Study on the influence of the discharge voltage on the ignition process of Hall thrusters

A high-speed charge-coupled device camera was used to capture images of the plume and acceleration channel of a Hall effect thruster during ignition at different discharge voltages. To better understand the influence of changes in the discharge voltage on the plasma parameters during thruster ignition, a particle-in-cell numerical model was used to calculate the distribution characteristics of the ion density and electric potential at different ignition moments under different discharge voltages. The results show that when the discharge voltage is high, the ion densities in the plume and acceleration channel are significantly higher at the initial phase of thruster ignition; with the gradual strengthening of the ignition process, the propellant avalanche ionization during thruster ignition occurs earlier and the pulse current peak increases. The main reason for these phenomena is that the change in the discharge voltage results in different energy acquisitions of the emitted electrons entering the thruster channel.     

Influence of heating on the discharge characteristics of a hollow cathode

Hollow cathodes are widely used as electron sources and neutralizers in ion and Hall electric propulsion. Special applications such as commercial aerospace and gravitational wave detection require hollow cathodes with a very wide discharge current range. In this paper, a heater is used to compensate for the temperature drop of the emitter at low current. The self-sustained current can be extended from 0.6 to 0.1 A with a small discharge oscillation and ion energy when the flow rate is constant. This is also beneficial for long-life operation. However, when the discharge current is high(1 A), heating can cause discharge oscillation, discharge voltage and ion energy to increase. Further, combined with a rapid decline of pressure inside the cathode and an increase in the temperature in the cathode orifice plate, electron emission in the orifice and outside the orifice increases and the plasma density in the orifice decreases. This leads to a change in the cathode discharge mode.     

Study on the influences of ionization region material arrangement on Hall thruster channel discharge characteristics

There exists strong interaction between the plasma and channel wall in the Hall thruster,which greatly affects the discharge performance of the thruster.In this paper,a two-dimensional physical model is established based on the actual size of an Aton P70 Hall thruster discharge channel.The particle-in-cell simulation method is applied to study the influences of segmented low emissive graphite electrode biased with anode voltage on the discharge characteristics of the Hall thruster channel.The influences of segmented electrode placed at the ionization region on electric potential,ion number density,electron temperature,ionization rate,discharge current and specific impulse are discussed.The results show that,when segmented electrode is placed at the ionization region,the axial length of the acceleration region is shortened,the equipotential lines tend to be vertical with wall at the acceleration region,thus radial velocity of ions is reduced along with the wall corrosion.The axial position of the maximal electron temperature moves towards the exit with the expansion of ionization region.Furthermore,the electron-wall collision frequency and ionization rate also increase,the discharge current decreases and the specific impulse of the Hall thruster is slightly enhanced.     

The far-field plasma characterization in a 600W Hall thruster plume by laser-induced fluorescence

Non-intrusive characterization of the singly ionized xenon velocity in Hall thruster plume using laser induced fluorescence(LIF) is critical for constructing a complete picture of plume plasma,deeply understanding the ion dynamics in the plume, and providing validation data for numerical simulation. This work presents LIF measurements of singly ionized xenon axial velocity on a grid ranging from 100 to 300 mm in axial direction and from 0 to 50 mm in radial direction for a600 W Hall thruster operating at the nominal condition of discharge voltage 300 V and discharge current 2 A, the influence of discharge voltage is investigated as well. The ion velocity distribution function(IVDF) results in the far-field plume demonstrate a profile of bimodal IVDFs, especially prominent at radial distances greater than channel inner radius of 22 mm at axial position of 100 mm, which is quite different from that of the near-field plume where bimodal IVDFs occur in the central core region for the same power Hall thruster when compared to previous LIF measurements of BHT-600 by Hargus(2010 J. Propulsion Power 26 135).Beyond 100 mm, only single-peak IVDFs are measured. The two-dimensional ion velocity vector field indicates the bimodal axial IVDF is merely a geometry effect for the annular discharge channel in the far-field plume. Results about the IVDF, the most probable velocity and the accelerating potential profile along the centerline all indicate that ions are still accelerating at axial distances greater than 100 mm, and the maximum most probable velocity measured at300 mm downstream of the exit plane is about 19 km s-1. In addition, the most probable velocity of ions along radial direction changes a little except the lower velocity ion populations in the bimodal IVDF cases. The ion temperature at axial distances of 10 and 300 mm oscillates along the radial direction, while the ion temperature first increases, and then decreases for the 200 mm case. Finally, the axial position for the ion peak axial velocity on the thruster centerline is shifted upstream for higher discharge voltages, and the velocity curve is becoming steeper with the discharge voltage before reaching the maximum. This observation can be used as a criterion to optimize the thruster performance.     

Simulation of the spatio-temporal evolution of the electron energy distribution function in a pulsed hollow-cathode discharge

This article presents the 2D simulation results of a nanosecond pulsed hollow cathode discharge obtained through a combination of fluid and kinetic models. The spatio-temporal evolution of the electron energy distribution function(EEDF) of the plasma column and electrical characteristics of the nanosecond pulsed hollow cathode discharge at a gas pressure of 5 Torr are studied. The results show that the discharge development starts with the formation of an ionization front at the anode surface. T...     

Generation characteristics of a metal ion plasma jet in vacuum discharge

To improve the performance of a metal ion plasma jet in vacuum discharge,an anode-insulated cone-cylinder electrode with insulating sleeve is proposed in this paper.Discharge characteristics and generation characteristics of plasma of the electrode are investigated,effects of diameter of insulating sleeve,variety of cathode material and length of the insulating sleeve on characteristics of metal ion plasma jet are discussed.Results indicate that a directional and steady plasma jet is formed by using the novel electrode with insulating sleeve under high vacuum conditions.Moreover,the properties of metal ion plasma jet are improved by using the aluminum cathode and thin and long insulating sleeve.The study provides strong support for research of vacuum metal ion plasma thruster and ion implantation technology.     

Simulation of the effect of a magnetically insulated anode on a low-power cylindrical Hall thruster

The intersection point of the characteristic magnetic field line (CMFL) crossing the anode boundary with the discharge channel wall,and its influence on thruster performance and the energy and flux of ions bombarding the channel wall,have been studied numerically.The simulation results demonstrate that with the increase in distance from the crossover point of the CMFL with the channel wall to the bottom of the thruster channel,the ionization rate in the discharge channel gradually increases;meanwhile,the ion energy and ion current density bombarding the channel wall decreases.When the point of the CMFL with the channel wall is at the channel outlet,the thrust,specific impulse,and efficiency are at a maximum,while the ion energy and ion current density bombarding the channel wall are at a minimum.Therefore,to improve the performance and lifetime of the thruster,it is important to control the point of intersection of the CMFL with the channel wall.     

The plume diagnostics of 30 cm ion thruster with an advanced plasma diagnostics system

In order to achieve a better understanding of plume characteristics of LIPS-300 ion thruster, the beam current density, ion energy and electron number density of LIPS-300 ion thruster plume are studied with an Advanced Plasma Diagnostics System(APDS) which allows for simultaneous in situ measurements of various properties characterizing ion thruster, such as plasma density, plasma potential, plasma temperature and ion beam current densities, ion energy distribution and so on. The results show that the beam current density distribution has a double‘wing' shape. The high energy ions were found in small scan angle, while low energy ions were found in greater scan angle. Electron number density has a similar shape with the beam current density distribution.     

The far-field plasma characteristics of LHT40 low-power Hall thruster for commercial aerospace applications

To achieve a better insight into the far-field plasma spatial distribution and evolution characteristics of the 300 W class low-power Hall thruster (LHT) for commercial aerospace applications,a dedicated and integrated plasma diagnostic system composed of seventeen Faraday cups (FC) and two triple Langmuir probes (TLP) is established to investigate the time-averaged in situ spatial distribution characteristics of far-field ions and electrons.The ion current density (ICD),plasma potential,plasma density,and electron temperature at 1000 mm downstream of 300 W class LHT for commercial aerospace applications in the azimuthal angle range of-90° to 90° were investigated under the conditions of different anode mass flow rates and discharge voltages.The results demonstrated that ICD,beam divergence angle,and mass utilization efficiency increased with increasing anode mass rate.The double-wings phenomenon was observed in the spatial distribution of ICD at large angles from the thruster axis,which is attributed to charge exchange collisions at increasing vacuum backpressure.The plasma electron temperature,electron density,and plasma potential parameters derived from the TLP decreased rapidly in the angle range from 0° to 30° and did not exhibit significant variations above 30°,which was also in good agreement with the results of the measured divergence angle of the FC.The discrepancy of average ion speed was calculated.The maximum error is better than 31.5％which checks the consistency between the TLP's results and that of FC to some extent.     

