不同工况和应用场景下CAES-CFP三联产系统特性分析

To meet the goal of worldwide decarbonization,the transformation process toward clean and green energy structures has accelerated.In this context,coal-fired power plant(CFPP)and large-scale energy storage represented by compressed air energy storage(CAES)technology,are tasked with increasing renewable resource accommodation and maintaining the power system security.To achieve this,this paper proposes the concept of a CFPP-CAES combined cycle and a trigenerative system based on that.Considering the working conditions of the CFPP,thermal characteristics of three typical operation modes were studied and some general regularities were identified.The results of various potential integration schemes discussion indicated that extracting water from low-temperature points in the feedwater system to cool pressurized air and simultaneously increase the backwater temperature is beneficial for improving performance.In addition,preheating the pressurized air before the air expanders via lowgrade water in the feedwater system as much as possible and reducing extracted steam contribute to increasing the efficiency.With the optimal integration scheme,2.85 tonnes of coal can be saved per cycle and the round-trip efficiency can be increased by 2.24%.Through the cogeneration of heat and power,the system efficiency can reach 77.5%.In addition,the contribution degree of the three compression heat utilization methods to the performance improvement ranked from high to low,is preheating the feedwater before the boiler,supplying heat,and flowing into the CFPP feedwater system.In the cooling energy generation mode,the system efficiency can be increased to over 69%.Regardless of the operation mode,the benefit produced by integration is further enhanced when the CFPP operates at higher operating conditions because the coupling points parameters are changed.In addition,the dynamic payback period can be shortened by 11.33 years and the internal rate of return increases by 5.20%under a typical application scenario.Regarding the effect of different application scenarios in terms of economics,investing in the proposed system is more appropriate in regions with multiple energy demands,especially heating demand.These results demonstrate the technical advantages of the proposed system and provide guiding principles for its design,operation,and project investment.

Cathode position effects on microwave discharge cusped field thruster

The microwave discharge cusped field thruster is a novel concept of electric micropropulsion device,which operatesμN level thrust in low mass flow rate conditions,making use of a coaxial transmission line resonator.With its advantages of low thrust noise and high thrust resolution over a wide range of thrust,the thruster has emerged as a candidate thruster for the space-borne gravitational wave detection mission.The cathode effects commonly exist in many kinds of electric propulsion,and they are typically significant in micropropulsions.In order to find out the cathode position effects on a microwave discharge cusped field thruster,a thermionic cathode is mounted on a cross-slider for coupling.Under different cathode positions,the plume is analyzed by a Faraday probe and a retarding potential analyzer to analyze the performance and discharge characteristics.The results show that the magnetic mirror effect leads to significant degradation of anode current and an increase in low-energy ion ratio as the cathode moves away from the thruster exit.The electron conduction route also significantly impacts anode current efficiency,related to the cathode-exit distance and the thruster magnetic topology.

Atmospheric pressure pulsed modulated arc discharge plasma

Direct-current(DC)arc plasma has great application values in the field of the chemical industry,but it has the problem of low energy efficiency.Facing the requirement for improving the energy efficiency of the arc,this paper proposes a unique method of pulsed modulated arc(PMA).This method uses high-frequency pulses and reduces the arc current to improve the control of electron temperature.The electrical characteristics,optical characteristics and products are tested.The test results show that during the PMA process,all of the experimental results which include voltage,current and light will significantly increase.These results are analyzed from the perspective of functionality,repeatability and energy conversion.The analysis results show that although the PMA method does not show good parameter consistency,it has potential application prospects because it increases the energy conversion rate by 4.5%and 8%from the perspective of light and products,respectively.

Simulation study on the influence of magnetic field in the near-anode region on anode power deposition of ATON-type Hall thruster

The highest deposition of power and temperature is always near the cusp of the ATON-type Hall thruster.This shows that when there are electrons gathering at the cusp,the distribution of heat load will be uniform,which will potentially damage the reliability.Therefore,we optimize the magnetic field near the anode.We changed the magnetic field characteristics in the near-anode region with an additional magnetic screen,and performed numerical simulation with particle-incell simulation.The simulation results show that the magnetic field of the thruster with the additional magnetic screen can alleviate the over-concentration of power deposition on the anode and reduce the power deposition in the anode by 20%,while ensuring that the overall magnetic field characteristics do not change significantly.

Effect of vacuum backpressure on discharge characteristics of hollow cathode

A hollow cathode is the electronic source and neutralizer of the Hall thruster and an ion thruster.When the orbit of an all-electric propulsion satellite changes from 100 km to 36 000 km, the backpressure changes by two to three orders of magnitude. In this paper, the influence of the backpressure on the discharge characteristics of the hollow cathode has been studied experimentally in the so-called diode configuration. With the increase in the backpressure, the anode voltage decreases gradually, and the amplitude of the current oscillation decreases significantly. Additionally, the plasma is relatively stable, the most probable ion energy and the width of the ion energy distribution reduces, and the electron distribution function inclines toward the Maxwell distribution under high backpressure. The analysis results show that the backpressure affects the gas ionization and the ionic acoustic turbulence, which also affects the discharge characteristics of the hollow cathode.

Simulation study of the influence of leak electrons on the discharge characteristics of a cusped field thruster

Previous studies have shown that leak electro ns in cusped field thrusters can move along the channel axis to the anode after crossing the magnetic cusp on the exit.In this paper,a onedimensional fluid model is built along two typical electron paths to study the influence of leak electrons on the discharge characteristics of a cusped field thruster,considering the electron temperature equation.It is found that the frequencies of low-frequency oscillations increase with a decrease in the proportion of leak electrons,which is related to an increase in the ion speed in the channel.Simulation results show that the position of the peak electron temperature is near the magnetic cusp on the exit and the position of the peak electron density is located downstream from the middle magnetic tip.With a decrease in the proportion of the leak electrons,the peak electron temperature and peak electron density decrease and the position of the peak electron density moves away from the exit,which is related to a decrease in the potential fall on the exit and an increase in confinement of electrons to the middle magnetic cusp.

Investigation of short-channel design on performance optimization effect of Hall thruster with large height–radius ratio

In this study,the neutral gas distribution and steady-state discharge under different discharge channel lengths were studied via numerical simulations.The results show that the channel with a length of 22 mm has the advantage of comprehensive discharge performance.At this time,the magnetic field intensity at the anode surface is 10%of the peak magnetic field intensity.Further analysis shows that the high-gas-density zone moves outward due to the shortening of the channel length,which optimizes the matching between the gas flow field and the magnetic field,and thus increases the ionization rate.The outward movement of the main ionization zone also reduces the ion loss on the wall surface.Thus,the propellant utilization efficiency can reach a maximum of 96.8%.Moreover,the plasma potential in the main ionization zone will decrease with the shortening of the channel.The excessively short-channel will greatly reduce the voltage utilization efficiency.The thrust is reduced to a minimum of 46.1 m N.Meanwhile,because the anode surface is excessively close to the main ionization zone,the discharge reliability is also difficult to guarantee.It was proved that the performance of Hall thrusters can be optimized by shortening the discharge channel appropriately,and the specific design scheme of short-channel of HEP-1350 PM was defined,which serves as a reference for the optimization design of Hall thruster with large height–radius ratio.The shortchannel design also helps to reduce the thruster axial dimension,further consolidating the advantages of lightweight and large thrust-to-weight ratio of the Hall thruster with large height–radius ratio.

Impact of exterior electron emission on the self-sustaining margin of hollow cathode discharge

Hollow cathode researches used to focus on the inner cavity or downstream plume,however,rarely on the gap between the throttling orifice plate and the keeper plate(T-K gap),which was found to impact the self-sustaining margin of hollow cathode discharge in this paper.Near the lower margin,the main power deposition and electron emission and ionization regions would migrate from inner cavity and downstream plume to the T-K gap,in which case,the source and destination of each m A current therein matter for the self-sustaining capability.Changing the metal surfaces in the T-K gap with emissive materials proved effective in lowering the lower margin by supplementing auxiliary thermionic emission,compensating electron loss on cold absorbing walls and suppressing discharge oscillations.By doing so,the lower margin of a 4 A hollow cathode was lowered from 1 to 0.1-0.2 A,enabling it to couple with low power Hall thruster without extra keeper current.

Particle-in-cell simulation for effect of anode temperature on discharge characteristics of a Hall effect thruster

Propellant gas flow has an important impact on the ionization and acceleration process of Hall effect thrusters （HETs）. In this paper, a particle-in-cell numerical method is used to study the effect of the anode temperature, i.e., the flow speed of the propellant gas, on the discharge characteristics of a HET. The simulation results show that, no matter the magnitude of the discharge voltage, the calculated variation trends of performance parameters with the anode temperature are in good agreement with the experimental ones presented in the literature. Further mechanism analysis indicates that the magnitude of the electron temperature is responsible for the two opposing variation laws found under different discharge voltages. When the discharge voltage is low, the electron temperature is low, and so is the intensity of the propellant ionization; the variation of the thruster performance with the anode temperature is thereby determined by the variation of the neutral density that affects the propellant utilization efficiency. When the discharge voltage is high, the electron temperature is large enough to guarantee a high degree of the propellant utilization no matter the magnitude of the anode temperature. The change of the thruster performance with the anode temperature is thus dominated by the change of the electron temperature and consequently the electron-neutral collisions as well as the electron cross-field mobility that affect the current utilization efficiency.

Matching characteristics of magnetic field configuration and chamfered channel wall in a magnetically shielded Hall thruster

To date, the selection of the magnetic field line used to match the chamfered inner and outer channel walls in a magnetically shielded Hall thruster has not been quantitatively studied. Hence, an experimental study was conducted on a 1.35 k W magnetically shielded Hall thruster with a xenon propellant. Different magnetic field lines were chosen, and corresponding tangentially matched channel walls were manufactured and utilized. The results demonstrate that high performance and a qualified anti-sputtering effect cannot be achieved simultaneously. When the magnetic field lines that match the chamfered wall have a strength at the channel centerline of less than 12% of the maximum field strength, the channel wall can be adequately protected from ion sputtering. When the magnetic field lines have a strength ratio of 12%–20%, the thruster performance is high. These findings provide the first significant quantitative design reference for the match between the magnetic field line and chamfered channel wall in magnetically shielded Hall thrusters.

Effect of low-frequency oscillation on performance of Hall thrusters

In this paper, a direct connection between the discharge current amplitude and the thruster performance is established by varying solely the capacitance of the filter unit of the Hall thrusters. To be precise, the variation characteristics of ion current, propellant utilization efficiency, and divergence angle of plume at different low-frequency oscillation amplitudes are measured. The findings demonstrate that in the case of the propellant in the discharge channel just meets or falls below the full ionization condition, the increase of low-frequency oscillation amplitude can significantly enhance the ionization degree of the neutral gas in the channel and increase the thrust and anode efficiency of thruster. On the contrary, the increase in the amplitude of low-frequency oscillation will lead to increase the loss of plume divergence, therefore the thrust and anode efficiency of thruster decrease.

Simulation of the effect of a magnetically insulated anode on a low-power cylindrical Hall thruster

The intersection point of the characteristic magnetic field line（CMFL） crossing the anode boundary with the discharge channel wall, and its influence on thruster performance and the energy and flux of ions bombarding the channel wall, have been studied numerically. The simulation results demonstrate that with the increase in distance from the crossover point of the CMFL with the channel wall to the bottom of the thruster channel, the ionization rate in the discharge channel gradually increases; meanwhile, the ion energy and ion current density bombarding the channel wall decreases. When the point of the CMFL with the channel wall is at the channel outlet, the thrust, specific impulse, and efficiency are at a maximum, while the ion energy and ion current density bombarding the channel wall are at a minimum. Therefore, to improve the performance and lifetime of the thruster, it is important to control the point of intersection of the CMFL with the channel wall.

Hybrid–PIC simulation of sputtering product distribution in a Hall thruster

Hall thrusters have been widely used in orbit correction and the station-keeping of geostationary satellites due to their high specific impulse, long life, and high reliability. During the operating life of a Hall thruster, high-energy ions will bombard the discharge channel and cause serious erosion. As time passes, this sputtering process will change the macroscopic surface morphology of the discharge channel, especially near the exit, thus affecting the performance of the thruster.Therefore, it is necessary to carry out research on the motion of the sputtering products and erosion process of the discharge wall. To better understand the moving characteristics of sputtering products, based on the hybrid particle-in-cell（PIC） numerical method, this paper simulates the different erosion states of the thruster discharge channel in different moments and analyzes the moving process of different particles, such as B atoms and B~＋ ions. In this paper,the main conclusion is that B atoms are mainly produced on both sides of the channel exit, and B~＋ ions are mainly produced in the middle of the channel exit. The ionization rate of B atoms is approximately 1%.

