Comparison of Numerical and Experimental Time-Resolved Near-Field Hall Thruster Plasma Properties

Abstract

The breathing mode of a xenon 600W Hall effect thruster has been studied using both temporally resolved experimental data and numerical modeling. Fluctuations in xenon neutral NIR (810-835 nm) emission in the near field thruster plume have been measured at 1 microsecond resolution using a high-speed intensified charge coupled device (ICCD). Oscillations in electron temperature, 3-9 eV, have been inferred using a collisional-radiative model and a two-line ratio method. The time-resolved emission and electron temperature measurements are then used to assess the accuracy of the numerical model HPHall. Simulations were found to be consistent with a -6 phase delay measured between discharge current and electron temperature cycles, but were unable to predict the magnitude of oscillations observed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA577248

Entities

People

  • Ashley E. Gonzales
  • Justin W. Koo
  • Michelle K. Scharfe
  • William A. Hargus

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Cross Correlation
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Electron Density
  • Electron Mobility
  • Electrons
  • Emission
  • Emission Spectra
  • Experimental Data
  • Hall Effect
  • Hall Thrusters
  • Measurement
  • Near Field
  • Oscillation
  • Phase Shift
  • Simulations
  • Thrusters

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Propulsion Engineering.
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML
  • AI & ML - Bayesian Inference
  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster