Advanced Hybrid Modeling of Hall Thruster Plumes

Abstract

A hybrid particle-fluid method is applied to model the plume from a 6 kW Hall thruster operated in the Large Vacuum Test Facility at the University of Michigan. The approach utilizes the direct simulation Monte Carlo method and the Particle-in-Cell method to simulate the collision and plasma dynamics of xenon neutrals and ions. The electrons are modeled as a fluid using conservation equations. A second code is employed to model discharge chamber behavior to provide improved input conditions at the thruster exit for the plume simulation. Simulation accuracy is assessed using experimental data previously recorded.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 16, 2010
Accession Number
ADA524445

Entities

People

  • Iain D. Boyd
  • Tyler D. Huismann

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Collisions
  • Computational Science
  • Computer Simulations
  • Dynamics
  • Electric Propulsion
  • Electrons
  • Equations
  • Experimental Data
  • Fluids
  • Hall Thrusters
  • Monte Carlo Method
  • Physics
  • Simulations
  • Test Facilities
  • Thrusters

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Propulsion Engineering.
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster