Research has been carried out on a hybrid discharge ion thruster,aiming to combine the advantages of Direct Current(DC)discharge ion thrusters(known for their high thrust density and high power supply efficiency)with ...Research has been carried out on a hybrid discharge ion thruster,aiming to combine the advantages of Direct Current(DC)discharge ion thrusters(known for their high thrust density and high power supply efficiency)with microwave discharge ion thrusters(which do not require a hollow cathode and are capable of efficient ionization at low pressures).Comparative experiments with different anode structures and single-probe diagnostics revealed that applying a DC bias voltage created a new ionization zone based on microwave discharge.This DC bias increased the sheath potential of the screen grid and led to an elevation in electron temperature and plasma density.It is speculated that the reduced loss of high-energy electrons generated by microwave discharge at the screen grid is the primary reason for the enhanced discharge.By adding a DC bias of approximately 50 V to the microwave discharge,the screen grid current was doubled without a significant increase in discharge power consumption.Under appropriate bias voltages that consider minimizing ion sputtering,DC bias holds promise as a design approach to increase the extracted beam current in microwave ion thrusters.展开更多
To address the future application requirements of carbon-based material grids for ion thrusters characterized by high thrust,elevated specific impulse,and extended operational life,research was conducted using the LIP...To address the future application requirements of carbon-based material grids for ion thrusters characterized by high thrust,elevated specific impulse,and extended operational life,research was conducted using the LIPS-100 ion thruster developed by the Lanzhou Institute of Physics.This study focused on small-diameter configurations of carbon-carbon composite material grids.Successful development was achieved for both a 10 cm split carbon-carbon planar grid and an integrated carbon-carbon convex grid component.Performance variations among different configurations were investigated through extensive performance tests across the wide-range from 1 to 25 mN,as well as 200 h lifespan assessments under typical conditions at 20 mN.The results indicate that the two configurations of the carbon-carbon grid can achieve stable operation across the broad range of 1-20 mN,with beam current fluctuations ranging from 368 to 379 mA and accel grid current fluctuations between 1.58 and 1.81 mA.Furthermore,the key performance parameters of these grids were comparable to those of the traditional molybdenum grids.Under conditions of high thrust and power,the carbon-carbon grid demonstrated a significant reduction in the intercepted current at the accel grid.In comparison to the split carbon-carbon planar grid,the weight of the integrated carbon-carbon convex composite grid was reduced by 17.5%,the anode voltage decreased by approximately 2.4%-8.6%,and the cathode keeper voltage was reduced by approximately 3.5%-12.4%.It can be concluded that the integrated carbon-carbon convex grid offers distinct advantages in terms of hot-state structural stability,suppression of grid etching rates,and enhancement of thruster discharge efficiency.展开更多
Exploring solid propellants for electric thrusters can simplify the propellant storage and supply units in propulsion systems.In this study,polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE),commonly used as a propellant in pulsed plasma ...Exploring solid propellants for electric thrusters can simplify the propellant storage and supply units in propulsion systems.In this study,polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE),commonly used as a propellant in pulsed plasma thrusters,was embedded in the discharge chamber of a radio frequency ion thruster(RIT-4)to investigate the performance of an ablation-type RIT.Experimental results indicate that PTFE can decompose and ionize stably under plasma ablation within the discharge chamber,producing-C-F-and F-ion clusters that form a stable plasma.By adjusting the length of the PTFE propellant,it was observed that its decomposition rate influences the ion beam current of the thruster.Compared with xenon,PTFE generates an ion plume with a larger divergence angle,ranging from 16.05°to 22.74°at an ion beam current of 25 mA,with a floating potential distribution of 8‒56 V.Assuming that the proportion of neutral gas in the vacuum chamber matches the ion species ratio in the ion plume,thrust,specific impulse and efficiency parameters were calculated for the RIT-4 with embedded PTFE.Under 50 W RF power,the thrust was approximately 1.02 mN,the specific impulse was around 1236 s and the power-to-thrust ratio was approximately 93.14 W/mN.All results indicate that PTFE is a viable propellant for RIT,but the key is to control the rate of decomposition.展开更多
Many high-precision space missions need thrusters to produce thrust with low noise to compensate for disturbances and ensure satellite platform stability. Microwave ion thruster is characterized with a wide thrust ran...Many high-precision space missions need thrusters to produce thrust with low noise to compensate for disturbances and ensure satellite platform stability. Microwave ion thruster is characterized with a wide thrust range and potential for these missions. A cost-effective and accurate mathematical model is crucial for mHz-frequency thrust noise analysis and feedback controller design. The Particle-In-Cell(PIC) and global models are two common simulation tools. The PIC model is characterized with high accuracy but huge computation cost, which is difficult to analyze long-time performance characteristics. Now, the global model is only used for the discharge chamber with low accuracy and cannot reflect ion extraction properties. In this paper, an integrative mathematical model is built for a 1-cm microwave ion thruster and can reflect ion beamlet divergence and impingement on the Accelerator Grid(AG). Simulation results show good agreement with experiments at 0.06 sccm. However, the model demonstrates worse consistency with experiments when the flux increases to 0.1 sccm, which may be because the influence of neutral gas on the Electron Cyclotron Resonance(ECR) is not considered in the model. A long-time(1000 s) simulation is conducted with this model under 35 μN. It takes 3 hrs, and the thrust noise reaches 1 μN/Hz^(0.5) at 1 mHz.展开更多
Due to a series of challenges such as low-orbit maintenance of satellites, the air-breathing electric propulsion has got widespread attention. Commonly, the radio frequency ion thruster is favored by low-orbit mission...Due to a series of challenges such as low-orbit maintenance of satellites, the air-breathing electric propulsion has got widespread attention. Commonly, the radio frequency ion thruster is favored by low-orbit missions due to its high specific impulse and efficiency. In this paper, the power transfer efficiency of the radio frequency ion thruster with different gas compositions is studied experimentally, which is obtained by measuring the radio frequency power and current of the antenna coil with and without discharge operation. The results show that increasing the turns of antenna coils can effectively improve the radio frequency power transfer efficiency, which is due to the improvement of Q factor. In pure N_2 discharge,with the increase of radio frequency power, the radio frequency power transfer efficiency first rises rapidly and then exhibits a less steep increasing trend. The radio frequency power transfer efficiency increases with the increase of gas pressure at relatively high power, while declines rapidly at relatively low power. In N_(2)/O_(2) discharge, increasing the N_(2) content at high power can improve the radio frequency power transfer efficiency, but the opposite was observed at low power. In order to give a better understanding of these trends, an analytic solution in limit cases is utilized, and a Langmuir probe was employed to measure the electron density. It is found that the evolution of radio frequency power transfer efficiency can be well explained by the variation of plasma resistance, which is related to the electron density and the effective electron collision frequency.展开更多
In this paper,the confinement characteristic of primary electrons in the non-axisymmetric discharge chamber of annular ion thruster is investigated by a three-dimensional(3 D)non-self-consistent particle tracking mode...In this paper,the confinement characteristic of primary electrons in the non-axisymmetric discharge chamber of annular ion thruster is investigated by a three-dimensional(3 D)non-self-consistent particle tracking model with Monte Carlo Collision(MCC)method.The results show that:The density of primary electrons upstream of ion optics on cathode axis is about 5–50 times higher than that of the other side,which means that the density of primary electrons is obviously non-axisymmetric.The channel width has a significant effect on the average density and uniformity of primary electrons.The average density can be increased by nearly 1.5 times under the appropriate channel width,meanwhile,the variance of density distribution can be reduced by more than 2 times.This is because that increasing the channel width can improve the average confinement length of primary electrons greatly.Furthermore,there is an infection point in the increase of primary electron average confinement length with the channel width,which caused by the significant change of magnetic field structure.Under the case after the inflection point,primary electron mainly(more than 50%)moves to the channel center,which makes the average confinement length of primary electrons and their number in the discharge chamber increase largely.展开更多
Ion optics is a critical component of ion thrusters. A two-dimensional axisymmetric model is developed to study the characteristics of three-grid electron cyclotron resonance ion thruster optics. The code is based on ...Ion optics is a critical component of ion thrusters. A two-dimensional axisymmetric model is developed to study the characteristics of three-grid electron cyclotron resonance ion thruster optics. The code is based on a particle-in-cell combined with the Monte Carlo collision method to simulate ion dynamics and charge-exchange processes in the grid region. The simulation results show that the mode can give a reasonable estimate of the physics characteristics of the ion optics. The design of the ion optics satisfies the requirement of preventing electron backstreaming. Charge-exchange ions can cause damage to the grids, especially to the accelerator grid. ＇Barrel＇ erosion can increase the accelerator grid aperture radius at a rate of 1.91~ 10-11 m/s, while the decelerator grid plays an important role in reducing ＇pits-and-grooves＇ erosion.展开更多
The transport processes of plasmas in grid systems of krypton（Kr） ion thrusters at different acceleration voltages were simulated with a 3 D-PIC model, and the result was compared with xenon（Xe） ion thrusters. The...The transport processes of plasmas in grid systems of krypton（Kr） ion thrusters at different acceleration voltages were simulated with a 3 D-PIC model, and the result was compared with xenon（Xe） ion thrusters. The variation of the screen grid transparency, the accelerator grid current ratio and the divergence loss were explored. It is found that the screen grid transparency increases with the acceleration voltage and decreases with the beam current, while the accelerator grid current ratio and divergence loss decrease first and then increase with the beam current. This result is the same with Xe ion thrusters. Simulation results also show that Kr ion thrusters have more advantages than Xe ion thrusters, such as higher screen grid transparency, smaller accelerator grid current ratio, larger cut-off current threshold, and better divergence loss characteristic. These advantages mean that Kr ion thrusters have the ability of operating in a wide range of current. Through comprehensive analyses, it can be concluded that using Kr as propellant is very suitable for a multimode ion thruster design.展开更多
In order to ascertain the key factors affecting the lifetime of the triple grids in the LIPS-300 ion thruster,the thermal deformation,upstream ion density and component lifetime of the grids are simulated with finite ...In order to ascertain the key factors affecting the lifetime of the triple grids in the LIPS-300 ion thruster,the thermal deformation,upstream ion density and component lifetime of the grids are simulated with finite element analysis,fluid simulation and charged-particle tracing simulation methods on the basis of a 1500 h short lifetime test.The key factor affecting the lifetime of the triple grids in the LIPS-300 ion thruster is obtained and analyzed through the test results.The results show that ion sputtering erosion of the grids in 5 kW operation mode is greater than in the case of 3 kW.In 5 kW mode,the decelerator grid shows the most serious corrosion,the accelerator grid shows moderate corrosion,and the screen grid shows the least amount of corrosion.With the serious corrosion of the grids in 5 kW operation mode,the intercept current of the acceleration and deceleration grids increases substantially.Meanwhile,the cold gap between the accelerator grid and the screen grid decreases from 1 mm to 0.7 mm,while the cold gap between the accelerator grid and the decelerator grid increases from 1 mm to 1.25 mm after 1500 h of thruster operation.At equilibrium temperature with 5 k W power,the finite element method（FEM）simulation results show that the hot gap between the screen grid and the accelerator grid reduces to 0.2 mm.Accordingly,the hot gap between the accelerator grid and the decelerator grid increases to 1.5 mm.According to the fluid method,the plasma density simulated in most regions of the discharge chamber is 1?×?10;-8?×?10;m;.The upstream plasma density of the screen grid is in the range 6?×?10;-6?×?10;m;and displays a parabolic characteristic.The charged particle tracing simulation method results show that the ion beam current without the thermal deformation of triple grids has optimal perveance status.The ion sputtering rates of the accelerator grid hole and the decelerator hole are 5.5?×?10;kg s;and 4.28?×?10;kg s;,respectively,while after the thermal deformation of the triple grids,the ion beam current has over-perveance status.The ion sputtering rates of the accelerator grid hole and the decelerator hole are 1.41?×?10;kg s;and 4.1?×?10;kg s;,respectively.The anode current is a key factor for the triple grid lifetime in situations where the structural strength of the grids does not change with temperature variation.The average sputtering rates of the accelerator grid and the decelerator grid,which were measured during the 1500 h lifetime test in5 k W operating conditions,are 2.2?×?10;kg s;and 7.3?×?10;kg s;,respectively.These results are in accordance with the simulation,and the error comes mainly from the calculation distribution of the upstream plasma density of the grids.展开更多
Ion thruster plumes from a multi-thruster array of different working configurations are simulated by a hybrid fluid-particle software. The particle in cell method is employed to model the transports of ions. The direc...Ion thruster plumes from a multi-thruster array of different working configurations are simulated by a hybrid fluid-particle software. The particle in cell method is employed to model the transports of ions. The direct simulation Monte Carlo method is used to model momentum and charge exchange （CEX） collisions. The software is based on unstructured grids which make it easy to handle with complex geometry. The results of chamber simulation are compared with experimental data in ion current density and number density, which show good agreements. The maximum difference of current density along the thruster centerline is less than 9.30%. The interaction effects of plumes when multiple thrusters are operating in vacuum are predicted. Distributions of single charged xenon ions are significantly different in the near-field plume flow, however, merge into one in the far downstream region. Moreover, the interaction effect on the spatial distribution of CEX xenon ions is displayed as well.展开更多
Since the high efficiency discharge is critical to the radio-frequency ion thruster(RIT), a 2D axial symmetry hybrid model has been developed to study the plasma evolution of RIT. The fluid method and the drift energy...Since the high efficiency discharge is critical to the radio-frequency ion thruster(RIT), a 2D axial symmetry hybrid model has been developed to study the plasma evolution of RIT. The fluid method and the drift energy correction of the electron energy distribution function(EEDF) are applied to the analysis of the RIT discharge. In the meantime, the PIC-MCC method is used to investigate the ion beam current extraction character for the plasma plume region. The beam current simulation results, with the hybrid model, agree well with the experimental results, and the error is lower than 11%, which shows the validity of the model. The further study shows there is an optimal ratio for the radio-frequency(RF) power and the beam current extraction power under the fixed RIT configuration. And the beam extraction efficiency will decrease when the discharge efficiency beyond a certain threshold(about 87 W). As the input parameters of the hybrid model are all the design values, it can be directly used to the optimum design for other kinds of RITs and radio-frequency ion sources.展开更多
A 2D hybrid-PIC simulation model is proposed to investigate the beam extraction phenomena of the ion thruster. In which the electrons of the plasma sheath upstream the accelerator grid are assumed as particles while t...A 2D hybrid-PIC simulation model is proposed to investigate the beam extraction phenomena of the ion thruster. In which the electrons of the plasma sheath upstream the accelerator grid are assumed as particles while the downstream are fluid for improving the calculation efficiency. The ion transparency, plasma sheath formation, ion beam extraction characteristic of a two- and three-grid system have been compared in detail in this paper. From the comparison of the appearing time of the under-perveance phenomena in the two- and three-grid system, it illustrated that the two grid system has the wider operation range of the plasma densities than the three-grid one.展开更多
Beam flatness is an important parameter that determines the performance and the lifetime of a gridded ion thruster.To improve the beam flatness of the 30 cm(LIPS-300)ion thruster,variable aperture ion optics that adap...Beam flatness is an important parameter that determines the performance and the lifetime of a gridded ion thruster.To improve the beam flatness of the 30 cm(LIPS-300)ion thruster,variable aperture ion optics that adapts to the decreasing ion density as the radius increases is proposed.It is the ion optics that the screen grid surface is divided into several zones,where the aperture diameter in each zone is determined by the ion density and the electron temperature upstream of the screen grid.The beam current density in the central area is artificially reduced.A particle in cell-Monte Carlo collision model is applied in this work to investigating the effect of variable aperture on the perveance and the maximum beam current per aperture by simulating the extraction,focusing and acceleration processes of ions.Taking into account the engineering implementability,the screen grid surface is divided into four zones.The hole diameter in each zone is decreased from 1.95 mm to 1.8 mm,1.9 mm,1.8 mm and 1.7 mm,respectively.The simulation results show that the maximum ion density in the center area of grid is decreased by10.6%and 6.99%,while it is increased by 6.49%and 22.3%in the edge region,respectively.The beam flatness of the variable aperture ion optics is improved from 0.69 to 0.88.The erosion rate is decreased by 31.9%,but the total beam current is also decreased by 7.15%.The simulation results can provide a valuable reference of the development of the ion thruster.展开更多
This paper reports the ignition performance of the iodine-fueled radio frequency(RF)ion thruster(IRIT)at different anode temperaturesT_(a0).The experimental results show that the anode temperature plays important role...This paper reports the ignition performance of the iodine-fueled radio frequency(RF)ion thruster(IRIT)at different anode temperaturesT_(a0).The experimental results show that the anode temperature plays important role on the ignition process of the IRIT.There were two characteristic temperatures related to the anode:the minimum ignition temperatureT_(i0)and the stable ignition temperatureT_(is),which were much lower than the pipeline temperature and the storage tank temperature.AtT_(a0)<T_(i0),it failed to discharge.WhenT_(i0)≤T_(a0)<T_(is),it was ignited with dramatical oscillations.AtT_(a0)≥T_(is),the discharge was stable in a large anode temperature range.The analysis showed that the different discharge phenomena at different anode temperatures were attributed to the change of iodine flow rate during the process of the iodine deposition-clogging and sublimation-clearing inside the thruster.The research helps improve the preheating design of the iodine-fueled electric thruster.展开更多
Based on the particle-in-cell （PIC） method, a two-dimensional numerical scheme was developed to investigate the ion beam extraction phenomena through the ion thruster optics. According to the calculated results, the...Based on the particle-in-cell （PIC） method, a two-dimensional numerical scheme was developed to investigate the ion beam extraction phenomena through the ion thruster optics. According to the calculated results, the plasma sheath upstream of the screen grid, the electric field in the calculation domain, and the ion and electron spatial distributions are obtained for different accelerator grid voltages. The results indicate that the accelerator grid voltage affects the plasma sheath upstream of the screen grid significantly. It is found that a moderate accelerator grid voltage results in an ion optical performance better than either a higher or lower voltage, from a point of ion extraction from the discharge chamber and erosion mitigation of the accelerator grid due to the direct ion impingement.展开更多
Based on the three-dimensional particle-in-cell （PIC） method and Compute Unified Device Architecture （CUDA）, a parallel particle simulation code combined with a graphic processor unit （GPU） has been developed fo...Based on the three-dimensional particle-in-cell （PIC） method and Compute Unified Device Architecture （CUDA）, a parallel particle simulation code combined with a graphic processor unit （GPU） has been developed for the simulation of charge-exchange （CEX） xenon ions in the plume of an ion thruster. Using the proposed technique, the potential and CEX plasma distribution are calculated for the ion thruster plume surrounding the DS1 spacecraft at different thrust levels. The simulation results are in good agreement with measured CEX ion parameters reported in literature, and the CPU＇s results are equal to a CPU＇s. Compared with a single CPU Intel Core 2 E6300, 16-processor GPU NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT indicates a speedup factor of 3.6 when the total macro particle number is 1.1 × 10^6. The simulation results also reveal how the back flow CEX plasma affects the spacecraft floating potential, which indicates that the plume of the ion thruster is indeed able to alleviate the extreme negative floating potentials of spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit.展开更多
In order to study the extraction and acceleration mechanism of the dual-stage grid,a three-dimensional model based on the Particle-In-Cell/Monte Carlo Collision(PIC/MCC)method is performed.Dual-stage grid ion thruster...In order to study the extraction and acceleration mechanism of the dual-stage grid,a three-dimensional model based on the Particle-In-Cell/Monte Carlo Collision(PIC/MCC)method is performed.Dual-stage grid ion thruster is a new type of electrostatic ion thruster,which can break through the limitations of traditional gridded ion thrusters,and greatly improve the specific impulse.The high performance also makes the grid sensitive to operating parameters.In this paper,the influence of grid parameters on xenon ion thruster’s performance in a wide range is systematically simulated,and the optimal operating condition is given.Both the over-focusing of the plume,and the transparency of the screen grid are improved,and the grid corrosion is reduced through simulation optimization.The specific impulse under the given working conditions is 9877.24 s and the thrust is 7.28 mN.Based on the simulation optimization,the limitation of the dual-stage grid is discussed.The grid performs well under high voltage conditions(>3000 V)but not well under low voltage conditions(<2000 V).Finally,since argon is cheaper and more advantageous in future engineering applications,the plasma distribution and grid extraction ability under xenon and argon are analyzed and compared to study the flexibility of the dual-stage grid ion thruster.The simulation results show that a set of optimal parameters is only applicable to the corresponding propellant,which needs to be optimized for different propellant types.展开更多
The industrial application of the Kaufman ion thruster in its arc stage is limited owing to the instability of the discharge pulse.Presently,a complete prediction model that can predict the discharge pulse in the high...The industrial application of the Kaufman ion thruster in its arc stage is limited owing to the instability of the discharge pulse.Presently,a complete prediction model that can predict the discharge pulse in the high-current stage does not exist.In this study,a complete prediction model for the pulse in the ion thruster is established using the zero-dimensional plasma discharge model and equivalent circuit model.The zero-dimensional plasma discharge model is used to obtain the corresponding plasma parameters by calculating the beam current,discharge current,voltage,and gas flow under actual working conditions.The input parameters of the equivalent circuit model are calculated using empirical formulae to acquire the estimated discharge waveforms.The pulse waveforms obtained using the model are found to be consistent with the experimental results.The model is used to evaluate the process of rapid changes in plasma density.Additionally,this model is employed to predict changes in the pulse waveforms when the volume of the discharge chamber and grid plate transmittance are changed.展开更多
A particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision model of a discharge chamber is established to investigate the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster.We present the discharge characteristics at different stages(the ini...A particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision model of a discharge chamber is established to investigate the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster.We present the discharge characteristics at different stages(the initial stage,development stage,and stable stage)according to the trend of the discharge current with time.The discharge current is the sum of the sidewall current and the backplate current.During the start-up process,the sidewall current lags behind the backplate current.The variation and distribution characteristics of the discharge current over time are determined by the electron density distribution and electric potential distribution.展开更多
The distribution of the thermal effects of the ion thruster plume are essential for estimating the influence of the thruster plume, improving the layout of the spacecraft, and for the thermal shielding of critical sen...The distribution of the thermal effects of the ion thruster plume are essential for estimating the influence of the thruster plume, improving the layout of the spacecraft, and for the thermal shielding of critical sensitive components. In order to obtain the heat flow distribution in the plume of the LIPS-200 xenon ion thruster, an experimental study of the thermal effects of the plume has been conducted in this work,with a total heat flow sensor and a radiant heat flow sensor over an axial distance of 0.5–0.9 m and a thruster angle of 0°–60°. Combined with a Faraday probe and a retarding potential analyzer, the thermal accommodation coefficient of the sensor surface in the plume is available. The results of the experiment show that the xenon ion thruster plume heat flow is mainly concentrated within a range of15°. The total and radial heat flow of the plume downstream of the thruster gradually decreases along the axial and radial directions, with the corresponding values of 11.78 k W m^(-2) and 0.3 k W m^(-2) for the axial 0.5 m position, respectively. At the same position, the radiation heat flow accounts for a very small part of the total heat flow, approximately 3%–5%. The thermal accommodation factor is0.72–0.99 over the measured region. Furthermore, the PIC and DSMC methods based on the Maxwell thermal accommodation coefficient model(EX-PWS) show a maximum error of 28.6% between simulation and experiment for LIPS-200 ion thruster plume heat flow, which, on the one hand, provides an experimental basis for studying the interaction between the ion thruster and the spacecraft, and on the other hand provides optimization of the ion thruster plume simulation model.展开更多
基金National Key R&D Program of China(No.2020YFC2201000).
文摘Research has been carried out on a hybrid discharge ion thruster,aiming to combine the advantages of Direct Current(DC)discharge ion thrusters(known for their high thrust density and high power supply efficiency)with microwave discharge ion thrusters(which do not require a hollow cathode and are capable of efficient ionization at low pressures).Comparative experiments with different anode structures and single-probe diagnostics revealed that applying a DC bias voltage created a new ionization zone based on microwave discharge.This DC bias increased the sheath potential of the screen grid and led to an elevation in electron temperature and plasma density.It is speculated that the reduced loss of high-energy electrons generated by microwave discharge at the screen grid is the primary reason for the enhanced discharge.By adding a DC bias of approximately 50 V to the microwave discharge,the screen grid current was doubled without a significant increase in discharge power consumption.Under appropriate bias voltages that consider minimizing ion sputtering,DC bias holds promise as a design approach to increase the extracted beam current in microwave ion thrusters.
基金National Key R&D Program of China(No.2022YFB3403500)the Science and Technology Program of Gansu Province(No.22JR5RA784).
文摘To address the future application requirements of carbon-based material grids for ion thrusters characterized by high thrust,elevated specific impulse,and extended operational life,research was conducted using the LIPS-100 ion thruster developed by the Lanzhou Institute of Physics.This study focused on small-diameter configurations of carbon-carbon composite material grids.Successful development was achieved for both a 10 cm split carbon-carbon planar grid and an integrated carbon-carbon convex grid component.Performance variations among different configurations were investigated through extensive performance tests across the wide-range from 1 to 25 mN,as well as 200 h lifespan assessments under typical conditions at 20 mN.The results indicate that the two configurations of the carbon-carbon grid can achieve stable operation across the broad range of 1-20 mN,with beam current fluctuations ranging from 368 to 379 mA and accel grid current fluctuations between 1.58 and 1.81 mA.Furthermore,the key performance parameters of these grids were comparable to those of the traditional molybdenum grids.Under conditions of high thrust and power,the carbon-carbon grid demonstrated a significant reduction in the intercepted current at the accel grid.In comparison to the split carbon-carbon planar grid,the weight of the integrated carbon-carbon convex composite grid was reduced by 17.5%,the anode voltage decreased by approximately 2.4%-8.6%,and the cathode keeper voltage was reduced by approximately 3.5%-12.4%.It can be concluded that the integrated carbon-carbon convex grid offers distinct advantages in terms of hot-state structural stability,suppression of grid etching rates,and enhancement of thruster discharge efficiency.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2021YFC2202800)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS(No.2023022)Institute of Mechanics Outstanding Young Talent Training Program(No.E1Z1030201).
文摘Exploring solid propellants for electric thrusters can simplify the propellant storage and supply units in propulsion systems.In this study,polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE),commonly used as a propellant in pulsed plasma thrusters,was embedded in the discharge chamber of a radio frequency ion thruster(RIT-4)to investigate the performance of an ablation-type RIT.Experimental results indicate that PTFE can decompose and ionize stably under plasma ablation within the discharge chamber,producing-C-F-and F-ion clusters that form a stable plasma.By adjusting the length of the PTFE propellant,it was observed that its decomposition rate influences the ion beam current of the thruster.Compared with xenon,PTFE generates an ion plume with a larger divergence angle,ranging from 16.05°to 22.74°at an ion beam current of 25 mA,with a floating potential distribution of 8‒56 V.Assuming that the proportion of neutral gas in the vacuum chamber matches the ion species ratio in the ion plume,thrust,specific impulse and efficiency parameters were calculated for the RIT-4 with embedded PTFE.Under 50 W RF power,the thrust was approximately 1.02 mN,the specific impulse was around 1236 s and the power-to-thrust ratio was approximately 93.14 W/mN.All results indicate that PTFE is a viable propellant for RIT,but the key is to control the rate of decomposition.
