ELECTRIC PROPULSION DEVICES
♦ Electric Propulsion Thruster Modules
♦ Neutralizers/Cathodes for Electric Propulsion
♦ Electric Propulsion Diagnostic Package (EPDP)
Electric Propulsion Thruster Modules
Applications
♦ Electric Propulsion (EP) Systems based on ion
generation, extraction and acceleration through:
¾ Electrostatic forces (Gridded Ion Engines)
¾ j x B forces (Hall Effect Thrusters)
Main Features
♦
Ion/Plasma generation from a neutral gas
♦
Ion acceleration/beam formation through e set of
grids (for Ion Thrusters)
♦
Ion generation and extraction/Plume formation
through Hall effect acceleration (Hall Effect
Thrusters Single Stage and Double Stage)
♦ Accommodation of the Radio-frequency (for ion
thrusters) or the Magnetic (for Hall Thrusters)
conditioning provisions
♦ Compatibility with S/C environmental constraints
Production
♦ Double Stage Hall Effect Thruster (DS-HET)
Prototype
♦ Radio-frequency with Magnetic Field Ion Thruster
(RMT) Engineering Model
Background
♦ RMT Development activities under ASI contract
♦ Hall Effect Thruster R&D activities based on in-
house developed discharge chamber prototypes
and on co-operation /joint test campaign with
Russian Qualified Organizations
Technical Description
RMT Discharge Chamber
The RMT Thruster (patented) uses a RF discharge, in
the VHF range, in conjunction with a low level (~100
Gauss) static magnetic field. The RMT Discharge
Chamber consists of a ceramic vessel with built
electrodes for the RF capacitive coupling, anode and
gas distributor.
The Magnetic Conditioning Circuit is composed by SmCo
permanent magnets and by a magnetic control coil, whose
design has been optimized by comparing the numerical
simulation based on Ansys code with the experimental
characterization
DS-HET Discharge Chamber
In the DS-HET concept the ionization is obtained through the
same Hall effect that is exploited for the acceleration, but