Real-Tme Boron Nitride Erosion Measurements of the HiVHAc Thruster via Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

Cavity ring-down spectroscopy was used to make real-time erosion measurements from the NASA High Voltage Hall Accelerator thruster. The optical sensor uses 250 nm light to measure absorption of atomic boron in the plume of an operating Hall thruster. Theerosion rate of the High Voltage Hall Accelerator thruster was measured for discharge voltages ranging from 330 to 600 V and discharge powers ranging from 1 to 3 kW. Boron densities as high as 6.5 x 10(exp 15) per cubic meter were found within the channel. Using a very simple boronvelocity model, approximate volumetric erosion rates between 5.0 x 10(exp -12) and 8.2 x 10(exp -12) cubic meter per second were found.

[1]  A. Yalin,et al.  Quartz crystal microbalance-based system for high-sensitivity differential sputter yield measurements. , 2009, The Review of scientific instruments.

[2]  A. Mathers,et al.  Demonstration of 10,400 Hours of Operation on a 4.5 kW Qualification Model Hall Thruster , 2010 .

[3]  H. Kogelnik,et al.  Laser beams and resonators. , 1966, Applied optics.

[4]  H. R. Kaufman,et al.  Technology of closed-drift thrusters , 1983 .

[5]  David H. Manzella,et al.  Investigation of the Erosion Characteristics of a Laboratory Hall Thruster , 2003 .

[6]  V. M. Murashko,et al.  History of the Hall Thrusters Development in USSR , 2007 .

[7]  A. Yalin,et al.  Total and Differential Sputter Yields of Boron Nitride Measured by Quartz Crystal Microbalance , 2009 .

[8]  Daniel Pagnon,et al.  QCM and OES: two ways used to study simultaneously HET thruster chamber ceramic erosion. First QCM results on PPS100-ML validate previous OES measurements. , 2009 .

[9]  John D. Williams,et al.  Sputtering Studies of Multi-Component Materials by Weight Loss and Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (Postprint) , 2006 .

[10]  Steven R. Oleson,et al.  Electric Propulsion Mission Viability within the Discovery Class Cost Cap , 2010 .

[11]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Farfield Ion Current Density Measurements before and after the NASA HiVHAc EDU2 Vibration Test , 2012 .

[12]  Y. Garnier,et al.  Low-energy xenon ion sputtering of ceramics investigated for stationary plasma thrusters , 1999 .

[13]  M. Martínez-Sánchez,et al.  Use of emission spectroscopy for real-time assessment of relative wall erosion rate of BHT-200 hall thruster for various regimes of operation , 2010 .

[14]  G. Berden,et al.  Cavity ring-down spectroscopy: Experimental schemes and applications , 2000 .

[15]  A P Yalin,et al.  Cavity ring-down spectroscopy sensor for ion beam etch monitoring and end-point detection of multilayer structures. , 2008, The Review of scientific instruments.

[16]  M. Gryziński,et al.  Classical Theory of Atomic Collisions. I. Theory of Inelastic Collisions , 1965 .

[17]  Mariano Andrenucci,et al.  Development of a Telemicroscopy Diagnostic Apparatus and Erosion Modelling in Hall Effect Thrusters , 2009 .

[18]  Barbara A. Paldus,et al.  An historical overview of cavity-enhanced methods , 2005 .

[19]  Roger M. Myers,et al.  Advanced Propulsion for Geostationary Orbit Insertion and North-South Station Keeping , 1997 .

[20]  Shigeru Yokota,et al.  Hall Thruster Channel Wall Erosion Rate Measurement Method Using Multilayer Coating Chip , 2010 .

[21]  Michael J. Patterson,et al.  NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (Next) Long-Duration Test as of 736 Kg of Propellant Throughput , 2013 .

[22]  Naoji Yamamoto,et al.  Sputter erosion sensor for anode layer-type Hall thrusters using cavity ring-down spectroscopy , 2010 .

[23]  A. Gallimore,et al.  The Technical Challenges of using Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy to Study Hall Thruster Channel Erosion , 2011 .