基金the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2020YFC22 01000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11927812)。
文摘Many high-precision space missions need thrusters to produce thrust with low noise to compensate for disturbances and ensure satellite platform stability. Microwave ion thruster is characterized with a wide thrust range and potential for these missions. A cost-effective and accurate mathematical model is crucial for mHz-frequency thrust noise analysis and feedback controller design. The Particle-In-Cell(PIC) and global models are two common simulation tools. The PIC model is characterized with high accuracy but huge computation cost, which is difficult to analyze long-time performance characteristics. Now, the global model is only used for the discharge chamber with low accuracy and cannot reflect ion extraction properties. In this paper, an integrative mathematical model is built for a 1-cm microwave ion thruster and can reflect ion beamlet divergence and impingement on the Accelerator Grid(AG). Simulation results show good agreement with experiments at 0.06 sccm. However, the model demonstrates worse consistency with experiments when the flux increases to 0.1 sccm, which may be because the influence of neutral gas on the Electron Cyclotron Resonance(ECR) is not considered in the model. A long-time(1000 s) simulation is conducted with this model under 35 μN. It takes 3 hrs, and the thrust noise reaches 1 μN/Hz^(0.5) at 1 mHz.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12005031 and 12275041)the Natural Science Fund from the Interdisciplinary Project of Dalian University(Grant No.DLUXK-2023-QN-001)。
文摘Due to a series of challenges such as low-orbit maintenance of satellites, the air-breathing electric propulsion has got widespread attention. Commonly, the radio frequency ion thruster is favored by low-orbit missions due to its high specific impulse and efficiency. In this paper, the power transfer efficiency of the radio frequency ion thruster with different gas compositions is studied experimentally, which is obtained by measuring the radio frequency power and current of the antenna coil with and without discharge operation. The results show that increasing the turns of antenna coils can effectively improve the radio frequency power transfer efficiency, which is due to the improvement of Q factor. In pure N_2 discharge,with the increase of radio frequency power, the radio frequency power transfer efficiency first rises rapidly and then exhibits a less steep increasing trend. The radio frequency power transfer efficiency increases with the increase of gas pressure at relatively high power, while declines rapidly at relatively low power. In N_(2)/O_(2) discharge, increasing the N_(2) content at high power can improve the radio frequency power transfer efficiency, but the opposite was observed at low power. In order to give a better understanding of these trends, an analytic solution in limit cases is utilized, and a Langmuir probe was employed to measure the electron density. It is found that the evolution of radio frequency power transfer efficiency can be well explained by the variation of plasma resistance, which is related to the electron density and the effective electron collision frequency.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11675040,11702319)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(Grant No.DUT19LAB46)。
文摘In this paper,the confinement characteristic of primary electrons in the non-axisymmetric discharge chamber of annular ion thruster is investigated by a three-dimensional(3 D)non-self-consistent particle tracking model with Monte Carlo Collision(MCC)method.The results show that:The density of primary electrons upstream of ion optics on cathode axis is about 5–50 times higher than that of the other side,which means that the density of primary electrons is obviously non-axisymmetric.The channel width has a significant effect on the average density and uniformity of primary electrons.The average density can be increased by nearly 1.5 times under the appropriate channel width,meanwhile,the variance of density distribution can be reduced by more than 2 times.This is because that increasing the channel width can improve the average confinement length of primary electrons greatly.Furthermore,there is an infection point in the increase of primary electron average confinement length with the channel width,which caused by the significant change of magnetic field structure.Under the case after the inflection point,primary electron mainly(more than 50%)moves to the channel center,which makes the average confinement length of primary electrons and their number in the discharge chamber increase largely.
文摘Ion optics is a critical component of ion thrusters. A two-dimensional axisymmetric model is developed to study the characteristics of three-grid electron cyclotron resonance ion thruster optics. The code is based on a particle-in-cell combined with the Monte Carlo collision method to simulate ion dynamics and charge-exchange processes in the grid region. The simulation results show that the mode can give a reasonable estimate of the physics characteristics of the ion optics. The design of the ion optics satisfies the requirement of preventing electron backstreaming. Charge-exchange ions can cause damage to the grids, especially to the accelerator grid. ＇Barrel＇ erosion can increase the accelerator grid aperture radius at a rate of 1.91~ 10-11 m/s, while the decelerator grid plays an important role in reducing ＇pits-and-grooves＇ erosion.
基金co-supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11675040)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Nos. 3102014KYJD005 and 1191329723)
文摘The transport processes of plasmas in grid systems of krypton（Kr） ion thrusters at different acceleration voltages were simulated with a 3 D-PIC model, and the result was compared with xenon（Xe） ion thrusters. The variation of the screen grid transparency, the accelerator grid current ratio and the divergence loss were explored. It is found that the screen grid transparency increases with the acceleration voltage and decreases with the beam current, while the accelerator grid current ratio and divergence loss decrease first and then increase with the beam current. This result is the same with Xe ion thrusters. Simulation results also show that Kr ion thrusters have more advantages than Xe ion thrusters, such as higher screen grid transparency, smaller accelerator grid current ratio, larger cut-off current threshold, and better divergence loss characteristic. These advantages mean that Kr ion thrusters have the ability of operating in a wide range of current. Through comprehensive analyses, it can be concluded that using Kr as propellant is very suitable for a multimode ion thruster design.
基金supported by the fund of National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Vacuum Technology and Physics (Grant No. 6142207030103)
文摘In order to ascertain the key factors affecting the lifetime of the triple grids in the LIPS-300 ion thruster,the thermal deformation,upstream ion density and component lifetime of the grids are simulated with finite element analysis,fluid simulation and charged-particle tracing simulation methods on the basis of a 1500 h short lifetime test.The key factor affecting the lifetime of the triple grids in the LIPS-300 ion thruster is obtained and analyzed through the test results.The results show that ion sputtering erosion of the grids in 5 kW operation mode is greater than in the case of 3 kW.In 5 kW mode,the decelerator grid shows the most serious corrosion,the accelerator grid shows moderate corrosion,and the screen grid shows the least amount of corrosion.With the serious corrosion of the grids in 5 kW operation mode,the intercept current of the acceleration and deceleration grids increases substantially.Meanwhile,the cold gap between the accelerator grid and the screen grid decreases from 1 mm to 0.7 mm,while the cold gap between the accelerator grid and the decelerator grid increases from 1 mm to 1.25 mm after 1500 h of thruster operation.At equilibrium temperature with 5 k W power,the finite element method（FEM）simulation results show that the hot gap between the screen grid and the accelerator grid reduces to 0.2 mm.Accordingly,the hot gap between the accelerator grid and the decelerator grid increases to 1.5 mm.According to the fluid method,the plasma density simulated in most regions of the discharge chamber is 1?×?10;-8?×?10;m;.The upstream plasma density of the screen grid is in the range 6?×?10;-6?×?10;m;and displays a parabolic characteristic.The charged particle tracing simulation method results show that the ion beam current without the thermal deformation of triple grids has optimal perveance status.The ion sputtering rates of the accelerator grid hole and the decelerator hole are 5.5?×?10;kg s;and 4.28?×?10;kg s;,respectively,while after the thermal deformation of the triple grids,the ion beam current has over-perveance status.The ion sputtering rates of the accelerator grid hole and the decelerator hole are 1.41?×?10;kg s;and 4.1?×?10;kg s;,respectively.The anode current is a key factor for the triple grid lifetime in situations where the structural strength of the grids does not change with temperature variation.The average sputtering rates of the accelerator grid and the decelerator grid,which were measured during the 1500 h lifetime test in5 k W operating conditions,are 2.2?×?10;kg s;and 7.3?×?10;kg s;,respectively.These results are in accordance with the simulation,and the error comes mainly from the calculation distribution of the upstream plasma density of the grids.
