Operation of the T-100 Hall Effect Thruster

The introduction of Hall Effect Thrusters from the former Soviet Union to the United States generated considerable interest in using the propulsion system aboard Western spacecraft. The established programs evaluated the SPT-100, and TAL-55 Hall Effect Thrusters for efficiency, lifetime, and performance characteristics. The T-100 model garnered only minor interest during this time compared with the same generation counterparts, the SPT-100, and TAL-55. This gap in knowledge on the efficiency, and performance of the T-100 warrants investigation into the design, and operation of the thruster. Operational characteristics will be measured on a restored T-100 Hall Thruster, using argon as a propellant. The efficiency of the Hall Thruster operation is affected by the utilization of the propellant mass, and power inputs. Power inputs of the magnetic arrays for the T-100 are less than optimal due to the inherent losses in the magnetic architecture. The ignition system of the hallow cathode improves cathode mass flow efficiency by eliminating pre-heating. The T-100 Hall Effect Thruster provides a robust option for modern electric propulsion systems that is comparable to its counterparts

Design and Fabrication of an Electrical Breakdown Facility

Usage of traditional experimental instrumentation has not kept up with the rate of advancement in the modern educational material. Teaching aids used in academia have to be updated to ensure effective understanding of content among the students. The use of outdated vacuum chambers as visual aids in plasma physics classrooms have proven to be ineffective for the students and teachers, due to limited viewing ports on the metallic walls of the vacuum chamber for viewing the plasma discharge phenomenon. It is important to address this challenge, which invigorates the need for the use of a transparent vacuum chamber as a teaching aid. The design and fabrication of the electrical breakdown facility were a multiple phase project. Firstly, there were various viable solutions designed and analyzed. Secondly, parts were ordered and machined for the required design configuration. Finally, the design was assembled and experiments were conducted for testing and design evaluation. The new vacuum chamber is very efficient in displaying the plasma discharge phenomenon which will enhance the students’ understanding of plasma physics in the classroom. Manufacturing the most effective design is an engineering challenge; of which iterations and analysis of the design throughout the process are an indispensable part, which is why there always a need for additional work in the field

Experimental Evaluation of a Krypton Propellant Arrangement in a T-100-3 Hall-Effect Thruster

Stationary Hall thrusters are electric, moderate-specific impulse propulsion systems developed in Russia. These devices manipulate electric and magnetic fields to expel ionized gas (plasma) components, resulting in thrust. The success of Hall-effect engines in USSR satellite-transfer missions quickly sparked western interest in the design. Extensive government and academic study commenced shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when the technology was made available to the United States. The common SPT-100 model was the primary subject of such studies. Unfortunately, limited literature exists for rare and uncommon Hall thruster models. The T-100-3 stationary plasma thruster suffers from this gap; few xenon-propellant datasets are readily available. No exhaustive studies have been published with inexpensive and alternative krypton propellant. Our evaluation seeks to comprehensively record and analyze the performance parameters of a krypton-fed T-100-3 stationary plasma thruster. In particular, the discharge voltage, discharge current, erosion, temperature, thrust, efficiency, and specific impulse were investigated with thermocouples and force-calibrated inverse pendulums. Plume distributions and ion flux were additionally measured, using Langmuir probes and Faraday cups. These variables were analyzed over 2.5 approximate hours of run-time with a large range of flow, magnetic, and power operating conditions. Based on a -47% nominal flow state (25.0 sccm anode flow, 10.0 sccm cathode flow, 8.5 W magnetic field, 1.39 kW discharge supply), the T-100-3 achieved thrust values of 28.1 mN with a corresponding specific impulse of 1313.4 s. Our study suggests the feasibility of krypton in moderate-specific impulse satellite keeping missions