Characterization of a C12A7 electride plasma-based cathode using different keeper orifice sizes
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
For the operation of electric propulsion systems in space, efficient electron sources are crucial components. Hollow cathodes have been established for many applications since they allow sufficient current ranges at reasonable power requirements and have been proven to operate for several thousands of hours. New approaches are being evaluated to improve these cathodes’ general performance. This publication presents an extended characteristic of a heaterless plasma-based cathode using the emitter material C12A7 electride. The focus is on the relationship between the discharge potential and total discharge power over the discharge current. Furthermore, a characteristic of the discharge performance at lower mass flow rates is presented and discussed. The discharge potential is generally quite constant for a wide range of discharge currents, typical in the range of 30 V and only increases steeply for low discharge current ranges. Successful heaterless ignition and stable operation have been achieved down to 2 sccm krypton flow rate.
Details
Original language | English |
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Article number | 25 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Journal | Journal of Electric Propulsion |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2023 |
Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
Scopus | 85201367048 |
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unpaywall | 10.1007/s44205-023-00061-y |
Mendeley | 11c9b4a5-da10-34ea-a0f5-d8d13e4ba75e |
ORCID | /0000-0002-7406-7588/work/172571145 |
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Keywords
- C12A7 electride ceramic, Disc-shaped cathode, Discharge characteristic, Heaterless cathode, Keeper orifice size