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Electric arc discharge damage to ion thruster grids
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Finke, R. C. Nakanishi, S. Beebe, D. D. |
| Copyright Year | 1974 |
| Description | Arcs representative of those occurring between the grids of a mercury ion thruster were simulated. Parameters affecting an arc and the resulting damage were studied. The parameters investigated were arc energy, arc duration, and grid geometry. Arc attenuation techniques were also investigated. Potentially serious damage occurred at all energy levels representative of actual thruster operating conditions. Of the grids tested, the lowest open-area configuration sustained the least damage for given conditions. At a fixed energy level a long duration discharge caused greater damage than a short discharge. Attenuation of arc current using various impedances proved to be effective in reducing arc damage. Faults were also deliberately caused using chips of sputtered materials formed during the operation of an actual thruster. These faults were cleared with no serious grid damage resulting using the principles and methods developed in this study. |
| File Size | 5755099 |
| Page Count | 38 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19740015235 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t0ht7db0t |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1974-05-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Propulsion Systems Grids Energy Levels Arc Discharges Ion Propulsion Rocket Engines Ion Accelerators Mercury Metal Electric Arcs Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
