Fabrication and testing of carbon-carbon grids for ion optics

Garner, Charles E.; Brophy, John R.

doi:10.2514/6.1992-3149

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…21 5) Substitution of graphite-graphite composite materials in place of molybdenum . 22,23 Composite materials, which are the subject of current study, are advantageous because they can be fabricated so that they are thin and have a high stiffness that restrains grid de ection toward each other. A composite material can also be made so it has an essentially zero thermal expansion coef cient over the operating temperature range of an ion thruster.…”

Section: Grid System Con Gurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ion Thruster Development Trends and Status in the United States

Wilbur

Rawlin

Beattie³

1998

Journal of Propulsion and Power

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The current interest in ion thrusters for near-Earth and deep-space missions has occurred because of long-term development efforts yielding an understanding of the physical phenomena involved in thruster operation and hardware that is suited to a wide range of missions. Features of state-of-the-art thrusters are described in terms of the various physical processes that occur within them. Tradeoffs that must be considered to arrive at thruster designs suited to commercialization are discussed.

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Section: Grid System Con Gurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ion Thruster Development Trends and Status in the United States

Wilbur

Rawlin

Beattie³

1998

Journal of Propulsion and Power

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“…At the same incident ion energies, carboncarbon composite electrodes may be seven times more erosion-resistant than the state-of-the-art NSTAR molybdenum grids. 11,12 Carboncarbon grids and their associated support structures are also signi cantly lighter than the same-sized molybdenum-grid-based accelerator systems. Because a signi cant fraction (almost 25% ) of the engine mass is in the ion optics assembly as indicated in Fig.…”

Section: Scaled-down Nstar Derivative Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electric Propulsion for Solar System Exploration

Brophy

Noca

1998

Journal of Propulsion and Power

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The use of ion propulsion for deep-space missions will become a reality in 1998 with the ight of the ion-propelled, New Millennium Deep Space 1 (DS1) spacecraft. The anticipation of this event is stimulating the call for improved ion propulsion technologies, a trend that is expected to continue. This paper describes the evaluation of possible advanced solar electric propulsion technologies and their potential bene ts to projected near-term and midterm solar system exploration missions. The advanced technologies include high-performance derivatives of the DS1 ion propulsion technology, scaled-down DS1 systems, and direct-drive Hall-effect thruster systems. The results of this study indicate that signi cant near-term bene ts can be obtained by the development of improved versions of the DS1 ion propulsion system (IPSs) components. In addition, if the current trend to smaller planetary spacecraft continues, then missions ying these smaller future spacecraft will bene t substantially from the development of scaled-down IPSs that incorporate advanced technologies in the ion engines and the propellant feed systems. The performance of the direct-drive Hall thruster systems is potentially superior to that of all other midterm options, but this technology has the highest development risk. Signi cantly reduced trip times to small bodies and the outer planets may be possible if technology programs work to retire these risks.

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