Experimental and Computational Investigation of a RF Plasma Micro-Thruster (Preprint)

Abstract

A prototype RF plasma micro-thruster has been investigated numerically and experimentally. The experimental results were obtained on a thrust stand capable of micro-Newton resolution. Thrust and mass flow (hence specific impulse) were measured for an argon propellant at mass flows ranging from 0.4 to 5.5 mg/sec. An increase to the cold gas thrust of up to 20% was observed for a discharge frequency of 100 MHz and an input power of 70 W. Propulsive efficiency was seen to increase both experimentally and numerically for increasing mass flow and decreasing discharge frequency.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 08, 2008
Accession Number
ADA484947

Entities

People

  • A. A. Alexeenko
  • A. D. Ketsdever
  • I. Hrbud
  • J. D. Olliges
  • W. B. Stein

Organizations

  • University of Southern California

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Cold Gases
  • Efficiency
  • Electrons
  • Energy
  • Energy Transfer
  • Flow
  • Flow Rate
  • Frequency
  • Gases
  • Mass Flow
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Monte Carlo Method
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Specific Impulse
  • Thrust
  • Thrusters

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Wave Propagation and Nonlinear Chaotic Dynamics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster