Performance characterization of a high efficiency gas-fed pulsed plasma thruster

Abstract

We present a characterization of the performance of a recently developed gas-fed pulsed plasma thruster (GF-PPT) at low discharge energies (•5 J). The impulsive thrust measurements were made using EPPDyL’s high-accuracy interferometric microthrust stand. The thruster is best suited for small satellite applications and is operated in an unsteady pulsed mode (3 „s/pulse). It is the result of a series of design iterations aimed at achieving the highest thrust e‐ciencies for unsteady electromagnetic acceleration at low discharge energies. The use of advanced nonlinear magnetic switching technology, which insured a total system inductance of 3-4 nH, combined with an electrode geometry and radial gas injection that favor low proflle losses, yielded a total e‐ciency of 50% at 5 J with argon (at an impulse bit of 32 „Ns and a mass bit of .2 „g/shot). This is the highest measured e‐ciency ever reported for a PPT at this low energy level. Moreover, the low mass utilization e‐ciency problem that plagued previous gas-fed pulsed