Experimental and numerical simulation study of the effect for the anode positions on the discharge characteristics of 300 W class low power Hall thrusters

Low-power Hall thruster(LHT) generally has poor discharge efficiency characteristics due to the large surface-to-volume ratio.Aiming to further refine and improve the performance of 300 W class LHT in terms of thrust and efficiency,and to obtain the most optimal operating point,the experimental study of the discharge characteristics for three different anode positions was conducted under the operation of various discharge voltages(100-400 V) and anode mass flow rates(0.65 mg·s^-1 and 0...     

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.     

Characteristics of plasma in a novel laser-assisted pulsed plasma thruster

A novel laser-assisted pulsed plasma thruster (LA-PPT) is proposed as an electric propulsion thruster, which separates laser ablation and electromagnetic acceleration. It aims for a higher specific impulse than that achieved with conventional LA-PPTs. Owing to the short-time discharge and the novel configuration, the physical mechanism of the discharge is unclear. Time and spatial-resolved optical emission spectroscopy was applied to investigate the variation in the plasma properties in the thruster discharge channel. The plasma species, electron temperature, and electron density were obtained and discussed. Our investigation revealed that there were H_α, H_β, H_γ, H_ε atoms, C I, C II, C III, C IV, Cl I, Cl II particles, and a small amount of CH, C₃, C₂, H₂ neutral molecular groups in the plasma. The electron temperature of the discharge channel of the thruster was within 0.6–4.9 eV, and the electron density was within (1.1–3.0) $\times $ 10¹⁸ cm⁻³, which shows that the optical emission spectroscopy method is to measure the electron excitation temperature and electron density in heavy particles. But the Langmuir probe method is to measure the temperature and density of free electrons. The use of laser instead of spark plug as the ignition mode significantly changed the plasma distribution in the discharge channel. Unlike the conventional PPT, which has high electron density near the thruster surface, LA-PPT showed relatively large electron density at the thruster outlet, which increased the thruster specific impulse. In addition, the change in the ignition mode enabled the electron density in the LA-PPT discharge channel to be higher than that in the conventional PPT. This proves that the ignition mode with laser replacing the spark plug effectively optimised the PPT performance.     

Investigation of the self-induced magneticfield characteristics in a pulsed plasma thruster with flared electrodes

The self-induced magnetic field in a pulsed plasma thruster(PPT)with flared electrodes is investigated for a better understanding of the working process and the structural design of the thruster.A two-dimensional model of the magnetic field is built and is validated by comparing the simulated results with the experimental results in literature.The magnetic flux density in the discharge channel during the working process is presented and analyzed regarding the electrode structures.The calculated magnetic field flux density decreases from 0.8 T at the upstream to 0.1 T and below at the downstream in the discharge channel(68 J).The peak of the magnetic flux density over time lags behind the current peak,which provides evidence for the existence of a moving plasma sheet in the discharge process.The magnetic field induced by the current in the extra bending part of the anode enhances the Lorentz force,which acts on the charged particles near the propellant.Finally,the geometric study indicates that the electromagnetic impulse bit does not monotonically increase with the flared angle of the electrodes.Instead,it reaches a maximum at a certain flared angle,which could provide significant suggestions for structural optimization.     

Effect of vacuum backpressure on discharge characteristics of hollow cathode

A hollow cathode is the electronic source and neutralizer of the Hall thruster and an ion thruster.When the orbit of an all-electric propulsion satellite changes from 100 km to 36 000 km, the backpressure changes by two to three orders of magnitude. In this paper, the influence of the backpressure on the discharge characteristics of the hollow cathode has been studied experimentally in the so-called diode configuration. With the increase in the backpressure, the anode voltage decreases gradually, and the amplitude of the current oscillation decreases significantly. Additionally, the plasma is relatively stable, the most probable ion energy and the width of the ion energy distribution reduces, and the electron distribution function inclines toward the Maxwell distribution under high backpressure. The analysis results show that the backpressure affects the gas ionization and the ionic acoustic turbulence, which also affects the discharge characteristics of the hollow cathode.     

