Experimental validation of the electric sail concept - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2023

Experimental validation of the electric sail concept

Résumé

The electric sail is a type of propellant-less propulsion system that relies on the solar wind dynamic pressure to create thrust and move a spacecraft. In this contribution, we present recent experimental results on ion deflection by an electric sail. The sail is here represented by a thin tungsten wire polarized to high positive or negative voltages. A low-power Hall thruster generates a quasi-neutral ion beam that mimics the solar wind. Various electrostatic probes are placed downstream of the sail to analyse the plasma disturbance created when the voltage is applied and ramped up. Ions are deflected whatever the applied voltage, the impact being more marked for large values. Experiments therefore indirectly demonstrate momentum from the beam is imparted to the wire, the core principle of an electric sail.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
MAZOUFFRE EUCASS paper 581 Electric sail 2023.pdf (974.9 Ko) Télécharger le fichier
Origine Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)
Licence
Domaine public

Dates et versions

hal-04171045 , version 1 (25-07-2023)

Licence

Domaine public

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-04171045 , version 1

Citer

S Mazouffre, U Weller. Experimental validation of the electric sail concept. 10th European Conference for Aerospace Sciences - 9th CEAS, Jul 2023, Lausanne, Switzerland. ⟨hal-04171045⟩
41 Consultations
76 Téléchargements

Partager

Gmail Mastodon Facebook X LinkedIn More