Plasma Oscillations and Operational Modes in Hall Effect Thrusters.

Mode transitions have been commonly observed in Hall effect thruster (HET) operation where a small change in a thruster operating parameter such as discharge voltage, magnetic field or mass flow rate causes the thruster discharge current mean value and oscillation amplitude to increase significantly. In this study, mode transitions in HETs are induced by varying the magnetic field intensity while holding all other operating parameters constant and measurements are acquired with high-speed probes and ultra-fast imaging. Two primary oscillatory modes were identified and extensively characterized called global oscillation mode and local oscillation mode. In the global mode, the entire discharge channel oscillates in unison and azimuthal perturbations (spokes) are either absent or negligible. Downstream azimuthally spaced probes show no signal delay between each other and are very well correlated to the discharge current signal. In the local mode, signals from the azimuthally spaced probes exhibit a clear delay indicating the passage of spokes. These spokes are localized oscillations in discharge current density propagating in the ExB direction that are typically 10-20% of the mean value. In contrast, the oscillations in the global mode can be 100% of the mean discharge current density value. The spoke velocity is determined from high-speed image analysis using three methods yielding values between 1500 and 2200 m/s across a range of magnetic field settings. The transition between global and local modes occurs at higher relative magnetic field strengths for higher mass flow rates or higher discharge voltages. It is proposed that mode transitions represent de-stabilization of the ionization front similar to excitation of the well-studied Hall thruster breathing mode, which is supported by time-resolved simulations of the discharge channel plasma. The thrust is approximately constant in both modes, but the thrust-to-power and anode efficiency decrease in global mode due to increasing discharge current. New system characterization techniques are suggested that include discharge current, discharge voltage and magnetic field maps at different flow rates to identify modes of operation within a three variable parameter space.PhDAerospace EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/107178/1/msekerak_1.pd

Mode Transitions in Hall Effect Thrusters

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106480/1/AIAA2013-4116.pd

Wear Testing of the HERMeS Thruster

The Hall-Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS) thruster is being developed and tested at NASA GRC and NASA JPL through support of the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) as primary propulsion for the Asteroid Rendezvous and Redirect Mission (ARRM). This thruster is advancing the state of the art of hall-effect thrusters (HETs) and is intended to serve as a precursor to higher power systems for human interplanetary exploration. The HERMeS Thruster Demonstration Unit One (TDU-1) has entered a 2000-hour wear test campaign at NASA GRC and has completed the first three of four test segments totaling 728 hours of operation. This is the first test of a NASA-designed magnetically shielded thruster to extend beyond 300 hours of continuous operation

Mode Transitions in Hall-Effect Thrusters Induced by Variable Magnetic Field Strength

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140493/1/1.B35709.pd

Azimuthal Spoke Propagation in Hall Effect Thrusters

Spokes are azimuthally propagating perturbations in the plasma discharge of Hall effect thrusters (HETs) that travel in the E × B direction. The mechanisms for spoke formation are unknown, but their presence has been associated with improved thruster performance in some thrusters motivating a detailed investigation. The propagation of azimuthal spokes are investigated in a 6 kW HET by using high-speed imaging and azimuthally spaced probes. The spoke velocity is determined from high-speed image analysis using three methods with similar results. The spoke velocity for three discharge voltages (300, 400, and 450 V) and three anode mass flow rates (14.7, 19.5, and 25.2 mg/s) are between 1500 and 2200 m/s across a range of magnetic field settings. The spoke velocity is inversely dependent on magnetic field strength for lower B-fields and asymptotes at higher B-fields. Spoke velocities calculated from the probes are consistently higher by 30% or more. An empirically approximated dispersion relation of ω^α = v^α chk^α_θ − ω^α_(ch) where α ≥ 1 yields a characteristic velocity that matches the ion acoustic speed for ∼5 eV electrons which exist in the near-anode and near-field plume regions of the discharge

Azimuthal Spoke Propagation in Hall Effect Thrusters

Spokes are azimuthally propagating perturbations in the plasma discharge of Hall Effect Thrusters (HETs) that travel in the E x B direction and have been observed in many different systems. The propagation of azimuthal spokes are investigated in a 6 kW HET known as the H6 using ultra-fast imaging and azimuthally spaced probes. A spoke surface is a 2-D plot of azimuthal light intensity evolution over time calculated from 87,500 frames/s videos. The spoke velocity has been determined using three methods with similar results: manual fitting of diagonal lines on the spoke surface, linear cross-correlation between azimuthal locations and an approximated dispersion relation. The spoke velocity for three discharge voltages (300, 400 and 450 V) and three anode mass flow rates (14.7, 19.5 and 25.2 mg/s) yielded spoke velocities between 1500 and 2200 m/s across a range of normalized magnetic field settings. The spoke velocity was inversely dependent on magnetic field strength for low B-field settings and asymptoted at B-field higher values. The velocities and frequencies are compared to standard drifts and plasma waves such as E x B drift, electrostatic ion cyclotron, magnetosonic and various drift waves. The empirically approximated dispersion relation yielded a characteristic velocity that matched the ion acoustic speed for 5 eV electrons that exist in the near-anode and near-field plume regions of the discharge channel based on internal measurements. Thruster performance has been linked to operating mode where thrust-to-power is maximized when azimuthal spokes are present so investigating the underlying mechanism of spokes will benefit thruster operation

Revealing the Mysteries of Venus: The DAVINCI Mission

The Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI) mission described herein has been selected for flight to Venus as part of the NASA Discovery Program. DAVINCI will be the first mission to Venus to incorporate science-driven flybys and an instrumented descent sphere into a unified architecture. The anticipated scientific outcome will be a new understanding of the atmosphere, surface, and evolutionary path of Venus as a possibly once-habitable planet and analog to hot terrestrial exoplanets. The primary mission design for DAVINCI as selected features a preferred launch in summer/fall 2029, two flybys in 2030, and descent sphere atmospheric entry by the end of 2031. The in situ atmospheric descent phase subsequently delivers definitive chemical and isotopic composition of the Venus atmosphere during a cloud-top to surface transect above Alpha Regio. These in situ investigations of the atmosphere and near infrared descent imaging of the surface will complement remote flyby observations of the dynamic atmosphere, cloud deck, and surface near infrared emissivity. The overall mission yield will be at least 60 Gbits (compressed) new data about the atmosphere and near surface, as well as first unique characterization of the deep atmosphere environment and chemistry, including trace gases, key stable isotopes, oxygen fugacity, constraints on local rock compositions, and topography of a tessera.Comment: 41 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in the Planetary Science Journa