The transport processes of plasmas in grid systems of krypton（Kr） ion thrusters at different acceleration voltages were simulated with a 3 D-PIC model, and the result was compared with xenon（Xe） ion thrusters. The...The transport processes of plasmas in grid systems of krypton（Kr） ion thrusters at different acceleration voltages were simulated with a 3 D-PIC model, and the result was compared with xenon（Xe） ion thrusters. The variation of the screen grid transparency, the accelerator grid current ratio and the divergence loss were explored. It is found that the screen grid transparency increases with the acceleration voltage and decreases with the beam current, while the accelerator grid current ratio and divergence loss decrease first and then increase with the beam current. This result is the same with Xe ion thrusters. Simulation results also show that Kr ion thrusters have more advantages than Xe ion thrusters, such as higher screen grid transparency, smaller accelerator grid current ratio, larger cut-off current threshold, and better divergence loss characteristic. These advantages mean that Kr ion thrusters have the ability of operating in a wide range of current. Through comprehensive analyses, it can be concluded that using Kr as propellant is very suitable for a multimode ion thruster design.展开更多
基金co-supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11675040)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Nos. 3102014KYJD005 and 1191329723)
文摘The transport processes of plasmas in grid systems of krypton（Kr） ion thrusters at different acceleration voltages were simulated with a 3 D-PIC model, and the result was compared with xenon（Xe） ion thrusters. The variation of the screen grid transparency, the accelerator grid current ratio and the divergence loss were explored. It is found that the screen grid transparency increases with the acceleration voltage and decreases with the beam current, while the accelerator grid current ratio and divergence loss decrease first and then increase with the beam current. This result is the same with Xe ion thrusters. Simulation results also show that Kr ion thrusters have more advantages than Xe ion thrusters, such as higher screen grid transparency, smaller accelerator grid current ratio, larger cut-off current threshold, and better divergence loss characteristic. These advantages mean that Kr ion thrusters have the ability of operating in a wide range of current. Through comprehensive analyses, it can be concluded that using Kr as propellant is very suitable for a multimode ion thruster design.
