Performance comparison of a 9-kW magnetically shielded Hall thruster operating on xenon and krypton

Su, Leanne L.; Jorns, Benjamin

doi:10.1063/5.0066849

Cited by 23 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Ion current density trace as a function of angle from the centerline of a Hall effect thruster at a location 1 m downstream of the thruster. Reprinted from [30], with the permission of AIP Publishing.…”

Section: Mass Utilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foundations of plasmas as ion sources

Jorns¹,

Lafleur²

2023

Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An overview of low temperature, partially-magnetized ion sources is presented. This class of devices is broadly characterized by plasma densities below 1019 m-3, electron temperatures below 100 eV, and magnetic field strength tailored such that electrons are magnetized whereas ions are not. The overarching approach is pedagogical, targeting an audience that does not necessarily have an expertise in low temperature devices. A tutorial is presented on the basic physics of operation of common ion sources including an overview of common methods for plasma generation and acceleration. A review of typical diagnostics and common applications of these plasma sources is also presented. Special attention is given to applications in plasma propulsion and materials processing. This class of ion sources is then discussed in the context of the current state of the field, key technical and scientific challenges, and future prospects.

show abstract

Section: Mass Utilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foundations of plasmas as ion sources

Jorns¹,

Lafleur²

2023

Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In contrast, probe-based methods to perform local measurements have shown in some cases to perturb the plasma properties [29]. All experimental measurements were collected while the H9 was operating at 300 V and 15 A on xenon [23,30].…”

Section: Thrustermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hall2De parameters for reported simulations, chosen to match experimental operating conditions from[30].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges with the self-consistent implementation of closure models for anomalous electron transport in fluid simulations of Hall thrusters

Marks

Jorns

2023

Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The performance of closure models for the anomalous electron transport when self-consistently implemented in a fluid model for a Hall effect thruster is investigated. This cross-field transport, which is orders of magnitude higher than classical collisional transport, is represented as an effective collision frequency. The proposed closure models relate this transport coefficient to local fluid properties of the plasma. Before implementation, the models are calibrated against values of the collision frequency inferred empirically from a 9-kW Hall thruster at 300 V and 15 A. It is found that even though closure models match the empirical collision frequency values, they diverge from these values when implemented self-consistently in a Hall thruster code. Possible drivers of this behavior are examined, including the role of non-linearity in the governing equations of the Hall thruster fluid model, artifacts from using time-averaged calibration data, and the non-uniqueness of the empirically-inferred collision frequencies. These results are discussed in the context of their implications for discovering and validating new closures necessary for enabling fully-predictive Hall thruster models. 

show abstract

“…Nevertheless, other cost-effective propellants must demonstrate acceptable performance in electric propulsion devices to justify a change in propellant choice. Many studies have thus investigated the performance and underlying physics for operation with various propellants such as iodine [8], krypton (Kr) [9][10][11][12][13][14], water vapor [15,16], diatomic nitrogen (N 2 ), air [17,18], and argon (Ar) [19,20]. Among them, Kr (83.8 amu), which is the next heaviest noble gas to Xe (131.3 amu), is widely studied and reported to generally provide higher specific impulse due to the lighter mass at a low cost [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies have thus investigated the performance and underlying physics for operation with various propellants such as iodine [8], krypton (Kr) [9][10][11][12][13][14], water vapor [15,16], diatomic nitrogen (N 2 ), air [17,18], and argon (Ar) [19,20]. Among them, Kr (83.8 amu), which is the next heaviest noble gas to Xe (131.3 amu), is widely studied and reported to generally provide higher specific impulse due to the lighter mass at a low cost [13]. Similarly, Ar gas is also a promising propellant due to its even lower price than Kr.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Argon admixture-driven enhanced ionization and performance of a 5 kW Hall thruster on krypton

Lee,

Brabston,

Lev

et al. 2024

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Utilizing alternative propellants has been recognized as a strategy to reduce the total cost of propellants in electric propulsion-based missions. The aim of this study is to quantify the Hall effect thruster (HET) performance and operating characteristics using a Kr-Ar mixture to enable mission designers to evaluate the impact on mission and spacecraft design. We present the performance and plume plasma properties of the P5 5 kW-class HET operated with a Kr-Ar mixture with Ar volumetric flow rate fractions from 0 to 100%. The thruster is characterized at discharge power levels of 2.6 kW and 4.1 kW at constant discharge current and voltage over the range of Ar fractions. Despite higher ionization energy and lower mass of Ar, the thruster exhibited a similar level of thrust within 2% when comparing the pure Kr and 26%-Ar mixture cases. The derived ion energy distribution functions and analytical modeling suggest that the characteristic length for the ionization region is extended as the Ar fraction increases. The increased residence time of Kr at the extended ionization region and background energetic electrons from the ionized Ar neutrals are considered to cause this enhanced ionization of the injected Kr neutrals, leading to a 6% higher Kr ion density at the 26%-Ar case even at the 16% reduced injected neutral density than in the pure Kr case. The enhanced Kr ionization and generated Ar ions in the 26%-Ar case consequently led to a comparable thrust with that of the pure Kr case. The study indicates that mixing Ar with approximately 26% volumetrically with Kr can provide a similar or even higher thrust performance at the same discharge power. This will be particularly advantageous for various space missions that require high impulses by reducing the total cost of the propellant.

show abstract

Performance comparison of a 9-kW magnetically shielded Hall thruster operating on xenon and krypton

Cited by 23 publications

References 38 publications

Foundations of plasmas as ion sources

Foundations of plasmas as ion sources

Challenges with the self-consistent implementation of closure models for anomalous electron transport in fluid simulations of Hall thrusters

Argon admixture-driven enhanced ionization and performance of a 5 kW Hall thruster on krypton

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About