lower than the expected thermal current ratio. These results indicate that the ions are being preferentially accelerated. An analysis of the ponderomotive force on the ions and electrons reveals that it may be responsible for acceleration of the ions. The ferroelectric plasma is examined as a possible micropropulsion thruster. Performance estimates based on the ponderomotive acceleration calculations predict specific impulse of 2000-3000 s, thrust of 0.1-1 mN, and specific power of 15 W/mN. These estimates are compared to existing micropropulsion concepts, revealing the attractiveness of ferroelectric plasma sources.

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Section: Rf Driven Ferroelectric Source Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…These studies revealed plasma densities of cm and temperatures of 2-3 eV. Two additional phenomena have been found to improve the characteristics of emission from ferroelectric ceramics, the deposition of thin films [9], [10], and the use of radio frequency (RF) to repetitively induce switching [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Ion acceleration in a radio frequency driven ferroelectric plasma source

Kovaleski

2005

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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“…Later, ferroelectric sources operating in the gas discharge mode were studied at higher pressures between 20 and 80 torr [25]. Two additional phenomena have been found to improve the characteristics of emission from ferroelectric ceramics, the deposition of thin films [22], [26], and the use of RF to repetitively apply an electric field [26]. The RF-driven source was shown to accelerate ions via the ponderomotive force, leading to the development of the ferroelectric plasma thruster [23], [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Characterization of a Ferroelectric Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Source

Sullivan

Kemp

Kovaleski

2007

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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A ferroelectric atmospheric pressure plasma source has been characterized. An RF electric field, with a frequency between 190 and 250 kHz, is employed to create plasma on the surface of a ferroelectric disk at atmospheric pressure. Average power consumption was measured, and images of plasma formation during an RF cycle have been collected. Excited neutrals from the ferroelectric and electrode, along with component species of the background gas, have been identified in optical emission spectra. Additionally, the electron temperature has been found to be ∼2.3 eV from atomic Boltzmann plots of neutral Ag I lines. Breakdown voltage and heavy-particle temperature are also presented. Additionally, the experiments indicate that piezoelectric resonance effects reduced the required applied voltage to induce breakdown.

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“…They have also been examined as electron guns for gas spark swatches [12] , flat panel displays [3,9,11,13] , and discharge lamps [14] . At the NASA Glenn Research Center, ferroelectric cathodes are currently being studied for use as electric propulsion thruster neutralizers and as ferroelectric plasma thruster for micro-spacecraft propulsion [15][16][17] .…”

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confidence: 99%