Development of a Ferromagnetic Enhanced Ambipolar Plasma Thruster
Research output: Contribution to conferences › Paper › Contributed
Contributors
Abstract
Due to the increasing popularity of small and nano satellites due to their cost efficiency and lower financial hurdle, especially for institutions, there is also a growing interest and incentive to develop miniaturized propulsion systems or to optimize propulsion concepts for small satellites. Another area of research that is gaining interest is air-breathing propulsion systems. They are expected to significantly extend the duration of missions in very low Earth orbit, thus enabling longer missions with short latency and high resolutions for Earth observation. The propulsion system presented here addresses both areas of interest. The presented propulsion concept is a radio frequency thruster with a ferromagnetic enhanced antenna. The effect of the ferrite core is discussed based on thrust measurements. We also present a setup to measure the thrust of any electric propulsion system without the need to install it on the thrust balance. This was used for the thruster presented here to obtain sub-micro-Newton precision measurements on an existing compact high-precision thrust balance. The cathodeless thruster can be operated with conventional propellants as well as with gas mixtures comparable to those found in the Earth’s atmosphere. The use of other alternative propellants is also discussed, and a tank concept for solid propellants that sublimate at temperatures around 60°C is presented.
Details
Original language | English |
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Pages | 1-17 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Publication status | Published - 19 Jun 2024 |
Peer-reviewed | No |
Conference
Title | 38th International Electric Propulsion Conference |
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Abbreviated title | IEPC 2024 |
Conference number | 38 |
Duration | 23 - 28 June 2024 |
Website | |
Degree of recognition | International event |
Location | Centre de Congrès Pierre Baudis |
City | Toulouse |
Country | France |
External IDs
ORCID | /0000-0002-3029-2820/work/167707913 |
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