Mini-Helicon Plasma Thruster Characterization

A compact mini-Helicon Thruster (mHT) is designed to study possible space applications. High beam and gas utilization efficiencies are of major importance, as well as the compact design and system integration. The concept does not require a cathode for beam neutralization or any auxiliary gas discharge for plasma initiation. We target gases with intermediate weight, such as molecular nitrogen, atomic argon, and mixtures like air, operating at low 50% beam efficiency is achievable. Experimentally demonstrated efficiency is ~20%, which is primarily due to high energy loses in the RFtransition lines that has been recently quantified. Measured heat loads onto inner wall of the discharge chamber are moderate, a few watts per square centimeter. However, power density in the plasma beam is exceptionally high, several mega-watts per square meter, allowing much smaller cross-section of a system in comparison to other EP concepts.

[1]  Francis F. Chen,et al.  Plasma ionization by helicon waves , 1991 .

[2]  Manuel Martinez-Sanchez,et al.  Results from the mini-Helicon Thruster Experiment , 2007 .

[3]  M. Celik,et al.  Spectral Measurements of mHTX Helicon Discharge Plasma , 2007 .

[4]  Justin Matthew Pucci,et al.  An analysis of energy balance in a helicon plasma source for space propulsion , 2007 .

[5]  N. Hershkowitz,et al.  Understanding Mach probes and Langmuir probes in a drifting, unmagnetized, non-uniform plasma , 2004 .

[6]  I. Hutchinson Principles of Plasma Diagnostics , 1987 .

[7]  Nareg Sinenian,et al.  Propulsion mechanisms in a helicon plasma thruster , 2008 .

[8]  Francis F. Chen,et al.  Helicons-the early years , 1997 .

[9]  R. Cohen,et al.  Kinetic effects in tokamak scrape-off layer plasmas , 1996 .

[10]  F. Levinton,et al.  Ion acceleration in plasmas emerging from a helicon-heated magnetic-mirror device , 2003 .

[11]  Chung,et al.  Kinetic theory of ion collection by probing objects in flowing strongly magnetized plasmas. , 1988, Physical review. A, General physics.

[12]  M. Martinez-Sanchez,et al.  Spacecraft Electric Propulsion—An Overview , 1998 .

[13]  O. Batishchev,et al.  Minihelicon Plasma Thruster , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science.

[14]  Manuel Martinez-Sanchez,et al.  Preliminary Characterization of a Helicon Plasma Source for Space Propulsion , 2006 .

[15]  I. Hutchinson Ion collection by probes in strong magnetic fields with plasma flow. , 1988 .

[16]  Daniel B. White Power balance in a helicon plasma source for space propulsion , 2008 .