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A pulse-compression-ring circuit for high-efficiency electric propulsion.
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Owens, Thomas L. |
| Copyright Year | 2008 |
| Abstract | A highly efficient, highly reliable pulsed-power system has been developed for use in high power, repetitively pulsed inductive plasma thrusters. The pulsed inductive thruster ejects plasma propellant at a high velocity using a Lorentz force developed through inductive coupling to the plasma. Having greatly increased propellant-utilization efficiency compared to chemical rockets, this type of electric propulsion system may one day propel spacecraft on long-duration deep-space missions. High system reliability and electrical efficiency are extremely important for these extended missions. In the prototype pulsed-power system described here, exceptional reliability is achieved using a pulse-compression circuit driven by both active solid-state switching and passive magnetic switching. High efficiency is achieved using a novel ring architecture that recovers unused energy in a pulse-compression system with minimal circuit loss after each impulse. As an added benefit, voltage reversal is eliminated in the ring topology, resulting in long lifetimes for energy-storage capacitors. System tests were performed using an adjustable inductive load at a voltage level of 3.3 kV, a peak current of 20 kA, and a current switching rate of 15 kA/micros. |
| Starting Page | 034701 |
| Ending Page | 034701 |
| Page Count | 1 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.1063/1.2836329 |
| PubMed reference number | 18377034 |
| Journal | Medline |
| Volume Number | 79 |
| Issue Number | 3 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.wvhtf.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/RSI_Online.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2836329 |
| Journal | The Review of scientific instruments |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
