Multi-mode Hall thruster development

Abstract

The BPT-4500 and method of tuning the acceleration by focusing a plasma lens is described. Test results show that overall thruster efficiency and plume shape is improved by adjusting the curvature of magnetic field lines in the acceleration zone. Thrust efficiency is improved to 50% from 21% at 150 V and from 58% to 62.5% at 350 V using this technique. At 125 V, the BPT-4500 operates at 45% thrust efficiency and 1030 s specific impulse yielding a thrust/power ratio only 10% less than a 600 s hydrazine arcjet. Introduction Multi-mode Hall thruster capability enables one thruster to serve constant power applications needing the highest possible thrust for orbit transfer and high specific impulse for station keeping. Towards this objective, we have evaluated a GENERAL DYNAMICS (formerly PRIMEX Aerospace Company) approach for tuning the BPT-4500 for the best possible performance over a range of accelerating potentials. This paper describes our initial exploratory efforts to improve thruster efficiency by actively changing magnetic field shape. Thruster Description The BPT-4500 is a 4.5 kW Hall field plasma accelerator based on an earlier 4000 watt device''. These thrusters employ a short discharge to minimize contact with the insulators and pole pieces to shape the curvature of the magnetic field in the ion creation zone. As is well known in Hall type accelerators, the magnetic field lines become nearly equipotential lines defining the acceleration vector of the ions. Also, the technique of adjusting electric potential shape by magnetized electrons in a magnetic field is commonly called a plasma lens. By virtue of the discharge properties in the BPT and shaping these fields, we have attempted to Copyright (c) 2001 by GENERAL DYNAMICS. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission. create a plasma lens with adjustable focus. Plasma Lens Focusing Morozov in the Soviet Union has shown that using two sets of electromagnets to change the gradient of the radial magnetic field can have a significant effect on the behavior of ion acceleration in Hall type discharges. Gavryushin and Kim have shown that the axial gradient of the radial magnetic field regulated by varying the degree of screening of the accelerator channel. These accelerators are characterized by relatively long acceleration lengths in channels that typically have a length to width of 2:1. Insofar as these accelerators had a long discharge, the curvature of the field was not emphasized in the description of this early work. Instead, the researchers discuss primarily the axial gradient of Curvature of ion path changed by Anode focal length Anode potential contour Cathode potential contour Figure 1 Hall Acceleration with Plasma Lens Concept (c)2001 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics or Published with Permission of Author(s) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization. the magnetic field. The BPT discharge is configured to take place in a very short channel, typically with a length to width of 1:2. As such, physical evidence from a variety of geometry studies suggests that the BPT discharge creates ions in a thin, -1-2 mm layer, occurring approximately 3-4 mm downstream of the anode, schematically illustrated in Fig 1. As such, we hypothesize the BPT discharge embodies Hall acceleration within a plasma lens. Our innovation is to exploit the features of this short discharge by adjusting the focal length of a plasma lens using a trim or focusing coil. Variation of the curvature of the fields in this layer has the effect of changing the initial trajectory of ions. Changes in the shape downstream of the ionization zone are minimized by the fact that magnetic fields are manipulated inside the primary magnetic structure. The BPT-4500 thruster shown in Fig 2 is composed of a primary magnetic structure with four outer coils and an inner coil. The BPT-4500 has a 13 cm mid-diameter and a 2 cm annulus providing slightly more discharge area than the BPT-4000. The schematic cross section of the thruster is shown in Fig. 3. This shows the anode is surrounded by a secondary magnetic structure to add or subtract from the magnetic field radius of curvature in the annulus between insulator rings. Figure 2 BPT-4500 Laboratory Style Thruster Flight Version A flight capable version of the thruster is under development in the Lockheed Martin funded Hall Thruster Propulsion System (HTPS) program. This flight thruster is referred to as the BPT-4000. This thruster has a fixed magnetic field and plasma lens taken from the optimal configuration found here. GENERAL DYNAMICS is on track to deliver a flight qualified thruster, power processor and xenon flow control system in 2003.