Study on the influence of the discharge voltage on the ignition process of Hall thrusters

A high-speed charge-coupled device camera was used to capture images of the plume and acceleration channel of a Hall effect thruster during ignition at different discharge voltages.To better understand the influence of changes in the discharge voltage on the plasma parameters during thruster ignition,a particle-in-cell numerical model was used to calculate the distribution characteristics of the ion density and electric potential at different ignition moments under different discharge voltages.The results show that when the discharge voltage is high,the ion densities in the plume and acceleration channel are significantly higher at the initial phase of thruster ignition;with the gradual strengthening of the ignition process,the propellant avalanche ionization during thruster ignition occurs earlier and the pulse current peak increases.The main reason for these phenomena is that the change in the discharge voltage results in different energy acquisitions of the emitted electrons entering the thruster channel.

Numerical study of the effect of aft-loaded magnetic field on multiple ionizations in Hall thruster

It is assumed that the shift of a strong magnetic field region with a positive gradient from exit plane to outside, namely the transit from a normal loaded magnetic field to an aft-loaded one, enhances the multiple ionization process in the magnetically shielded Hall thruster. To confirm this conjecture, a comparative study is carried out numerically with a particle-in-cell method. The simulation results prove that compared with the normal loaded magnetic field, the application of aft-loaded magnetic field enhances the multiple ionization process. This study further analyzes the ionization characteristics of the transition from low-charged ions to high-charged ions under two magnetic field conditions and the influence of the magnetic strength of aft-loaded magnetic field on the multiple ionization characteristics. The study described herein is useful for understanding the discharge characteristics of Hall thruster with an aft-loaded magnetic field.

Numerical simulation of the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster

A particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision model of a discharge chamber is established to investigate the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster.We present the discharge characteristics at different stages(the initial stage,development stage,and stable stage)according to the trend of the discharge current with time.The discharge current is the sum of the sidewall current and the backplate current.During the start-up process,the sidewall current lags behind the backplate current.The variation and distribution characteristics of the discharge current over time are determined by the electron density distribution and electric potential distribution.

Nonlinearity of initiating and extinguishing boundaries of DBDs with airflows

Various applications of volume dielectric barrier discharges(DBDs)with airflows have attracted significant attention such as in the fields of plasma medicine,surface modification,ozone synthesis,etc.In this work,the nonlinearity characteristics of DBDs in initiating and extinguishing boundaries with airflows are experimentally investigated.It is found that the difference between initiating pulse repetition frequencies(PRFs)and extinguishing PRFs is affected by the addition of airflows.A hysteresis region is produced between these two PRFs.A topological rule of Thom's classification theorem is proposed to investigate the hysteresis phenomenon of discharges with airflows.It is concluded that the discharge state is dependent on the operation route.The discharge state would transit from initiating to extinguishing,or in the opposite direction,while passing along a specific operation route.Based on the topological method,two nonlinear laws of discharge structure transition under the typical operation routes are predicted and verified in the discharge experiments.

Magnet stage optimization of 5 kW multi-cusped field thruster

The multi-cusped field thruster is a unique electric thruster device,which has many advantages such as long lifetime,large-range thrust throttling ability,high thrust density,and low mass.The thruster employs several alternating polarity permanent magnets to create a periodic magnetic field with several cusps.Previous studies have indicated that the basic ionization and acceleration processes are directly related to the electron motion behavior,which mainly depends on the magnetic field characteristics.The magnet number and magnet stage length are two key magnetic field parameters that have important effects on the thruster performances.In this paper,both the magnet number and magnet stage length parameters are studied for the optimization of a 5 k W multi-cusped field thruster.The results indicate that the three-stage thruster has a better electron confinement than the two-stage thruster.It has lower ion energy loss at the wall,and shows a higher ionization rate.Therefore,the three-stage magnetic field is a superior magnetic field configuration.Besides,the three-stage magnetic field simulation results indicate that an optimal accelerating electric field distribution and ionization region distribution could be obtained when the magnet length ratio is 78:25:20.

Special issue on selected papers from CEPC 2021

Electric propulsion technology is the most active professional technology in the field of space propulsion in recent years.China began the research of electric propulsion technology in the 1970s,and entered the stage of rapid development after 2000.It has successively completed the principle research,technical breakthrough and ground test verification.Driven by the increasing demand for space missions,various new types of electric propulsion are emerging.

Special issue on selected papers from CEPC 2020

The development of electric propulsion has taken decades and in fact, began flight testing as early as the 1960s. However, it was initially slow to develop as an alternative to chemical propulsion systems due to the lack of available on-board electrical power for space vehicles. Since the turn of this century, the booming satellite market, and in particular for small satellites, has driven the demand for propulsion systems with high specific impulse, precisely adjustable thrust, long lifetime, and adaptable for different kinds of small vehicles.