Development of a Ferromagnetic Enhanced Ambipolar Plasma Thruster

Research output: Contribution to conferencesPaperContributed

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 languageEnglish
Pages1-17
Number of pages17
Publication statusPublished - 19 Jun 2024
Peer-reviewedNo

Conference

Title38th International Electric Propulsion Conference
Abbreviated titleIEPC 2024
Conference number38
Duration23 - 28 June 2024
Website
Degree of recognitionInternational event
LocationCentre de Congrès Pierre Baudis
CityToulouse
CountryFrance

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-3029-2820/work/167707913

Keywords