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Performance and probe measurements of a radio-frequency plasma thruster

Publication ,  Journal Article
Shabshelowitz, A; Gallimore, AD
Published in: Journal of Propulsion and Power
January 1, 2013

The performance of a radio-frequency plasma thruster is evaluated using a displacement-type, inverted-pendulum thrust stand in the Large Vacuum Test Facility at the University of Michigan. A radio-frequency generator supplies up to 2000 W to the radio-frequency plasma thruster at a fixed frequency of 13.56 MHz. The matching network is placed inside the vacuum chamber at the thruster, and the radio-frequency power is measured at the matching network input port with a dual-directional coupler. A Faraday probe measures the current density in the far-field exhaust of the thruster, a retarding potential analyzer characterizes the ion voltage distribution, and a Langmuir probe measures the plasma potential. The radio-frequency plasma thruster is operated with argon propellant at mass flow rates of 2.4-7.6 mg/s, at corresponding corrected facility pressures of 1.5 × 10-6-4.6 × 10-6 torr. The maximum thrust observed is 10.8 mN, and the maximum specific impulse is 303 s. Thrust efficiency is below1%at all conditions. Faraday probe results show that the propellant utilization efficiency is below 15% and that the ionized exhaust has an effective divergence half-angle of 48 deg. Thrust is negatively correlated with the ion beam most probable voltage, showing that retarding potential analyzer results alone may not accurately characterize thruster performance. Charge-exchange collisions likely have a significant influence on radio-frequency plasma thruster operation. Copyright © 2012 by Adam Shabshelowitz.

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Published In

Journal of Propulsion and Power

DOI

EISSN

1533-3876

ISSN

0748-4658

Publication Date

January 1, 2013

Volume

29

Issue

4

Start / End Page

919 / 929

Related Subject Headings

  • Aerospace & Aeronautics
  • 4001 Aerospace engineering
  • 0913 Mechanical Engineering
  • 0901 Aerospace Engineering
  • 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics
 

Citation

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Shabshelowitz, A., & Gallimore, A. D. (2013). Performance and probe measurements of a radio-frequency plasma thruster. Journal of Propulsion and Power, 29(4), 919–929. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B34720
Shabshelowitz, A., and A. D. Gallimore. “Performance and probe measurements of a radio-frequency plasma thruster.” Journal of Propulsion and Power 29, no. 4 (January 1, 2013): 919–29. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B34720.
Shabshelowitz A, Gallimore AD. Performance and probe measurements of a radio-frequency plasma thruster. Journal of Propulsion and Power. 2013 Jan 1;29(4):919–29.
Shabshelowitz, A., and A. D. Gallimore. “Performance and probe measurements of a radio-frequency plasma thruster.” Journal of Propulsion and Power, vol. 29, no. 4, Jan. 2013, pp. 919–29. Scopus, doi:10.2514/1.B34720.
Shabshelowitz A, Gallimore AD. Performance and probe measurements of a radio-frequency plasma thruster. Journal of Propulsion and Power. 2013 Jan 1;29(4):919–929.

Published In

Journal of Propulsion and Power

DOI

EISSN

1533-3876

ISSN

0748-4658

Publication Date

January 1, 2013

Volume

29

Issue

4

Start / End Page

919 / 929

Related Subject Headings

  • Aerospace & Aeronautics
  • 4001 Aerospace engineering
  • 0913 Mechanical Engineering
  • 0901 Aerospace Engineering
  • 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics