Performance and Facility Background Pressure Characterization Tests of NASAs 12.5-kW Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding Thruster

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission (SEP/TDM) project is funding the development of a 12.5-kW Hall thruster system to support future NASA missions. The thruster designated Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS) is a 12.5-kW Hall thruster with magnetic shielding incorporating a centrally mounted cathode. HERMeS was designed and modeled by a NASA GRC and JPL team and was fabricated and tested in vacuum facility 5 (VF5) at NASA GRC. Tests at NASA GRC were performed with the Technology Development Unit 1 (TDU1) thruster. TDU1's magnetic shielding topology was confirmed by measurement of anode potential and low electron temperature along the discharge chamber walls. Thermal characterization tests indicated that during full power thruster operation at peak magnetic field strength, the various thruster component temperatures were below prescribed maximum allowable limits. Performance characterization tests demonstrated the thruster's wide throttling range and found that the thruster can achieve a peak thruster efficiency of 63% at 12.5 kW 500 V and can attain a specific impulse of 3,000 s at 12.5 kW and a discharge voltage of 800 V. Facility background pressure variation tests revealed that the performance, operational characteristics, and magnetic shielding effectiveness of the TDU1 design were mostly insensitive to increases in background pressure.

[1]  Jonathan M. Burt,et al.  Characterization of Vacuum Facility Background Gas Through Simulation and Considerations for Electric Propulsion Ground Testing , 2015 .

[2]  James L. Myers,et al.  Non-Contact Thermal Characterization of NASA’s 12.5-kW Hall Thruster , 2015 .

[3]  Steve Oleson.  Advanced propulsion for space solar power satellites , 1999 .

[4]  Richard R. Hofer,et al.  Mass and Cost Model for Selecting Thruster Size in Electric Propulsion Systems , 2013 .

[5]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Near-Surface Plasma Characterization of the 12.5-kW NASA TDU1 Hall Thruster , 2015 .

[6]  I. Mikellides,et al.  Magnetic shielding of a laboratory Hall thruster. I. Theory and validation , 2014 .

[7]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Performance and Thermal Characterization of the NASA-300MS 20 kW Hall Effect Thruster , 2013 .

[8]  Mitchell L. R. Walker,et al.  Effects of facility backpressure on the performance and plume of a Hall thruster. , 2005 .

[9]  Yassir Azziz,et al.  Experimental and theoretical characterization of a Hall thruster plume , 2007 .

[10]  Dan M. Goebel,et al.  High-Current Lanthanum Hexaboride Hollow Cathode for High-Power Hall Thrusters , 2014 .

[11]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Fairfield Plume Measurement and Analysis on the NASA-300M and NASA-300MS , 2013 .

[12]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Experimental Investigation of the Near-Wall Region in the NASA HiVHAc EDU2 Hall Thruster , 2015 .

[13]  I. Mikellides,et al.  Magnetic Shielding of the Channel Walls in a Hall Plasma Accelerator , 2011 .

[14]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Langmuir Probe Measurements Within the Discharge Channel of the 20-kW NASA-300M and NASA-300MS Hall Thrusters , 2013 .

[15]  I. Mikellides,et al.  Magnetic shielding of a laboratory Hall thruster. II. Experiments , 2014 .

[16]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Farfield Plume Measurement and Analysis on the NASA-300 M and NASA-300 MS IEPC-2013-057 , 2013 .

[17]  James E. Polk,et al.  Overview of the Development of the Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission 12.5-kW Hall Thruster , 2014 .

[18]  David H. Manzella,et al.  High-Power Solar Electric Propulsion for Future NASA Missions , 2014 .

[19]  Rostislav Spektor,et al.  Investigation of the Effects of Facility Background Pressure on the Performance and Voltage-Current Characteristics of the High Voltage Hall Accelerator , 2014 .

[20]  Nathan J. Strange,et al.  300-kW Solar Electric Propulsion System Configuration for Human Exploration of Near-Earth Asteroids , 2011 .

[21]  Steven R. Oleson.  Mission Advantages of Constant Power, Variable Isp Electrostatic Thrusters , 2000 .

[22]  Margaret Nazario.  Advancement of a 30kW Solar Electric Propulsion System Capability for NASA Human and Robotic Exploration Missions , 2013 .

[23]  Michael J. Patterson,et al.  End-of-test Performance and Wear Characterization of NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) Long-Duration Test , 2014 .

[24]  Hani Kamhawi,et al.  Optical Characterization of Component Wear and Near-Field Plasma of the Hermes Thruster , 2015 .

[25]  Melissa L. McGuire,et al.  Concept designs for NASA's Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission , 2014 .

[26]  John R. Brophy,et al.  Near-Earth Asteroid Retrieval Mission (ARM) Study , 2013 .

[27]  Richard R. Hofer,et al.  Finite Pressure Effects in Magnetically Shielded Hall Thrusters , 2014 .