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Application of the next ion thruster lifetime assessment to thruster throttling
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Herman, Daniel A. VanNoord, Jonathan L. |
| Copyright Year | 2010 |
| Description | Ion thrusters are low thrust, high specific impulse devices with typical operational lifetimes of 10,000 to 30,000 hr over a range of throttling conditions. The NEXT ion thruster is the latest generation of ion thrusters under development. The NEXT ion thruster currently has a qualification level propellant throughput requirement of 450 kg of xenon, which corresponds to roughly 22,000 hr of operation at the highest input power throttling point. This paper will provide a brief review the previous life assessment predictions for various throttling conditions. A further assessment will be presented examining the anticipated accelerator grid hole wall erosion and related electron backstreaming limit. The continued assessment of the NEXT ion thruster indicates that the first failure mode across the throttling range is expected to be in excess of 36,000 hr of operation from charge exchange induced groove erosion. It is at this duration that the groove is predicted to penetrate the accelerator grid possibly resulting in structural failure. Based on these lifetime and mission assessments, a throttling approach is presented for the Long Duration Test to demonstrate NEXT thruster lifetime and validate modeling. |
| File Size | 336195 |
| Page Count | 22 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_20110000535 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t2t48pb1f |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2010-11-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Spacecraft Propulsion And Power Throttling Charge Exchange High Impulse Rocket Thrust Failure Modes Low Thrust Ion Engines Specific Impulse Grooves Walls 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 |
