The IPG6-B as a research facility to support future development of electric propulsion

Abstract

The inductively-heated plasma generator IPG6-B at Baylor University has been established and characterized in previous years for use as a flexible experimental research facility across multiple applications. The system uses a similar plasma generator design to its twin-facilities at the University of Stuttgart (IPG6-S) and the University of Kentucky (IPG6-UKY). The similarity between these three devices offers the advantage to reproduce results and provides comparability to achieve cross-referencing and verification. Sub- and supersonic flow conditions for Mach numbers between Ma=0.3−1.4 have been characterized for air, argon, helium and nitrogen using a pitot probe. Overall power coupling efficiency as well as specific bulk enthalpy of the flow have been determined by calorimeter measurements to be between η=0.05−0.45 and hs=5−35 MJkg−1 respectively depending on gas type and pressure. Electron temperatures of Te=1−2 eV and densities ne=1018−1020 m−3 have been measured using an electrostatic probe system. At Baylor University, laboratory experiments in the areas of astrophysics, geophysics as well as fundamental research on complex (dusty) plasmas are planned. The study of fundamental processes in low-temperature plasmas connects directly to electric propulsion systems. Most recent experiments include the study of dusty plasmas and astrophysical phenomena and the interaction of charged dust with electric and magnetic fields. In this case, dust can be used as a diagnostic for such fields and can reveal essential information of the magneto-hydrodynamics in low-temperature plasmas. Although some of these goals require further advancement of the facility, it is proposed that several phenomena relevant to electric propulsion as well as to other fields of plasma physics can be studied using the existing facility.