The Effect of Gas Flow Rate on Radio-Frequency Hollow Cathode Discharge Characteristics

It is known that gas flow rate is a key factor in controlling industrial plasma processing. In this paper, a 2D PIC/MCC model is developed for an rf hollow cathode discharge with an axial nitrogen gas flow. The effects of the gas flow rate on the plasma parameters are calculated and the results show that： with an increasing flow rate, the total ion（N＋2, N＋） density decreases, the mean sheath thickness becomes wider, the radial electric field in the sheath and the axial electric field show an increase, and the energies of both kinds of nitrogen ions increase;and, as the axial ion current density that is moving toward the ground electrode increases, the ion current density near the ground electrode increases. The simulation results will provide a useful reference for plasma jet technology involving rf hollow cathode discharges in N2.     

High efficiency metal ion source

A double hollow cathode ion source can produce a high amount and high current density of metal ions (Mo) by using a new sputtering discharge mode of hollow cathode discharge. It is evident that the new sputtering discharge mode occurs under suitable conditions of the diameter of the second hollow cathode and the magnetic field. At a sputter voltage of 600 V and magnetic field of 1.0 kG, the metal ion beam ratio of reaches 50%.     

Numerical simulation of the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster

A particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision model of a discharge chamber is established to investigate the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster. We present the discharge characteristics at different stages (the initial stage, development stage, and stable stage) according to the trend of the discharge current with time. The discharge current is the sum of the sidewall current and the backplate current. During the start-up process, the sidewall current lags behind the backplate current. The variation and distribution characteristics of the discharge current over time are determined by the electron density distribution and electric potential distribution.     

Impact of exterior electron emission on the self-sustaining margin of hollow cathode discharge

Hollow cathode researches used to focus on the inner cavity or downstream plume, however,rarely on the gap between the throttling orifice plate and the keeper plate(T-K gap), which was found to impact the self-sustaining margin of hollow cathode discharge in this paper. Near the lower margin, the main power deposition and electron emission and ionization regions would migrate from inner cavity and downstream plume to the T-K gap, in which case, the source and destination of each m A current therein matter for the self-sustaining capability. Changing the metal surfaces in the T-K gap with emissive materials proved effective in lowering the lower margin by supplementing auxiliary thermionic emission, compensating electron loss on cold absorbing walls and suppressing discharge oscillations. By doing so, the lower margin of a 4 A hollow cathode was lowered from 1 to 0.1-0.2 A, enabling it to couple with low power Hall thruster without extra keeper current.     

A study of the influence of different grid structures on plasma characteristics in the discharge chamber of an ion thruster

The grid structure has significant effects on the discharge characteristics of an ion thruster.The discharge performances of a 30 cm diameter ion thruster with flat,convex and concave grids are studied.The analysis results show that the discharge chamber with a convex grid has a larger’magnetic-field free area’ than the others,and the parallelism of the magnetic-field isopotential lines and anode is generally the same in the three models.Plasma densities of the three structures at the grid outle...     

The effect of anode axial position on the performance of a miniaturized cylindrical Hall thruster with a cusp-type magnetic field

A 200 W cylindrical Hall thruster with a cusp-type magnetic field was proposed, manifesting convergent plume and high specific impulse. In this paper, a series of ring-shaped anodes are designed and the influence of anode axial position on the performance of CHT with a cusp-type magnetic field is studied. The experimental results indicate that the thruster keeps stable operation at the condition of 140–270 W discharge power. When the anode moves axially towards the upstream cusp field, the thrust enhances from 6.5 mN to 7.6 mN and specific impulse enhances from 1658 s to 1939 s significantly. These improvements of thruster performance should be attributed to the enhancement of current utilization, propellant utilization and acceleration efficiency. According to the analyses on the discharge characteristics, it is revealed that as the anode moves upstream, the electron transport path could be extended, the magnetic field in this extended path could impede electron cross-field transport and facilitate the ionization intensity, yielding to the enhancement of current utilization and propellant utilization efficiency. Moreover, along with this enhancement of upstream ionization at the given anode flow rate, the main ionization region is thought to move upstream and then separate more apparently from the acceleration region, which has been demonstrated by the narrowing of ion energy distribution function shape. This change in acceleration region could decrease the ion energy loss and enhance acceleration efficiency. This work is beneficial for optimizing the electrode structure of thruster and recognize the ionization and acceleration process under the cusp magnetic field.     

