A new pulse-synchronous driver system is proposed for Hall thrusters. By applying a pulsating drive voltage with a frequency close to that of the discharge oscillation, the stable and synchronized operation of a Hall thruster can be realized. A pulsating boost chopper circuit is also proposed that is suitable for use as a pulse-synchronous drive and has many attractive features as the driver circuit for Hall thrusters. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the thrust performance is improved approximately 30% at 200 W input power by using the driver circuit. Pulse-synchronous driving is a new driving method optimized for thruster operation, and it is expected to become an essential technology for high-power Hall thrusters.
Performance Improvement of Hall Thrusters Using a Pulse-Synchronous Driver System
Journal of Propulsion and Power ; 31 , 3 ; 956-961
2014-12-01
6 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Performance Improvement of Hall Thrusters Using a Pulse-Synchronous Driver System
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