Microwave-excited microplasma thruster with helium and hydrogen propellants

Microplasma thruster of electrothermal type has been investigated with feed or propellant gases of He and H2. The thruster consisted of an azimuthally symmetric microwave-excited microplasma source 1.5 mm in diameter and 10 mm long with a rod antenna on axis, and a converging-diverging micronozzle 1 mm long with a throat 0.2 mm in diameter. Surface wave-excited plasmas were established by 4.0-GHz microwaves at powers of ≤ 6 W, with the source pressure in the range 0.5–12 kPa at flow rates of 2–70 sccm. The microplasma generation, micronozzle flow, and thrust performance with He were numerically analyzed by using a two-dimensional fluid model, coupled with an electromagnetic model for microwaves interacting with plasmas in the source region. In experiments, the plasma electron density and gas temperature in the microplasma source were measured at around the top of the microwave antenna, or just upstream of the micronozzle inlet, by optical emission spectroscopy with a small amount of additive gases of H2 a...

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