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Evidence of Counter-Streaming Ions near the Inner Pole of the HERMeS Hall ThrusterNASA is continuing the development of a 12.5-kW Hall thruster system to support a phased exploration concept to expand human presence to cis-lunar space and eventually to Mars. The development team is transitioning knowledge gained from the testing of the government-built Technology Development Unit (TDU) to the contractor-built Engineering Test Unit (ETU). A new laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic was developed to obtain data for validating the Hall thruster models and for comparing the behavior of the ETU and TDU. Analysis of TDU LIF data obtained during initial deployment of the diagnostics revealed evidence of two streams of ions moving in opposite directions near the inner front pole. These two streams of ions were found to intersect the downstream surface of the front pole at large oblique angles. This data points to a possible explanation for why the erosion rate of polished pole covers were observed to decrease over the course of several hundred hours of thruster operation.
Document ID
20200000363
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Wensheng Huang (Glenn Research Center Cleveland, Ohio, United States)
Hani Kamhawi (Glenn Research Center Cleveland, Ohio, United States)
Daniel A Herman (Glenn Research Center Cleveland, Ohio, United States)
Date Acquired
January 16, 2020
Publication Date
January 1, 2020
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
GRC-E-DAA-TN72248
AIAA–2019–3897
E-19774
Meeting Information
Meeting: Propulsion and Energy Forum and Exposition
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Country: US
Start Date: August 19, 2019
End Date: August 22, 2019
Sponsors: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Funding Number(s)
WBS: 729200.06.03.05.05.02
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNC16CA21C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Technical Review
Single Expert

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