5 kW环型离子推力器试验研究

Research on the Experiment of 5 kW Annular Ion Thruster

针对未来深空探测任务对高功率电推力器的需求,兰州空间技术物理研究所开展了5 k W环型离子推力器的研制。环型离子推力器放电室设计与传统离子推力器有很大不同,面临着放电不稳定、不均匀、放电损耗过大等潜在的技术风险。在原理样机完成设计、制造工作后,开展了试验研究工作,通过性能摸底试验对推力器电气参数变化规律进行研究并找到最佳的工作点,通过等离子体诊断试验对放电室内等离子体密度和电子温度分布情况进行研究。试验结果表明:环型放电室在很宽的放电电流范围内都有很高的稳定性,在单阴极偏置的情况下推力器束流仍然具有较好的均匀性,初步验证了环型离子推力器概念的可行性,为下一步优化设计打下了技术基础。

Lanzhou Institute of Physics has developed a5kW annular ion engine to meet the needs of high-power electricthrusters in deep space exploration.The discharge chamber design of annular ion engine is very different from that of the traditionalion engine,facing a series of potential technical risks,such as unstable/non-uniform discharge,excessive discharge loss.Aftercompleted design and manufacture of the prototype,the experimental research work was carried out.The change rule of electricparameters of the thruster has been studied and the optimum working point was found through performance test,the distribution ofplasma density and electron temperature in discharge chamber has been studied through plasma diagnostic test.Test result indicatesthat the annular discharge chamber works stably in a wide range of discharge current,the beam current is still well uniformedalthough the single discharge cathode is not on the axis line of the discharge chamber.It has preliminarily demonstrated thefeasibility of the concept of the annular ion engine,and has laid technical foundation for further optimization design.