小型化电子回旋谐振微波离子推进器研究

Miniaturization Microwave Ion Thruster for Low Power Applications

常规的电推进技术是针对大卫星应用而研制的,体积大、功耗高,不能满足小卫星飞速发展的实际需要。针对小卫星对电推进器的要求,提出了利用电子回旋谐振微波放电技术,采用微波同轴放电腔体的小型化离子推进器。由于同轴传输线不存在截止波长,放电腔体的直径选择非常灵活,可以适应小卫星的低供电能力和对体积重量的要求。实验样机的直径为50mm,在微波功率为30W,加速电压1.2kV,减速电压0.2kV的条件下,等离子体的电子密度达到了4.6×1016/m3,推进器的离子束流也达到6mA。实验样机的体积大大低于常规波导谐振腔微波离子推进器,实现了小型化,基本满足了小卫星对电推进器的体积重量要求。

The general electric propulsion technique aimed at the large satellites with large volume and high power was dissatisfied the requirements of small satellites. Aim at the requirements of small satellites, a 50 mm diameter miniaturization electroncyclotron-resonance microwave discharge ion thruster adopted a coaxial cavity was studied in this paper. Since the cut-off wavelength of the coaxial transmission line didn＇ t exist, the selection of the diameter of the discharge chamber was flexible, which ful- fills the requirements of low power supply capability, small volume and light weight. In case of microwave power of 30W for plasma generation, acceleration voltage of 1.2 kV and deceleration voltage 0.2kV, the ne can reach 4.6 × 10^16/m^3 of the ECR plasma, the ion beam current can reach 6mA. The 50mm diameter of experimentation prototype was by a long way smaller than the 100mm diameter of general MIT adopted wave-guide cavity and the volume of the MIT was able to satisfy the needs of small satellites.