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Test bed ion engine development
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Deininger, W. D. Aston, G. |
| Copyright Year | 1984 |
| Description | A test bed ion (TBI) engine was developed to serve as a tool in exploring the limits of electrostatic ion thruster performance. A description of three key ion engine components, the decoupled extraction and amplified current (DE-AC) accelerator system, field enhanced refractory metal (FERM) hollow cathode and divergent line cusp (DLC) discharge chamber, whose designs and operating philosophies differ markedly from conventional thruster technology is given. Significant program achievements were: (1) high current density DE-AC accelerator system operation at low electric field stress with indicated feasibility of a 60 mA/sq cm argon ion beam; (2) reliable FERM cathode start up times of 1 to 2 secs. and demonstrated 35 ampere emission levels; (3) DLC discharge chamber plasma potentials negative of anode potential; and (4) identification of an efficient high plasma density engine operating mode. Using the performance projections of this program and reasonable estimates of other parameter values, a 1.0 Newton thrust ion engine is identified as a realizable technology goal. Calculations show that such an engine, comparable in beam area to a J series 30 cm thruster, could, operating on Xe or Hg, have thruster efficiencies as high as 0.76 and 0.78 respectively, with a 100 eV/ion discharge loss. |
| File Size | 50860013 |
| Page Count | 83 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19840012564 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t2p60dk44 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1984-03-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Spacecraft Propulsion And Power Hollow Cathodes Electrostatic Engines Propulsion System Performance Mechanical Properties Plasma Acceleration Plasma Control Plasma Propulsion Ion Propulsion Thrust Chambers Ion Extraction Ion Engines Plasma Currents Electron Emission Current Density 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 |