Diagnosing the Fine Structure of Electron Energy Within the ECRIT Ion Source

The ion source of the electron cyclotron resonance ion thruster(ECRIT) extracts ions from its ECR plasma to generate thrust, and has the property of low gas consumption(2 sccm,standard-state cubic centimeter per minute) and high durability. Due to the indispensable effects of the primary electron in gas discharge, it is important to experimentally clarify the electron energy structure within the ion source of the ECRIT through analyzing the electron energy distribution function(EEDF) of the plasma inside the thruster. In this article the Langmuir probe diagnosing method was used to diagnose the EEDF, from which the effective electron temperature, plasma density and the electron energy probability function(EEPF) were deduced. The experimental results show that the magnetic field influences the curves of EEDF and EEPF and make the effective plasma parameter nonuniform. The diagnosed electron temperature and density from sample points increased from 4 eV/2×10~(16)m~(-3) to 10 eV/4×10~(16)m(-3) with increasing distances from both the axis and the screen grid of the ion source. Electron temperature and density peaking near the wall coincided with the discharge process. However, a double Maxwellian electron distribution was unexpectedly observed at the position near the axis of the ion source and about 30 mm from the screen grid. Besides, the double Maxwellian electron distribution was more likely to emerge at high power and a low gas flow rate. These phenomena were believed to relate to the arrangements of the gas inlets and the magnetic field where the double Maxwellian electron distribution exits. The results of this research may enhance the understanding of the plasma generation process in the ion source of this type and help to improve its performance.     

Effect of low-frequency oscillation on performance of Hall thrusters

In this paper,a direct connection between the discharge current amplitude and the thruster performance is established by varying solely the capacitance of the filter unit of the Hall thrusters.To be precise,the variation characteristics of ion current,propellant utilization efficiency,and divergence angle of plume at different low-frequency oscillation amplitudes are measured.The findings demonstrate that in the case of the propellant in the discharge channel just meets or falls below the full ionization condition,the increase of low-frequency oscillation amplitude can significantly enhance the ionization degree of the neutral gas in the channel and increase the thrust and anode efficiency of thruster.On the contrary,the increase in the amplitude of low-frequency oscillation will lead to increase the loss of plume divergence,therefore the thrust and anode efficiency of thruster decrease.     

Plume diagnostics of BUSTLab microwave electrothermal thruster using Langmuir and Faraday probes

This study presents the Langmuir and Faraday probe measurements conducted to determine the plume characteristics of the BUSTLab microwave electrothermal thruster (MET). The thruster, designed to operate at 2.45 GHz frequency, is run with helium, argon and nitrogen gases as the propellant. For the measurements, the propellant volume flow rate and the delivered microwave power levels are varied. Experiments with nitrogen gas revealed certain operation regimes where a very luminous plume is observed. With the use of in-house-built Langmuir probes and a Faraday probe with guard ring, thruster plume electron temperature, plasma density and ion current density values are measured, and the results are presented. The measurements show that MET thruster plume effects on spacecraft will likely be similar to those of the arcjet plume. It is observed that the measured plume ion flux levels are very low for the high volume flow rates used for the operation of this thruster.     

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.     

PIC simulation of plasma properties in the discharge channel of a pulsed plasma thruster with flared electrodes

Plasma in the discharge channel of a pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) with flared electrodes is simulated by a self-developed two-dimensional code. The fully particle-in-cell method with Monte Carlo collision is employed to model the particle movement and collisions and investigate the plasma properties and acceleration process. Temporal and spatial variations of the electron density distribution and the ion velocity between electrodes are calculated and analyzed in detail. The computational results of the electron number density, which is in the order of 10²³ m⁻³, show good agreements with experimental results of a PPT named ADD SIMP-LEX. The ion velocity distributions along the center line of the channel lead to a comprehensive understanding of ions accelerated by electromagnetic field. The electron distributions of PPT with discharge voltages varying from 1300 to 2000 V are compared. The diffusion of electrons presents strong dependency on discharge voltage and implies higher degree of ionization for higher voltage.     

Magnet stage optimization of 5 kW multi-cusped field thruster

The multi-cusped field thruster is a unique electric thruster device, which has many advantages such as long lifetime, large-range thrust throttling ability, high thrust density, and low mass. The thruster employs several alternating polarity permanent magnets to create a periodic magnetic field with several cusps. Previous studies have indicated that the basic ionization and acceleration processes are directly related to the electron motion behavior, which mainly depends on the magnetic field characteristics. The magnet number and magnet stage length are two key magnetic field parameters that have important effects on the thruster performances. In this paper, both the magnet number and magnet stage length parameters are studied for the optimization of a 5 k W multi-cusped field thruster. The results indicate that the three-stage thruster has a better electron confinement than the two-stage thruster. It has lower ion energy loss at the wall, and shows a higher ionization rate. Therefore, the three-stage magnetic field is a superior magnetic field configuration. Besides, the three-stage magnetic field simulation results indicate that an optimal accelerating electric field distribution and ionization region distribution could be obtained when the magnet length ratio is 78:25:20.     

Numerical simulation of hydrogen arcjet thruster with coupled sheath model

In the present work, a complete 2D chemical and thermal non-equilibrium numerical model coupled with a relatively simple sheath model is developed for hydrogen arcjet thruster. Conduction heat transfer in the anode wall is also included in the model. The operating voltages predicted by the model are compared with those in the literature and are found to be in close agreement. Power distributions for the various operating conditions are obtained, anode radiation loss primarily determines the thruster efficiency. Higher thruster efficiency was found to be associated with longer arc length. At cathode ion diffusion contribution dominates except at low input current where thermo-field electron current is dominant.     

Time Evolution of Artificial Plasma Cloud in Atmospheric Environment

By analyzing the time evolution of artificial plasma cloud in the high altitude of atmospheric environment, we found that there are two zones, an exponential attenuation zone and a linearly attenuating zone, existing in the spatial distribution of electron density of the artificial plasma clouds. The plasma generator‘s particle flux density only contributes to the exponential attenuation zone, and has no effect on the linear attenuation zone. The average electron density in the linear attenuation zone is about 10^-5 of neutral particle density, and can diffuse over a wide rarea, The conclusion will supply some valuable references to the research of electromagnetic wave and artificial plasma interaction, the plasma invisibleness research of missile and special aerocraft,and the design of artificial plasma source.     

Measurement of Ion Parameters by Ion Sensitive Probe in ECR Plasma

Ion parameters in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) microwave plasma were measured by ion sensitive probe and were compared with the electron parameters obtained by double Langmuir probe. The effects of gas pressure and microwave power on the ion temperature and density were analyzed. The spatial distribution of the ion parameters was also investigated by the ion sensitive probes with a tunable radial depth installed on different probe windows along the chamber axis. Results showed that the ion density measured by the ion sensitive probe was in good agreement with the electron density measured by the double Langmuir probe. The influence of gas pressure on the ion parameters was stronger than that of microwave power. With the increase in working pressure, the ion temperature decreased monotonously with a decreasing rate larger than that at higher pressure. The ion density first increased to a peak (42.3?1010cm-3) at 1 Pa and then decreased. The ion temperature and density increased little with the increase in the microwave power from 400 W to 800 W. The plasma far away from the resonant point is found to be radially uniform.     

The structure of an electronegative magnetized plasma sheath with non-extensive electron distribution

In this paper, an electronegative magnetized plasma sheath model with non-extensive electron distribution is established, and the Bohm criterion affected by the non-extensive parameter q is theoretically derived. The ion Mach number varies with q. The numerical simulation results show that compared with electronegative magnetized plasma sheath with Maxwell distribution (q = 1), the sheath structures with super-extensive distribution (q < 1) and sub-extensive distribution (q > 1) are different. The physical quantities including the sheath potential distribution, ion density distribution, the electron density distribution, negative ion density distribution and the net space charge density distribution are discussed. It is shown that the non-extensive parameter q has a significant influence on the structure of the electronegative magnetized plasma sheath. Due to the Lorentz force, both the magnitude and the angle of the magnetic field affect the structure of the sheath, whether the electrons are Maxwell distributed or non-extensively distributed.     

