Generation and Acceleration of High-Density Helicon Plasma Using Permanent Magnets for the Completely Electrodeless Propulsion System

Otsuka, Shuhei; Nakagawa, T.; Ishii, Hiroki; Teshigahara, Naoto; Fujitsuka, Hiroaki; Waseda, Shimpei; Ishii, Takamichi; Kuwahara, Daisuke; Shinohara, Shunjiro

doi:10.1585/pfr.9.3406047

Cited by 17 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 9 publications

(11 reference statements)

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“…(deceleration phase). The range of IRMF was 0 -30 A in the previous research, 12) which was increased to 50 A in the present experiment. In the cases of acceleration phase, vi and ne were increased by increasing IRMF.…”

Section: )supporting

confidence: 50%

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High-Density Helicon Plasma Thrusters Using Electrodeless Acceleration Schemes

Kuwahara

Shinohara

Ishii

et al. 2016

AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY JAPAN

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We have been studying long-lifetime helicon plasma thrusters as the Helicon Electrodeless Advanced Thruster (HEAT) project. Two important elements of the proposed helicon plasma thruster are a generation of a dense source plasma using a helicon wave, and an acceleration of the plasma by the Lorentz force using the product of the induced azimuthal current and static radial magnetic field. Here, in order to eliminate damage of electrodes, both generation and acceleration schemes are operated in non-contact condition between the plasma and electrodes. Acceleration schemes use two type of coils: rotating magnetic field coils and azimuthal mode number m = 0 ones. These studies have been carried out on the Large Mirror Device (LMD), which has two types the magnetic field source, permanent magnets and electromagnets, and the Small Helicon Device (SHD), which has small diameter discharge tubes. In this paper, current performances of acceleration schemes are reported.

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Section: )supporting

confidence: 50%

“…There were two types of applied magnetic field system; permanent magnets and electromagnets. 12) In the case of the RMF experiment, only permanent magnets were used. Permanent magnets placed in the straight section of the quartz tube generate a large radial magnetic field in the acceleration area.…”

Section: )mentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Density Helicon Plasma Thrusters Using Electrodeless Acceleration Schemes

Kuwahara

Shinohara

Ishii

et al. 2016

AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY JAPAN

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“…In our previous study on RMF acceleration, we applied RMF with RMF current frequency f RMF = 5 MHz, 12 and surveyed the operation parameters (rf power P rf , gas flow rate fr, and external magnetic field). 15 Here, we found that RMF could penetrate fully at a radial position of discharge tube r = 60 mm, where plasma radius R is 85 mm, and partially at r = 0 ∼ 45 mm into plasma, respectively, according to the Milroy's expression of RMF penetration condition. 11 Recently, dependences of an electron density n e and ion velocity v i on f RMF have been investigated by changing f RMF form 5 MHz to 3 MHz.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Electrodeless plasma acceleration system using rotating magnetic field method

et al. 2017

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COLLECTIONS This paper was selected as Featured ARTICLES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED INStudy on electromagnetic plasma propulsion using rotating magnetic field acceleration scheme Physics of Plasmas 24, 043505 (2017) We have proposed Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF) acceleration method as one of electrodeless plasma accelerations. In our experimental scheme, plasma generated by an rf (radio frequency) antenna, is accelerated by RMF antennas, which consist of two-pair, opposed, facing coils, and these antennas are outside of a discharge tube. Therefore, there is no wear of electrodes, degrading the propulsion performance. Here, we will introduce our RMF acceleration system developed, including the experimental device, e.g., external antennas, a tapered quartz tube, a vacuum chamber, external magnets, and a pumping system. In addition, we can change RMF operation parameters (RMF applied current I RMF and RMF current phase difference φ, focusing on RMF current frequency f RMF ) by adjusting matching conditions of RMF, and investigate the dependencies on plasma parameters (electron density n e and ion velocity v i ); e.g., higher increases of n e and v i (∼360 % and 55 %, respectively) than previous experimental results were obtained by decreasing f RMF from 5 MHz to 0.7 MHz, whose RMF penetration condition was better according to Milroy's expression. Moreover, time-varying component of RMF has been measured directly to survey the penetration condition experimentally. © 2017 Author (s)

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“…There are two types of applied magnetic field system, permanent magnets and electromagnets. In this paper, only permanent magnets were used [5]. Permanent magnets which were placed in the discharge tube straight section generate a large magnetic field in a radial direction.…”

Section: Principle Of Lif Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, our group has been studying some active acceleration methods to improve the thrust efficiency. These methods produce an axial direction thrust F z using the Lorentz force, i.e., the product of an induced azimuthal current j θ and an external radial magnetic field B r [1,4,5]. In studying the above-mentioned schemes, it is important to observe behaviors of particles such as ions and neutral particles, playing the role of the thrust production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Ar I and Ar II Measuring System using Laser-Induced Fluorescence Methods in High-Density Helicon Plasma

Kuwahara

Tanida

Watanabe

et al. 2015

Plasma and Fusion Research

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A particle flow velocity measurement is important to realize a behavior of exhausted plasma in an electric thruster. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method provides flow velocities of ions and neutral particles through measuring velocity distribution functions of them. In addition, LIF method has some advantages, shown as follows; 1) high-spatial resolution, 2) absolute measurement of flow velocity, 3) direction-selectivity of velocity distribution functions. We have developed Ar I and Ar II LIF measuring system to observe spatial profiles of velocity distribution functions of both neutral particles and ions in an experimental device of the helicon plasma thruster, having permanent magnets as the applied magnetic field. Flow velocity of the neutral particle in the axial direction was subsonic, and ion velocity was related with a gradient of the magnetic field.

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Generation and Acceleration of High-Density Helicon Plasma Using Permanent Magnets for the Completely Electrodeless Propulsion System

Cited by 17 publications

References 9 publications

High-Density Helicon Plasma Thrusters Using Electrodeless Acceleration Schemes

High-Density Helicon Plasma Thrusters Using Electrodeless Acceleration Schemes

Electrodeless plasma acceleration system using rotating magnetic field method

Development of Ar I and Ar II Measuring System using Laser-Induced Fluorescence Methods in High-Density Helicon Plasma

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