Characterization of a low-power Cylindrical Hall Thruster

Tatiana Perrotin , Alfio E Vinci , Stéphane Mazouffre (1) , Jaume Navarro-Cavallé , Pablo Fajardo , Eduardo Ahedo

1 ICARE - Institut de Combustion, Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement

A prototype of fully Cylindrical Hall Thruster was tested in the power range of 30-300 W with the objective of understanding the behavior of the discharge as a function of the input parameters. Multiple operating conditions were compared, including two magnetic field configurations, a set of propellant mass flow rates and a range of discharge voltages. The plasma properties were measured in the far-field at various angles and distances, with a Langmuir Probe, a Retarding Potential Analyzer and a Faraday Cup. The discharge current oscillations were analyzed as well, revealing changes in the frequency spectrum due to the voltage and mass flow rate. The experimental results showed that the mass flow rate affected the ionization and, consequently, other related properties such as the plasma density, currents, and propellant utilization. The discharge voltage also appeared to influence the measured variables, in particular the ion energy and propellant utilization.

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

Tatiana Perrotin, Alfio E Vinci, Stéphane Mazouffre, Jaume Navarro-Cavallé, Pablo Fajardo, et al.. Characterization of a low-power Cylindrical Hall Thruster. 37th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Jun 2022, Cambridge, United States. ⟨hal-03797355⟩