Optimization of a coaxial electron cyclotron resonance plasma thruster with an analytical model
Résumé
A new cathodeless plasma thruster currently under development at Onera is presented and characterized experimentally and analytically. The coaxial thruster consists of a microwave antenna immersed in a magnetic field, which allows electron heating via cyclotron resonance. The magnetic field diverges at the thruster exit and forms a nozzle that accelerates the quasi-neutral plasma to generate a thrust. Different thruster configurations are tested, and in particular, the influence of the source diameter on the thruster performance is investigated. At microwave powers of about 30W and a xenon flow rate of 0.1mg/s (1 SCCM), a mass utilization of 60% and a thrust of 1mN are estimated based on angular electrostatic probe measurements performed downstream of the thruster in the exhaust plume. Results are found to be in fair agreement with a recent analytical helicon thruster model that has been adapted for the coaxial geometry used here.
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)
Loading...