A typical Hall thruster is powered by a constant-voltage power supply. In this study, to ensure the normal operation of Hall thrusters at lower power conditions, we applied pulse modulation technology to supply power to a 600-W Hall thruster. The results show that, when the input power of the thruster was within the rated power range, the thrust and efficiency of the thruster were slightly reduced under pulsating mode compared with those of direct current (DC) operation. However, the thrust-to-power ratio of the thruster under pulsating mode was superior to that under DC operation at low power (<350 W). The thrust-to-power ratio under pulsating mode was improved to 77.5 mN/kW at 210 W compared with that under DC operation (70 mN/kW). Meanwhile, we found that the stable operating boundary of the thruster under pulsating mode significantly widened at high frequencies. A 600-W Hall thruster under pulsating mode can operate at a lowest power of 66.8 W, which is an order of magnitude lower than the rated power. The thrust and anode efficiency under pulsating mode at 68.8 W were 4.3 mN and 7.8%, respectively.
Experimental Study on Operating Range Extension of Hall Thrusters under Pulsating Mode
J. Aerosp. Eng.
Journal of Aerospace Engineering ; 36 , 4
2023-07-01
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
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