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Investigation of the Instability Phenomena in Hall Thrusters for Practical Application

Research Project

Project/Area Number 09450367
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Aerospace engineering
Research InstitutionThe University of Tokyo

Principal Investigator

ARAKAWA Yoshihiro  School of Engineering, Professor, 大学院・工学系研究科, 教授 (50134490)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) KOBAYASHI Tsuruo  School of Engineering, Research Assistant, 大学院・工学系研究科, 助手 (90215343)
Project Period (FY) 1997 – 1999
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 1999)
Budget Amount *help
¥15,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥15,800,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥5,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,500,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥7,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥7,700,000)
KeywordsElectric propulsion / Hall effect / stability phenomena / Plasma / Electric discharge / ホール推進機 / プラズマ現象 / プラズマ不安定性 / シミュレーション
Research Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the factor of discharge vibration and oscillating current as a problem in the durability on the Hall-current type thruster for space rocket propulsion with compact, light-weight and high thruster performance.
The 1kW-class Hall thruster was designed and fabricated to investigate the oscillation problem by measuring discharge voltage and discharge current, and using by electrostatic probes, ion collectors, spectrum analyzers. The dependence of power level, propellant mass flow 'rate on vibration strength and vibration frequency was examined.
As the result of the experiment, discharge voltage and space potential were found to be nearly constant in time and oscillatory phenomenon on 10〜30kHz band was observed mainly on the discharge current. In addition, both the experimental and numerical results indicated that this discharge oscillatory phenomenon originates from vibration of the ion beam current, vibration of the plasma production rate. Also, the plasma density oscillation at the similar frequency was indicated as a result of the vibration measurement of ion saturation current in the acceleration channel.
The theoretical model was newly constructed by the assumption of a small disturbance which propagates on the basis of conservation formula of neutral particle density and plasma density in having a wave number at the starting point.
From both the experimental and theoretical results, it was found that the oscillation phenomena in Hall thrusters are caused mainly by ionization instability occurred in the plasma acceleration channel.

Report

(4 results)
  • 1999 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 1998 Annual Research Report
  • 1997 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1997-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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