Development and research of a coaxial microwave plasma thruster
- College of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710072 (China)
- School of Mechatronics, Northwestern Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710072 (China)
An overview of the research on a coaxial microwave plasma thruster at Northwestern Polytechnic University is presented. Emphasis is put on the development and research on key components of the thruster system, a microthrust balance, plasma plume diagnostics, and a numerical simulation of the plasma flow field inside the thruster cavity. The developed thruster cavity is chosen from a coaxial resonant cavity with concentrated capacitance, which can operate well in atmosphere and vacuum conditions. The development of a microwave source shows that a magnetron powered by a switch power supply has advantages in the power level and efficiency, but a solid state microwave source synthesized from the arsenide field effect transistor is superior in weight and volume. Through elimination of the effect of large gravity and resistance force induced by a gas pipe line and a microwave transmitting line on the microthrust, 15 mN and 340 s in the performance of the microwave plasma thruster at 70 W and with helium gas are measured. Diagnosing experiment shows that the plasma plume density is in the range of (1-7.2)x10{sup 16}/m{sup 3}. Numerical simulation of the plasma flow field inside the coaxial thruster cavity shows that there is a good match between the microwave power and gas flow rate.
- OSTI ID:
- 21124113
- Journal Information:
- Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 79, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2967340; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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