Magnetic nozzle radiofrequency plasma thruster approaching twenty percent thruster efficiency

Abstract Development of a magnetic nozzle radiofrequency (rf) plasma thruster has been one of challenging topics in space electric propulsion technologies. The thruster typically consists of an rf plasma source and a magnetic nozzle, where the plasma produced inside the source is transported along t...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Kazunori Takahashi
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:
R
Q
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/c2d6cc35c9ca4dec88f26f36097f93bb
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
id oai:doaj.org-article:c2d6cc35c9ca4dec88f26f36097f93bb
record_format dspace
spelling oai:doaj.org-article:c2d6cc35c9ca4dec88f26f36097f93bb2021-12-02T14:06:56ZMagnetic nozzle radiofrequency plasma thruster approaching twenty percent thruster efficiency10.1038/s41598-021-82471-22045-2322https://doaj.org/article/c2d6cc35c9ca4dec88f26f36097f93bb2021-02-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82471-2https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Development of a magnetic nozzle radiofrequency (rf) plasma thruster has been one of challenging topics in space electric propulsion technologies. The thruster typically consists of an rf plasma source and a magnetic nozzle, where the plasma produced inside the source is transported along the magnetic field and expands in the magnetic nozzle. An imparted thrust is significantly affected by the rf power coupling for the plasma production, the plasma transport, the plasma loss to the wall, and the plasma acceleration process in the magnetic nozzle. The rf power transfer efficiency and the imparted thrust are assessed for two types of rf antennas exciting azimuthal mode number of $$m=+1$$ m = + 1 and $$m=0$$ m = 0 , where propellant argon gas is introduced from the upstream of the thruster source tube. The rf power transfer efficiency and the density measured at the radial center for the $$m=+1$$ m = + 1 mode antenna are higher than those for the $$m=0$$ m = 0 mode antenna, while a larger thrust is obtained for the $$m=0$$ m = 0 mode antenna. Two-dimensional plume characterization suggests that the lowered performance for the $$m=+1$$ m = + 1 mode case is due to the plasma production at the radial center, where contribution on a thrust exerted to the magnetic nozzle is weak due to the absence of the radial magnetic field. Subsequently, the configuration is modified so as to introduce the propellant gas near the thruster exit for the $$m=0$$ m = 0 mode configuration and the thruster efficiency approaching twenty percent is successfully obtained, being highest to date in the kW-class magnetic nozzle rf plasma thrusters.Kazunori TakahashiNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Medicine
R
Science
Q
spellingShingle Medicine
R
Science
Q
Kazunori Takahashi
Magnetic nozzle radiofrequency plasma thruster approaching twenty percent thruster efficiency
description Abstract Development of a magnetic nozzle radiofrequency (rf) plasma thruster has been one of challenging topics in space electric propulsion technologies. The thruster typically consists of an rf plasma source and a magnetic nozzle, where the plasma produced inside the source is transported along the magnetic field and expands in the magnetic nozzle. An imparted thrust is significantly affected by the rf power coupling for the plasma production, the plasma transport, the plasma loss to the wall, and the plasma acceleration process in the magnetic nozzle. The rf power transfer efficiency and the imparted thrust are assessed for two types of rf antennas exciting azimuthal mode number of $$m=+1$$ m = + 1 and $$m=0$$ m = 0 , where propellant argon gas is introduced from the upstream of the thruster source tube. The rf power transfer efficiency and the density measured at the radial center for the $$m=+1$$ m = + 1 mode antenna are higher than those for the $$m=0$$ m = 0 mode antenna, while a larger thrust is obtained for the $$m=0$$ m = 0 mode antenna. Two-dimensional plume characterization suggests that the lowered performance for the $$m=+1$$ m = + 1 mode case is due to the plasma production at the radial center, where contribution on a thrust exerted to the magnetic nozzle is weak due to the absence of the radial magnetic field. Subsequently, the configuration is modified so as to introduce the propellant gas near the thruster exit for the $$m=0$$ m = 0 mode configuration and the thruster efficiency approaching twenty percent is successfully obtained, being highest to date in the kW-class magnetic nozzle rf plasma thrusters.
format article
author Kazunori Takahashi
author_facet Kazunori Takahashi
author_sort Kazunori Takahashi
title Magnetic nozzle radiofrequency plasma thruster approaching twenty percent thruster efficiency
title_short Magnetic nozzle radiofrequency plasma thruster approaching twenty percent thruster efficiency
title_full Magnetic nozzle radiofrequency plasma thruster approaching twenty percent thruster efficiency
title_fullStr Magnetic nozzle radiofrequency plasma thruster approaching twenty percent thruster efficiency
title_full_unstemmed Magnetic nozzle radiofrequency plasma thruster approaching twenty percent thruster efficiency
title_sort magnetic nozzle radiofrequency plasma thruster approaching twenty percent thruster efficiency
publisher Nature Portfolio
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/c2d6cc35c9ca4dec88f26f36097f93bb
work_keys_str_mv AT kazunoritakahashi magneticnozzleradiofrequencyplasmathrusterapproachingtwentypercentthrusterefficiency
_version_ 1718391988424802304