Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “ion thrusters”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

The Impact of Back-Sputtered Carbon on the Accelerator Grid Wear Rates of the NEXT and NSTAR Ion Thrusters

A study was conducted to quantify the impact of back-sputtered carbon on the downstream accelerator grid erosion rates of the NEXT (NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster) Long Duration Test (LDT1). A similar analysis that was conducted for the NSTAR (NASA's Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Applications Readiness Program) Life Demonstration Test (LDT2) was used as a foundation for the analysis developed herein. A new carbon surface coverage model was developed that accounted for multiple carbon adlayers before complete surface coverage is achieved. The resulting model requires knowledge of more model inputs, so they were conservatively estimated using the results of past thin film sputtering studies and particle reflection predictions. In addition, accelerator current densities across the grid were rigorously determined using an ion optics code to determine accelerator current distributions and an algorithm to determine beam current densities along a grid using downstream measurements. The improved analysis was applied to the NSTAR test results for evaluation. The improved analysis demonstrated that the impact of back-sputtered carbon on pit and groove wear rate for the NSTAR LDT2 was negligible throughout most of eroded grid radius. The improved analysis also predicted the accelerator current density for transition from net erosion to net deposition considerably more accurately than the original analysis. The improved analysis was used to estimate the impact of back-sputtered carbon on the accelerator grid pit and groove wear rate of the NEXT Long Duration Test (LDT1). Unlike the NSTAR analysis, the NEXT analysis was more challenging because the thruster was operated for extended durations at various operating conditions and was unavailable for measurements because the test is ongoing. As a result, the NEXT LDT1 estimates presented herein are considered preliminary until the results of future posttest analyses are incorporated. The worst-case impact of carbon back-sputtering was determined to be the full power operating condition, but the maximum impact of back-sputtered carbon was only a four percent reduction in wear rate. As a result, back-sputtered carbon is estimated to have an insignificant impact on the first failure mode of the NEXT LDT at all operating conditions.

Soulas, George C.↗
NASA NTRS2013

The Impact of Back-Sputtered Carbon on the Accelerator Grid Wear Rates of the NEXT and NSTAR Ion Thrusters

A study was conducted to quantify the impact of back-sputtered carbon on the downstream accelerator grid erosion rates of the NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) Long Duration Test (LDT1). A similar analysis that was conducted for the NASA's Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Applications Readiness Program (NSTAR) Life Demonstration Test (LDT2) was used as a foundation for the analysis developed herein. A new carbon surface coverage model was developed that accounted for multiple carbon adlayers before complete surface coverage is achieved. The resulting model requires knowledge of more model inputs, so they were conservatively estimated using the results of past thin film sputtering studies and particle reflection predictions. In addition, accelerator current densities across the grid were rigorously determined using an ion optics code to determine accelerator current distributions and an algorithm to determine beam current densities along a grid using downstream measurements. The improved analysis was applied to the NSTAR test results for evaluation. The improved analysis demonstrated that the impact of back-sputtered carbon on pit and groove wear rate for the NSTAR LDT2 was negligible throughout most of eroded grid radius. The improved analysis also predicted the accelerator current density for transition from net erosion to net deposition considerably more accurately than the original analysis. The improved analysis was used to estimate the impact of back-sputtered carbon on the accelerator grid pit and groove wear rate of the NEXT Long Duration Test (LDT1). Unlike the NSTAR analysis, the NEXT analysis was more challenging because the thruster was operated for extended durations at various operating conditions and was unavailable for measurements because the test is ongoing. As a result, the NEXT LDT1 estimates presented herein are considered preliminary until the results of future post-test analyses are incorporated. The worst-case impact of carbon back-sputtering was determined to be the full power operating condition, but the maximum impact of back-sputtered carbon was only a 4 percent reduction in wear rate. As a result, back-sputtered carbon is estimated to have an insignificant impact on the first failure mode of the NEXT LDT1 at all operating conditions.

Soulas, George C.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Update of the NEXT Ion Thruster Service Life Assessment with Post-Test Correlation to the Long Duration Test

The service life assessment for NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster is updated to incorporate the results from the successful and voluntarily early completion of the 51,184 hour long duration test which demonstrated 918 kg of total xenon throughput. The results of the numerous post-test investigations including destructive interrogations have been assessed against all of the critical known and suspected failure mechanisms to update the life and throughput expectations for each major component. Analysis results of two of the most acute failure mechanisms, namely pit-and-groove erosion and aperture enlargement of the accelerator grid, are not updated in this work but will be published at a future time after analysis completion.

ion engines↗
NASA NTRS1972

Change in transmittance of fused silica as a means of detecting material sputtered from components on a 5-cm ion thruster

Two endurance tests of a 5-cm mercury bombardment thruster are reported. Both tests used a translational screen-grid system with the beam vectored 10 degrees. The first test lasted 141 hours and the second test operated for 2026 hours. In each test two fused silica samples (solar cell covers), 2.0 cm by 2.1 cm, were placed in shielded holders to detect materials sputtered from the thruster. Spectral optical properties between 0.398 and 2.16 microns were measured on each sample, both before and after the endurance tests. The deposition on each sample was spectrographically analyzed to determine the type of materials sputtered from the thruster. It was found that sputtering from the neutralizer is highly dependent on its position with respect to the beam edge. The sputtering from the accelerator grid of the translational screen-grid system of the 2026 hour test was sufficient to form an opaque film on the sample located in the direction opposite to the vectored beam.

Weigand, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Five-centimeter diameter ion thruster development

All system components were tested for endurance and steady state and cyclic operation. The following results were obtained: acceleration system (electrostatic type), 3100 hours continuous running; acceleration system (translation type), 2026 hours continuous running; cathode-isolator-vaporizer assembly, 5000 hours continuous operation and 190 restart cycles with 1750 hours operation; mercury expulsion system, 5000 hours continuous running; and neutralizer, 5100 hours continuous operation. The results of component optimization studies such as neutralizer position, neutralizer keeper hole, and screen grid geometry are included. Extensive mapping of the magnet field within and immediately outside the thruster are shown. A technique of electroplating the molybdenum accelerator grid with copper to study erosion patterns is described. Results of tests being conducted to more fully understand the operation of the hollow cathode are also given. This type of 5-cm thruster will be space tested on the Communication Technology Satellite in 1975.

Weigand, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Effects of the hollow cathode discharge on throttled ion thruster performance.

An experimental study performed on a 20 cm electron bombardment thruster shows substantial improvements in throttled performance can be achieved if cathode discharge region diameter and length, cathode flow rate and baffle aperture area are reduced simultaneously. This improvement is related to a thruster operating mode in which arc current does not vary significantly with arc voltage. In this mode it is possible to operate the thruster at a high arc voltage and a correspondingly high primary electron energy without the penalty of a prohibitively high arc power. Langmuir probe data indicate the arc current is limited by the cathode region plasma potential and electron density which are both nearly invariant with arc voltage.

Wilbur, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A 2000-Hour Durability Test of a 5-Centimeter Diameter Mercury Bombardment Ion Thruster

A 2000-hour durability test of a modified Hughes SIT-5 (Structurally Integrated Thruster, 5 cm) was conducted at the Lewis Research Center. The thruster operated with a translating screen thrust vector grid locked in position for 10 deg beam deflection. The test was essentially continuous except for seven stoppages of beam current. The neutralizer keeper voltage and thruster floating potential increased slightly with time. Performance profiles and maps of thruster characteristics were obtained at 453 and 2023 hours into the test. Overall efficiency was nearly constant at 31 - 32 percent, and operating characteristics were similar at both points in the test. A post-shutdown inspection showed negligible erosion damage to the accelerator and cathode baffle. Some erosion was found in the aperture of the neutralizer cathode.

Nakanishi, S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Performance of 30-cm ion thrusters with dished accelerator grids

Thirteen sets of dished accelerator grids were treated on five different 30 cm diameter bombardment thrusters to evaluate the effects of grid geometry variations on thruster discharge chamber performance. The dished grid parameters varied were: grid-to-grid spacing, screen and accelerator grid hole diameter, screen and accelerator open area fraction, compensation for beam divergence losses, and accelerator grid thickness. The effects on discharge chamber performance of main magnetic field changes, magnetic baffle current, cathode pole piece length and cathode position were also investigated.

Rawlin, V. K.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Studies of dished accelerator grids for 30-cm ion thrusters

Geometrically different sets of dished accelerator grids were tested on five 30-cm thrusters. The geometric variation of the grids included the grid-to-grid spacing, the screen and accelerator hole diameters and thicknesses, the screen and accelerator open area fractions, ratio of dish depth to the dish diameter, compensation, and aperture shape. In general, the data taken over a range of beam currents for each grid set included the minimum total accelerating voltage required to extract a given beam current and the minimum accelerator grid voltage required to prevent electron backstreaming.

Rawlin, V. K.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Performance of 30-cm ion thrusters with dished accelerator grids

Thirteen sets of dished accelerator grids were tested on five different 30-cm diameter bombardment thrustors to evaluate the effects of grid geometry variations on thrustor discharge chamber performance. The dished grid parameters varied were: grid-to-grid spacing, screen and accelerator grid hole-diameter, screen and accelerator open area fraction, compensation for beam divergence losses, and accelerator grid thickness. Also investigated were the effects on discharge chamber performance of main magnetic field changes, magnetic baffle current cathode pole piece length and cathode position.

Rawlin, V. K.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Studies of dished accelerator grids for 30-cm ion thrusters

Eighteen geometrically different sets of dished accelerator grids were tested on five 30-cm thrusters. The geometric variation of the grids included the grid-to-grid spacing, the screen and accelerator hole diameters and thicknesses, the screen and accelerator open area fractions, ratio of dish depth to dish diameter, compensation, and aperture shape. In general, the data taken over a range of beam currents for each grid set included the minimum total accelerating voltage required to extract a given beam current and the minimum accelerator grid voltage required to prevent electron backstreaming.

Rawlin, V. K.↗