文摘Ion thruster plumes from a multi-thruster array of different working configurations are simulated by a hybrid fluid-particle software. The particle in cell method is employed to model the transports of ions. The direct simulation Monte Carlo method is used to model momentum and charge exchange （CEX） collisions. The software is based on unstructured grids which make it easy to handle with complex geometry. The results of chamber simulation are compared with experimental data in ion current density and number density, which show good agreements. The maximum difference of current density along the thruster centerline is less than 9.30%. The interaction effects of plumes when multiple thrusters are operating in vacuum are predicted. Distributions of single charged xenon ions are significantly different in the near-field plume flow, however, merge into one in the far downstream region. Moreover, the interaction effect on the spatial distribution of CEX xenon ions is displayed as well.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 11702123
文摘Since the high efficiency discharge is critical to the radio-frequency ion thruster(RIT), a 2D axial symmetry hybrid model has been developed to study the plasma evolution of RIT. The fluid method and the drift energy correction of the electron energy distribution function(EEDF) are applied to the analysis of the RIT discharge. In the meantime, the PIC-MCC method is used to investigate the ion beam current extraction character for the plasma plume region. The beam current simulation results, with the hybrid model, agree well with the experimental results, and the error is lower than 11%, which shows the validity of the model. The further study shows there is an optimal ratio for the radio-frequency(RF) power and the beam current extraction power under the fixed RIT configuration. And the beam extraction efficiency will decrease when the discharge efficiency beyond a certain threshold(about 87 W). As the input parameters of the hybrid model are all the design values, it can be directly used to the optimum design for other kinds of RITs and radio-frequency ion sources.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11702123)Technology Based Research Projects of SASTIND (No. JSZL2017203B008)Fund for Distinguished Young Talents of CAST (No. 9140C550206130C55003)
文摘A 2D hybrid-PIC simulation model is proposed to investigate the beam extraction phenomena of the ion thruster. In which the electrons of the plasma sheath upstream the accelerator grid are assumed as particles while the downstream are fluid for improving the calculation efficiency. The ion transparency, plasma sheath formation, ion beam extraction characteristic of a two- and three-grid system have been compared in detail in this paper. From the comparison of the appearing time of the under-perveance phenomena in the two- and three-grid system, it illustrated that the two grid system has the wider operation range of the plasma densities than the three-grid one.
基金supported by Top Young Talents of China Aerospace ScienceTechnology Corporation,Innovation Group Project of Gansu ProvinceNational Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11802111)。
文摘Beam flatness is an important parameter that determines the performance and the lifetime of a gridded ion thruster.To improve the beam flatness of the 30 cm(LIPS-300)ion thruster,variable aperture ion optics that adapts to the decreasing ion density as the radius increases is proposed.It is the ion optics that the screen grid surface is divided into several zones,where the aperture diameter in each zone is determined by the ion density and the electron temperature upstream of the screen grid.The beam current density in the central area is artificially reduced.A particle in cell-Monte Carlo collision model is applied in this work to investigating the effect of variable aperture on the perveance and the maximum beam current per aperture by simulating the extraction,focusing and acceleration processes of ions.Taking into account the engineering implementability,the screen grid surface is divided into four zones.The hole diameter in each zone is decreased from 1.95 mm to 1.8 mm,1.9 mm,1.8 mm and 1.7 mm,respectively.The simulation results show that the maximum ion density in the center area of grid is decreased by10.6%and 6.99%,while it is increased by 6.49%and 22.3%in the edge region,respectively.The beam flatness of the variable aperture ion optics is improved from 0.69 to 0.88.The erosion rate is decreased by 31.9%,but the total beam current is also decreased by 7.15%.The simulation results can provide a valuable reference of the development of the ion thruster.
基金financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11805265)Key Laboratory of Micro-Satellites,Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.KFKT201903)is gratefully acknowledged。
文摘This paper reports the ignition performance of the iodine-fueled radio frequency(RF)ion thruster(IRIT)at different anode temperaturesT_(a0).The experimental results show that the anode temperature plays important role on the ignition process of the IRIT.There were two characteristic temperatures related to the anode:the minimum ignition temperatureT_(i0)and the stable ignition temperatureT_(is),which were much lower than the pipeline temperature and the storage tank temperature.AtT_(a0)<T_(i0),it failed to discharge.WhenT_(i0)≤T_(a0)<T_(is),it was ignited with dramatical oscillations.AtT_(a0)≥T_(is),the discharge was stable in a large anode temperature range.The analysis showed that the different discharge phenomena at different anode temperatures were attributed to the change of iodine flow rate during the process of the iodine deposition-clogging and sublimation-clearing inside the thruster.The research helps improve the preheating design of the iodine-fueled electric thruster.
基金supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (CPSF) (No. 20090450275)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 10805004)
文摘Based on the particle-in-cell （PIC） method, a two-dimensional numerical scheme was developed to investigate the ion beam extraction phenomena through the ion thruster optics. According to the calculated results, the plasma sheath upstream of the screen grid, the electric field in the calculation domain, and the ion and electron spatial distributions are obtained for different accelerator grid voltages. The results indicate that the accelerator grid voltage affects the plasma sheath upstream of the screen grid significantly. It is found that a moderate accelerator grid voltage results in an ion optical performance better than either a higher or lower voltage, from a point of ion extraction from the discharge chamber and erosion mitigation of the accelerator grid due to the direct ion impingement.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 10805004)Foundation of National Key Lab. of Science and Technology on Vacuum & Cryogenic of China (No. 9140C550404100C55)
文摘Based on the three-dimensional particle-in-cell （PIC） method and Compute Unified Device Architecture （CUDA）, a parallel particle simulation code combined with a graphic processor unit （GPU） has been developed for the simulation of charge-exchange （CEX） xenon ions in the plume of an ion thruster. Using the proposed technique, the potential and CEX plasma distribution are calculated for the ion thruster plume surrounding the DS1 spacecraft at different thrust levels. The simulation results are in good agreement with measured CEX ion parameters reported in literature, and the CPU＇s results are equal to a CPU＇s. Compared with a single CPU Intel Core 2 E6300, 16-processor GPU NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT indicates a speedup factor of 3.6 when the total macro particle number is 1.1 × 10^6. The simulation results also reveal how the back flow CEX plasma affects the spacecraft floating potential, which indicates that the plume of the ion thruster is indeed able to alleviate the extreme negative floating potentials of spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit.
基金co-supported by the National Key R & D Program for Intergovernmental International Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation,China(No. 2021YFE0116000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 12175032, 12102082 and 12275044),the National Natural Science Foundation of China+5 种基金the Belarusian Republican Foundation for Fundamental Research (No. 12211530449)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (No. DUT22QN232)the S&T Program of Hebei, China (Nos. YCYZ202201 and 216Z1901G)the S&T Innovation Program of Hebei, China (Nos. SJMYF2022X18 and SJMYF2022X06)the Science and Technology Project of Hebei Education Department, China (No. ZC2023144)S&T Program of Langfang, China (No. 2022011039)
文摘In order to study the extraction and acceleration mechanism of the dual-stage grid,a three-dimensional model based on the Particle-In-Cell/Monte Carlo Collision(PIC/MCC)method is performed.Dual-stage grid ion thruster is a new type of electrostatic ion thruster,which can break through the limitations of traditional gridded ion thrusters,and greatly improve the specific impulse.The high performance also makes the grid sensitive to operating parameters.In this paper,the influence of grid parameters on xenon ion thruster’s performance in a wide range is systematically simulated,and the optimal operating condition is given.Both the over-focusing of the plume,and the transparency of the screen grid are improved,and the grid corrosion is reduced through simulation optimization.The specific impulse under the given working conditions is 9877.24 s and the thrust is 7.28 mN.Based on the simulation optimization,the limitation of the dual-stage grid is discussed.The grid performs well under high voltage conditions(>3000 V)but not well under low voltage conditions(<2000 V).Finally,since argon is cheaper and more advantageous in future engineering applications,the plasma distribution and grid extraction ability under xenon and argon are analyzed and compared to study the flexibility of the dual-stage grid ion thruster.The simulation results show that a set of optimal parameters is only applicable to the corresponding propellant,which needs to be optimized for different propellant types.
基金the financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11402025,11475019,and 11702123)the National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Vacuum Technology&Physics(No.ZWK1608)+1 种基金the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory of BICEBeijing Engineering Research Center of Efficient and Green Aerospace Propulsion Technology(No.Lab ASP-2018-03)。
文摘The industrial application of the Kaufman ion thruster in its arc stage is limited owing to the instability of the discharge pulse.Presently,a complete prediction model that can predict the discharge pulse in the high-current stage does not exist.In this study,a complete prediction model for the pulse in the ion thruster is established using the zero-dimensional plasma discharge model and equivalent circuit model.The zero-dimensional plasma discharge model is used to obtain the corresponding plasma parameters by calculating the beam current,discharge current,voltage,and gas flow under actual working conditions.The input parameters of the equivalent circuit model are calculated using empirical formulae to acquire the estimated discharge waveforms.The pulse waveforms obtained using the model are found to be consistent with the experimental results.The model is used to evaluate the process of rapid changes in plasma density.Additionally,this model is employed to predict changes in the pulse waveforms when the volume of the discharge chamber and grid plate transmittance are changed.
文摘A particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision model of a discharge chamber is established to investigate the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster.We present the discharge characteristics at different stages(the initial stage,development stage,and stable stage)according to the trend of the discharge current with time.The discharge current is the sum of the sidewall current and the backplate current.During the start-up process,the sidewall current lags behind the backplate current.The variation and distribution characteristics of the discharge current over time are determined by the electron density distribution and electric potential distribution.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 12005087)the Science and Technology Program of Gansu Province (Nos. 2006ZCTF0054, HTKJ2019KL510003, and 20JR10RA478)。
文摘The distribution of the thermal effects of the ion thruster plume are essential for estimating the influence of the thruster plume, improving the layout of the spacecraft, and for the thermal shielding of critical sensitive components. In order to obtain the heat flow distribution in the plume of the LIPS-200 xenon ion thruster, an experimental study of the thermal effects of the plume has been conducted in this work,with a total heat flow sensor and a radiant heat flow sensor over an axial distance of 0.5–0.9 m and a thruster angle of 0°–60°. Combined with a Faraday probe and a retarding potential analyzer, the thermal accommodation coefficient of the sensor surface in the plume is available. The results of the experiment show that the xenon ion thruster plume heat flow is mainly concentrated within a range of15°. The total and radial heat flow of the plume downstream of the thruster gradually decreases along the axial and radial directions, with the corresponding values of 11.78 k W m^(-2) and 0.3 k W m^(-2) for the axial 0.5 m position, respectively. At the same position, the radiation heat flow accounts for a very small part of the total heat flow, approximately 3%–5%. The thermal accommodation factor is0.72–0.99 over the measured region. Furthermore, the PIC and DSMC methods based on the Maxwell thermal accommodation coefficient model(EX-PWS) show a maximum error of 28.6% between simulation and experiment for LIPS-200 ion thruster plume heat flow, which, on the one hand, provides an experimental basis for studying the interaction between the ion thruster and the spacecraft, and on the other hand provides optimization of the ion thruster plume simulation model.
