Advanced Diagnostics for Millimeter-Scale Micro Pulsed Plasma Thrusters
Author | : |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 10 |
Release | : 2002 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:74238219 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (19 Downloads) |
Download or read book Advanced Diagnostics for Millimeter-Scale Micro Pulsed Plasma Thrusters written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 10 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A class of Micro-Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (MicroPPTs) is being developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to provide precise attitude control and stationkeeping ability to 25-kg class satellites. Operating by means of a surface discharge across a Teflon(TM) propellant fuel bar only a few millimeters in diameter, the MicroPPT delivers a thrust-to-power ratio of 5 - 10 microN-s/J. Due to the low pulse energy and size, the MicroPPT produces a spatially-confined and diffuse plasma plume that is difficult to analyze with material probes. Efforts to characterize MicroPPT plume are underway. To this end, a Herriott Cell interferometer is introduced to establish the plume electron and neutral densities. Comparison of the measured electron density with modeling predictions shows close agreement. Additionally, a Pockels cell has been developed to provide a zero-impedance MicroPPT breakdown voltage measurement. Current research focuses on an infrared-emission measurement capability to determine propellant surface temperature during thruster operation.