Measurements of plasma parameters in a hollow electrode AC glow discharge in helium

Measurements of the plasma parameters of coaxial gridded hollow electrode alternating current(AC)discharge helium plasma were carried out using an improved probe diagnostic technology.The measurements were performed under well-defined discharge conditions(chamber geometry,input power,AC power frequency,and external electrical characteristics).The problems encountered in describing the characteristics of AC discharge in many probe diagnostic methods were addressed by using an improved probe diagnostics design.This design can also be applied to the measurement of plasma parameters in many kinds of plasma sources in which the probe potential fluctuates with the discharge current.Several parameters of the hollow electrode AC helium discharge plasma were measured,including the plasma density,electron temperature,plasma density profiles,and changes in plasma density at different input power values and helium pressures.The characteristics of the coaxial gridded hollow electrode plasma determined by the experiments are suitable for comparison with plasma simulations,and for use in many applications of hollow cathode plasma.     

Plasma characteristics in the discharge region of a 20A emission current hollow cathode

Numerical calculation and fluid simulation methods were used to obtain the plasma characteristics in the discharge region of the LIPS-300 ion thruster’s 20 A emission current hollow cathode and to verify the structural design of the emitter.The results of the two methods indicated that the highest plasma density and electron temperature,which improved significantly in the orifice region,were located in the discharge region of the hollow cathode.The magnitude of plasma density was about 10~(21)m~(-3)in the emitter and orifice regions,as obtained by numerical calculations,but decreased exponentially in the plume region with the distance from the orifice exit.Meanwhile,compared to the emitter region,the electron temperature and current improved by about 36%in the orifice region.The hollow cathode performance test results were in good agreement with the numerical calculation results,which proved that that the structural design of the emitter and the orifice met the requirements of a 20 A emission current.The numerical calculation method can be used to estimate plasma characteristics in the preliminary design stage of hollow cathodes.     

间热式大面积六硼化镧中空阴极

介绍了适用于强流离子源的间热式大面积六硼化镧中空阴极。在１５ｃｍ双潘宁离子湖泊 上放电特性研究表明，该阴极性能良好，能可靠工作，使用过程中多次暴露于大气中，发射性能并未变坏，加热功率为１．４５ｋＷ，ＬａＢ６发射电流密度为２０Ａ／ｃｍ＾２，放电电流４００Ａ，脉冲宽度３０ｍｓ，放电波形重复性很好。使用１００ｈ后，发射体尺寸无明显变化。     

The dynamics of a nanosecond gas discharge development with an extended slot cathode in argon

The article presents the results of an experimental study and numerical modelling for the formation and development dynamics of a high-voltage transverse nanosecond discharge generated by a slot cathode in an argon medium at a pressure range of 1–10 Torr. Numerical modelling was carried out under similar experimental conditions for the processes of formation and propagation of ionisation waves, electron density distribution, excited atom and average electron energy in the discharge gap, including the cavity inside the cathode. At a pressure of p = 1 Torr, a classical version of a high-voltage discharge is demonstrated to take place with no penetration of the plasma into the cathode cavity and no observed hollow cathode effect. An increase in gas pressure to 5 Torr leads to a penetration of plasma into the cathode cavity with the formation of a cathodic potential drop (CPD) region. Electrons emitted from the side surfaces of the cavity pass through the CPD region without collisions, oscillate inside the cathode cavity; the hollow cathode effect is fully manifested. At р = 10 Torr, the modelling results qualitatively coincide with the results at р = 5 Torr; in this case, however, hardly any accelerated electrons are observed in the gap between the electrodes, due to their energetic relaxation both inside the cathode cavity and when exiting from it. In both cases, the plasma structure formed at the exit of the cathode cavity involves a concentration of charged particles an order of magnitude higher than that in the rest of the gap, leading to a self-limiting discharge current effect. The results of the numerical modelling are in good agreement with experimental data.     

Effect of the Discharge Voltage on the Performance of the Hall Thruster

In this paper,a two-dimensional physical model is established according to the discharging process in the Hall thruster discharge channel using the particle-in-cell method.The influences of discharge voltage on the distributions of potential,ion radial flow,and discharge current are investigated in a fixed magnetic field configuration.It is found that,with the increase of discharge voltage,especially during 250-650 V,the ion radial flow and the collision frequency between ions and the wall are decreased,but the discharge current is increased.The electron temperature saturation is observed between 400-450 V and the maximal value decreases during this region.When the discharge voltage reaches 700 V,the potential distribution in the axis direction expands to the anode significantly,the ionization region becomes close to the anode,and the acceleration region grows longer.Besides,ion radial flow and the collision frequency between ions and the wall are also increased when the discharge voltage exceeds 650 V.