环型离子推力器放电机理研究进展

Research progress on discharge mechanism of annular ion thruster

环型离子推力器是未来大功率电推力器中一个极具潜力的发展方向,将来有望广泛用于探月与载人航天、火星探测等深空探测任务。介绍了环型离子推力器的特点、优势和价值,指出了目前阻碍环型离子推力器发展及应用的关键问题。为了研究环型离子推力器的放电机理,综述了环型离子推力器放电室设计参数,如几何参数、电磁场参数和推进工质分布等,以及对其放电特性的影响;重点介绍了环型离子推力器与传统考夫曼型离子推力器相比差异较大的实验现象。在此基础上,介绍了环型离子推力器放电机理的数值模拟研究现状。最后,对环型离子推力器放电机理的研究及下一步发展进行了展望。

Annular ion thruster is a potential development direction in the future high⁃power electric thruster,which is expected to be widely used in deep space exploration missions such as lunar exploration,manned spaceflight and Mars exploration.In this pa⁃per,the characteristics,advantages and value of the annular ion thruster are introduced and the key problems that hindering its de⁃velopment and application presently are pointed out.To study the discharge mechanism of the annular ion thruster,the design param⁃eters of its discharge chamber,like the geometric parameters,electromagnetic field parameters and the distribution of the propellant atoms,are summarized,and its discharge characteristics effects are presented.The experimental phenomena of the great difference between the annular ion thruster and the traditional Kaufman ion thruster is emphatically introduced.On this basis,the current status of the numerical simulation of its discharge mechanism is analyzed.Finally,the research on the discharge mechanism of the annular ion thruster and its next development are prospected.