Initial experiments on a dual-stage 4-grid ion thruster for very high specific impulse and power

Collection of Technical Papers - AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE 42nd Joint Propulsion Conference

Volumn 5, Issue , 2006, Pages 3476-3486

  Walker, Roger ^a,d,e   Bramanti, Cristina ^a,d,e   Sutherland, Orson ^b,e,f   Boswell, Rod ^b,e,f   Charles, Christine ^b,e,f   Fearn, David ^c,d,e   Del Amo, Jose Gonzalez ^a,e   Frigot, Pierre Etienne ^a,e   Orlandi, Marika ^a  

^a EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY   (Netherlands)

^b AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

^c EP SOLUTIONS SA   (Switzerland)

^d ESA Advanced Concepts Team ^*  (United Kingdom)

^e AIAA   (United States)

^f Plasma Research Laboratory   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

GRID ION THRUSTER; POWER TO THRUST RATIO;

COMPUTER SIMULATION; SPACE RESEARCH;

ION PROPULSION;

EID: 34249033004     PISSN: None     EISSN: None     Source Type: Conference Proceeding    
DOI: None     Document Type: Conference Paper

References (10)

1. Fearn, DG, "The use of ion thrusters for orbit raising", J Brit Interplan Soc, 33, 129-137, (1980).
2. Martin, A R, "High power beams for neutral injection heating", Vacuum, 34, 1-2, 17-24, (1984).
3. Okumura, Y, et al, "Quasi-dc extraction of 70 keV, 5 A ion beam," Rev Sci Instrum, 51, 728-734, (1980).
4. Menon, M M, et al, "Power transmission characteristics of a two-stage multiaperture neutral beam source," Rev Sci Instrum, 51, 1163-1167, (1980).
5. Ohara, Y, "Numerical simulation for design of a two-stage acceleration system in a megawatt power ion source," J Appl Phys, 49, 4711-4717, (1978).
6. Mundy, D H and Fearn, D G, "Throttling the T5 ion engine over a wide thrust range", AIAA Paper 97-3196, (1997).
7. Bond, R A, Fearn, D G, Wallace, N C and Mundy, D H, "The optimisation of the UK-10 ion thruster extraction grid system", IEPC Paper 97-138, (1997).
8. Martin, A R, Banks, C R, Baton, R W, Hurford, P, Moulford, W B F L and Pearce, A J, "Erosion measurements for two- and three-grid ion thruster extraction systems", IEPC Paper 93-171, (September 1993).
9. Fearn, D G, "The application of gridded ion thrusters to high thrust, high specific impulse nuclear-electric missions", IAF Paper IAC-04-R.4/S.7.09, (October 2004).
10. th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science, Kanazawa, Japan, 4-11 June 2006.