2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Thrust generation mechanisms by a helicon plasma thruster and its performance improvement
| Project/Area Number |
25287150
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Partial Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Plasma science
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| Research Institution | Tohoku University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ANDO Akira 東北大学, 大学院工学研究科, 教授 (90182998)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
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| Keywords | ヘリコンプラズマ / プラズマスラスター / 推力 / 磁気ノズル / 電気推進 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Thrust generation mechanisms in a magnetic nozzle, electrodeless helicon plasma thurster are experimentally and theoretically investigated. The individual and direct measurement of the thrust components arising from the physical boundaries and magnetic nozzle are performed for the first time. This technique clearly evidences the presence of the thrust gain by the mangetic nozzle even in the current-free plasma thruster. The comparison between the measured thrust and the plasma parameters reveal that the Lorentz force due to the azimuthal plasma current and the radial magnetic field accelerates the plasmas and increases their axial momentum; then the thrust corresponding to the axial plasma momentum is increased. Furthermore, the novel loss mechanisms of the axial momentum to the lateral wall is discovered here. Based on the above studies, the higher performance thruster is successfully designed and operated in the laboratory.
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| Free Research Field |
プラズマ理工学
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