Effects of direct current discharge on the spatial distribution of cylindrical inductively-coupled plasma at different gas pressures

Stable operations of single direct current(DC) discharge, single radio frequency(RF) discharge and DC?+?RF hybrid discharge are achieved in a specially-designed DC enhanced inductivelycoupled plasma(DCE-ICP) source. Their plasma characteristics, such as electron density,electron temperature and the electron density spatial distribution profiles are investigated and compared experimentally at different gas pressures. It is found that under the condition of single RF discharge, the electron density distribution profiles show a ‘convex' shape and ‘saddle' shape at gas pressures of 3 m Torr and 150 m Torr respectively. This result can be attributed to the transition of electron kinetics from nonlocal to local kinetics with an increase in gas pressure.Moreover, in the operation of DC?+?RF hybrid discharge at different gas pressures, the DC discharge has different effects on plasma uniformity. The plasma uniformity can be improved by modulating DC power at a high pressure of 150 m Torr where local electron kinetics is dominant,whereas plasma uniformity deteriorates at a low pressure of 3 m Torr where nonlocal electron kinetics prevails. This phenomenon, as analyzed, is due to the obvious nonlinear enhancement effect of electron density at the chamber center, and the inherent radial distribution difference in the electron density with single RF discharge at different gas pressures.     

预脉冲对超短激光与薄膜靶相互作用加速产生质子的影响

采用波长为744 nm、聚焦功率密度为6×10¹⁶W/cm²的超短激光分别与两种不同厚度的铝薄膜靶相互作用,根据鞘层加速机制在靶后法线方向测量质子束角分布和能谱随靶厚度的变化,研究了预脉冲对质子加速的影响。随着薄膜靶厚度的降低,质子计数迅速增加,但当薄膜靶厚度太薄时,激光预脉冲形成的预等离子体影响了薄膜靶的面型,导致质子横向发散角迅速增加,而薄膜靶面型的破坏减少了激光与等离子体相互作用过程中的电子回流,从而降低了超热电子的产生和鞘层加速电场的维持,影响了质子的加速能谱。因此,超短脉冲激光与薄膜靶相互作用加速产生质子束,应尽量降低预脉冲,不能采用太薄的薄膜靶,以避免预等离子体影响薄膜靶的面型,导致质子的能量降低、发散角增大。     

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.     

A low power 50 Hz argon plasma for surface modification of polytetrafluoroethylene

The characteristics of a low power 50 Hz argon plasma for surface treatment of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film is presented in this article. The current–voltage behavior of the discharge and time-varying intensity of the discharge showed that a DC glow discharge was generated in reversed polarity at every half-cycle. At discharge power between 0.5 and 1 W, the measured electron temperature and density were 2–3 eV and ∼10⁸ cm⁻³, respectively. The optical emission spectrum of the argon plasma showed presence of some 'impurity species' such as OH, N₂ and H, which presumably originated from the residual air in the discharge chamber. On exposure of PTFE films to the argon glow plasma at pressure 120 Pa and discharge power 0.5 to 1 W, the water contact angle reduced by 4% to 20% from the original 114° at pristine condition, which confirms improvement of its surface wettability. The increase in wettability was attributed to incorporation of oxygen-containing functional groups on the treated surface and concomitant reduction in fluorine as revealed by the XPS analysis and increase in surface roughness analyzed from the atomic force micrographs. Ageing upon storage in ambient air showed retention of the induced increase in surface wettability.     

Electrical and optical measurements in the early hydrogen discharge of GLAST-Ⅲ

This work presents the first electrical and optical measurements of the initial phase of hydrogen discharge in the upgraded spherical tokamak GLAST-III, initiated with electron cyclotron heating(ECH). Diagnostic measurements provide insights into expected and unexpected physics issues related to the initial phase of discharge. A triple Langmuir probe(TLP) has been developed to measure time series of the floating potential, plasma electron temperature and number density over the entire discharge, allowing monitoring of the two phases of the discharge: the ECH pre-ionization phase following by the plasma current formation phase. A TLP has the ability to give time-resolved measurements of the floating potential(V_(float)), electron temperature(T_e) and ion saturation current(I_(sat)∝n_e√kT_e).sat e eThe evolution of the ECH-assisted pre-ionization and subsequent plasma current phases in one shot are well envisioned by the probe. Intense fluctuations in the plasma current phase advocate for efficient equilibrium and feedback control systems. Moreover, the emergence of some strong impurity lines in the emission spectrum, even after only a few shots, suggests a crucial need for improvements in the base vacuum level. A noticeable change in the shape of the temporal profiles of the floating potential, electron temperature, ion saturation current(I_(sat)) and light emission has been observed with changing hydrogen fill pressure and vertical magnetic field.