The High Power Helicon (HPH) under development at the University of Washington may have an attractive application as an electrode‐less in‐space thruster. Output plasma characteristics show that plasma is created in and near the helicon coil and is accelerated by a helicon induced axial potential downstream away from the HPH. The bulk acceleration of the plasma is believed to be due to a coupling of the plasma electrons to the helicon field, which in turn transfers energy to the ions via an ambipolar electric field. Downstream electric potentials of greater than 150 volts having been measured with the amplitude of the electric field being dependent on experimentally controlled parameters. Time of flight measurements of the plasma transiting downstream show specific impulses (Isp) near 2000 seconds for Argon with calculated thrust levels near 1 Newton for input powers to the plasma in the tens of kilowatts. The system is capable of using different neutral gases as propellants with nitrogen and hydrogen having baseline Isp levels of 3000 and 5000 seconds respectfully giving some variability in Isp and thrust by the choice of propellants. Current work focuses on the determination and optimization of the system efficiencies and increasing output power levels.
High Power Helicon Propulsion Experiments
SPACE TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS INT.FORUM-STAIF 2005: Conf.Thermophys in Micrograv;Conf Comm/Civil Next Gen.Space Transp; 22nd Symp Space Nucl.Powr Propuls.;Conf.Human/Robotic Techn.Nat'l Vision Space Expl.; 3rd Symp Space Colon.; 2nd Symp.New Frontiers ; 2005 ; Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA)
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 746 , 1 ; 965-975
06.02.2005
11 pages
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
High Power Helicon Propulsion Experiments
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2005
|Experimental Studies of Helicon Double Layers for Future High Power Plasma Propulsion
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2006
|Small Helicon Plasma Source Experiments
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2004
|AIAA | 2005
|