Electrode erosion in arc discharges at atmospheric pressure

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6050056

Hardy, T L

An experimental investigation was performed in an effort to measure and increase lifetime of electrodes in an arcjet thruster. The electrode erosion of various anode and cathode materials was measured after tests in an atmospheric pressure nitrogen arc discharge at powers less than 1 kW. A free-burning arc configuration and a constricted arc configuration were used to test the materials. Lanthanum hexaboride and thoriated tungsten had low cathode erosion rates while thoriated tungsten and pure tungsten had the lowest anode erosion rates of the materials tested. Anode cooling, reverse gas flow, and external magnetic fields were all found to reduce electrode mass loss.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (USA). Lewis Research Center
• OSTI ID: 6050056
• Report Number(s): N-85-34178
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105 -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
42 ENGINEERING
425007* -- Engineering-- Power Cycles-- Other-- (1980-)
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
BORIDES
BORON COMPOUNDS
COOLING
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRODES
ELEMENTS
EROSION
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
ION THRUSTERS
LANTHANUM BORIDES
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
METALS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
THRUSTERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNGSTEN