Enhanced Thrust Due to Ion–Neutral Collisions for Electric Propulsion

Fruchtman, A.

doi:10.1007/s11090-014-9525-5

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…[44]. Furthermore, the enhancement of the momentum gain due to the charge exchange process have been proposed before [45,46]. Therefore, the detailed collisional process would be an important issue to fully understand the TVC mechanisms, or the experiment in high vacuum (high pumping speed) environment will be required.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deflections of dynamic momentum flux and electron diamagnetic thrust in a magnetically steered rf plasma thruster

Imai¹,

Takahashi²

2021

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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Two-dimensional characterization of the plasma plume is experimentally performed downstream of a magnetically steered radiofrequency plasma thruster, where the ion beam current, the ion saturation current, and the horizontal dynamic momentum flux, are measured by using the retarding field energy analyzer, the Langmuir probe, and the momentum vector measurement instrument, respectively, in addition to the previously measured horizontal thrust. The measurements show the deflections of the dynamic momentum flux including both the ions and the neutrals; the change in the direction of the dynamic momentum flux is consistent with the previously measured horizontal thrust. Furthermore, the ion saturation current profile implies that the deflected electron-diamagnetic-induced Lorentz force exerted to the magnetic nozzle contributes to the change in the thrust vector. Therefore, it is demonstrated that the deflections of both the dynamic momentum flux and the electron-diamagnetic-induced Lorentz force play an important role in the thrust vector control by the magnetic steering.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deflections of dynamic momentum flux and electron diamagnetic thrust in a magnetically steered rf plasma thruster

Imai¹,

Takahashi²

2021

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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“…These neutral effects were also incorporated in a two-dimensional thruster model (Ahedo and Navarro-Cavallé 2013). Although the charge-exchange collision between the accelerated ions and the neutrals does not change the momentum flux in plasmas, one of the models implies that the momentum gain is increased even if the amplitude of the potential drop is unchanged, when the mean-free path of the charge-exchange collision is smaller than the scale length of the potential drop (Fruchtman 2014). Lafleur has analyzed the energy lost to the axial back wall and the radial wall by a global model; implying that most of the energy is lost to the radial wall by the ions radially accelerated by the radial electric field of the sheath (Lafleur 2014).…”

Section: Thruster Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the charge-exchange collision itself does not change the total momentum (including the neutral momentum) according to the momentum conservation's law. Makrinich and Fruchtman have proposed that the momentum gain can be increased if the mean-free path of the ion-neutral charge-exchange collision is shorter than the scale length of the potential drop (Fruchtman 2014(Fruchtman , 2011Makrinich and Fruchtman 2009). Lukas et al proposed the application of this concept to high thrust-to-power ratio micro-cathode arc thruster (Lukas et al 2016).…”

Section: Plasma-neutral Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Helicon-type radiofrequency plasma thrusters and magnetic plasma nozzles

Takahashi

2019

Rev. Mod. Plasma Phys.

161

105

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Development of electrodeless radiofrequency plasma thrusters, e.g., a helicon thruster, has been one the of challenging topics for future high-power and longlived electric propulsion systems. The concept simply has a radiofrequency plasma production/heating source and a magnetic nozzle, while it seems to include many aspects of physics and engineering issues. The plasma produced inside the source is transported along the magnetic field lines and expands in the magnetic nozzle, where the plasma is spontaneously accelerated into the axial direction along the magnetic nozzle, yielding a generation of the thrust force. Hence, the plasma transport and spontaneous acceleration phenomena in the magnetic nozzle are key issues to improve the performance of the thrusters. Since the thrust is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to momentum flux exhausted from the system, the direct measurement of the thrust can reveal not only the thruster performance but also fundamental physical quantity of plasma momentum flux. Here studies on fundamental physics relating to the thruster development and the technology for the compact and efficient system are reviewed; the current status of the thruster performance is shown. Finally, a recently proposed future new application of the thruster is also discussed.

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“…Flowing plasmas are also affected by neutral depletion. Neutral depletion is important in plasma thrusters [77,[115][116][117][118][119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132][133] in which both plasma and neutrals are flowing. Neutral depletion in a flowing plasma is described briefly in section 11.…”

Section: Neutral Gas Depletion In Low Temperature Plasmamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent years, configurations for plasma thrusters have been proposed, in which the thrust is provided by accelerated neutrals. Some configurations rely on neutral-gas heating [100,102], while others rely on accelerating neutrals through charge exchange collisions without necessarily heating the gas [90,116,126].…”

Section: Collisional Unthermalized Neutrals-neutral Pumpingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neutral gas depletion in low temperature plasma

Fruchtman¹

2017

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

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Neutral depletion can significantly affect the steady state of low temperature plasmas. Processes that lead to neutral depletion and the resulting plasma–neutrals steady state are reviewed. Two such processes are due to collisions of neutrals with plasma. One process is the drag by ions that collide with neutrals and push them towards the wall. Another process is neutral-gas heating by collisions with plasma that makes the gas hotter at the discharge center. These processes, which usually occur under (static) pressure balance between plasma and neutrals, are called here ‘neutral pumping’. When collisions are negligible, neutrals that move ballistically between the chamber walls are depleted through ionization, a process called here ‘ion pumping’. The effect of the magnetic field on neutral depletion is explored in plasma in which the dynamics is governed by cross-field diffusion. Finally, neutral depletion in a flowing plasma is analyzed.

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Enhanced Thrust Due to Ion–Neutral Collisions for Electric Propulsion

Cited by 5 publications

References 15 publications

Deflections of dynamic momentum flux and electron diamagnetic thrust in a magnetically steered rf plasma thruster

Deflections of dynamic momentum flux and electron diamagnetic thrust in a magnetically steered rf plasma thruster

Helicon-type radiofrequency plasma thrusters and magnetic plasma nozzles

Neutral gas depletion in low temperature plasma

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