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The thrust generated by a T6 ion engine hollow cathode

The thrust generated by a T6 ion engine hollow cathode
The thrust generated by a T6 ion engine hollow cathode
The thrust produced by a T6 ion engine main discharge hollow cathode was characterized using different propellants with a target-based measurement system, for discharge current values of 5–25 A and a wide range of mass flow rates. The calculated values of specific impulse are far in excess of those that could be attributed to the heating of a gas to
thermal equilibrium with the walls, as in a resistojet. This would suggest an operation mechanism more similar to that of an arcjet. The main scaling parameter for the specific impulse appears to be the discharge power per unit mass flow rate (specific power).
0094-5765
249-257
Gessini, Paolo
85d676ff-05b5-4b3d-97d5-a2a5af976af1
Coletti, Michele
2b74d4a0-0afd-4d17-aff6-70b27b531151
Gabriel, Stephen
ac76976d-74fd-40a0-808d-c9f68a38f259
Gessini, Paolo
85d676ff-05b5-4b3d-97d5-a2a5af976af1
Coletti, Michele
2b74d4a0-0afd-4d17-aff6-70b27b531151
Gabriel, Stephen
ac76976d-74fd-40a0-808d-c9f68a38f259

Gessini, Paolo, Coletti, Michele and Gabriel, Stephen (2014) The thrust generated by a T6 ion engine hollow cathode. Acta Astronautica, 102, 249-257. (doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2014.05.003).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The thrust produced by a T6 ion engine main discharge hollow cathode was characterized using different propellants with a target-based measurement system, for discharge current values of 5–25 A and a wide range of mass flow rates. The calculated values of specific impulse are far in excess of those that could be attributed to the heating of a gas to
thermal equilibrium with the walls, as in a resistojet. This would suggest an operation mechanism more similar to that of an arcjet. The main scaling parameter for the specific impulse appears to be the discharge power per unit mass flow rate (specific power).

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Accepted/In Press date: 6 May 2014
e-pub ahead of print date: September 2014
Organisations: EEE

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Local EPrints ID: 384414
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/384414
ISSN: 0094-5765
PURE UUID: bf4da987-cbea-42c8-bab8-e13be2b9ce1c

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Date deposited: 16 Dec 2015 17:01
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 21:59

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Contributors

Author: Paolo Gessini
Author: Michele Coletti
Author: Stephen Gabriel

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