Lithium Ion Source for Satellite Charge Control

Abstract

A lithium ion source using thermal emission from mineral beta- eucryptite has been investigated as a possible control device for spacecraft charging. This source can be used for control of positively charged spacecraft potentials in sunlight and differentially charged spacecraft surfaces in shadow. This thesis investigates the dependence of the emitted ion current on several parameters: source temperature (power input), source bias potentials and potentials applied to simulated spacecraft geometries. Saturation current of about 5.8 micro amp were measured at an extraction potentials of 100 Volts from a source of 0.317 cm2 surface area with a power input of 18 Watts. The lifetime due to ion exhaustion was found to be approximately 200 hours for this compact source. Our results indicate that this type of ion source may represent an effective charge control device for spacecraft.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA238272

Entities

People

  • Tae I. Song

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Crystal Lattices
  • Crystal Structure
  • Electron Emission
  • Emission
  • Emitters
  • Geometry
  • Geosynchronous Satellites
  • Ion Engines
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Mechanical Properties
  • Photoelectrons
  • Physical Properties
  • Simulations
  • Space Shuttles
  • Spacecraft Charging
  • Vacuum Chambers

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers