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Arcing in leo and geo simulated environments: comparative analysis
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Galofaro, Joel TY Vayner, Boris V. Ferguson, Dale C. |
| Copyright Year | 2006 |
| Description | Comprehensive tests of two solar array samples in simulated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) environments have demonstrated that the arc inception voltage was 2-3 times lower in the LEO plasma than in the GEO vacuum. Arc current pulse wave forms are also essentially different in these environments. Moreover, the wide variations of pulse forms do not allow introducing the definition of a "standard arc wave form" even in GEO conditions. Visual inspection of the samples after testing in a GEO environment revealed considerable damage on coverglass surfaces and interconnects. These harmful consequences can be explained by the discharge energy being one order of magnitude higher in vacuum than in background plasma. The tests also revealed a potential danger of powerful electrostatic discharges that could be initiated on the solar array surface of a satellite in GEO during the ignition of an arcjet thruster. |
| File Size | 3945564 |
| Page Count | 25 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_20070006541 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t2v45pv2t |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2006-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Spacecraft Propulsion And Power Earth Orbital Environments Solar Arrays Low Earth Orbits Ignition Waveforms Arc Jet Engines Geosynchronous Orbits Damage Electrostatics 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 | Article |
