Electric Propulsion of a Different Class: The Challenges of Testing for MegaWatt Missions

Abstract

Currently, there is great interest in the development of high-power electric propulsion (EP) devices that can be employed in missions requiring >100 kW levels of propulsive power. Of the candidates for such thrusters, the Nested-channel Hall thruster (NHT) has been shown to be particularly scalable to this mission requirement. To this end, the University of Michigan s Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL), in conjunction with both the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and NASA, has developed a 100-kW-class NHT called the X3. While bringing the X3 to test-ready status, a number of developmental and facility-related challenges were encountered and overcome. This paper presents these challenges and the lessons learned associated with the X3 s design, fabrication, and testing as a case study to inform other high-power EP development efforts.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA569755

Entities

People

  • Alec D. Gallimore
  • Daniel L. Brown
  • Hani Kamhawi
  • James E. Polk
  • Richard R. Hofer
  • Roland Florenz
  • Thomas M. Liu

Organizations

  • University of Michigan

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Astronautics
  • Electric Propulsion
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Hall Effect
  • Hall Thrusters
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters
  • Mechatronic Engineering
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Solar Propulsion
  • Spacecraft
  • Test Facilities
  • Thrust
  • Thrusters

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Propulsion Engineering.
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster