Performance investigation of zinc propellant in sub kW class hall thrusters
Performance investigation of zinc propellant in sub kW class hall thrusters
Zinc was successfully integrated and tested in sub-kW class Hall thrusters as an alternative propellant to xenon. The advantages of zinc include a high storage density, low first ionization energy, potentially high specific impulse and low cost. The third iteration (Mark 3) of a novel propellant storage and delivery system (PSDS) for solid propellants was tested and experimentally characterised, demonstrating operational zinc outputs up to 0.36 mg/s in sublimation mode with a peak of 8.2 mg/s near the melting point of zinc. The PSDS power consumption was approximately 20-30 W during thruster operation and 50 W in the start-up sequence. A 100 W laboratory cylindrical Hall thruster (CHT-100) was modified structurally and magnetically to couple with the PSDS Mark 3. Performance was measured during thruster operation on xenon, krypton and zinc with a mass flow rate of 5 SCCM to 10 SCCM, a discharge power of 50-150 W and an electromagnet current of 0.8 A on the main solenoid and 1.0 A on the secondary solenoid. Measured thrust was 1 mN during operation on zinc at an input power of 80 W and 1.2 mN during operation on krypton at an input power of 98 W. At an input power of 80 W the maximum measured specific impulse was 448 s during operation on zinc and 371 s during operation on krypton. Demonstration of throttling and PSDS redundancy in failure mode operation is discussed, as well as deposition and channel erosion.
Tirila, Vlad-George
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Ryan, Charles
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Demaire, Alain
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Hallock, Ashley
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Tirila, Vlad-George
b72e5d31-b19e-4450-b3f2-a752b235a7ec
Ryan, Charles
3627e47b-01b8-4ddb-b248-4243aad1f872
Demaire, Alain
a9b4fef2-c7b4-4d7d-ba65-39a3b3c23ddd
Hallock, Ashley
014bba2a-0672-4ce8-bf77-993909547acb
Tirila, Vlad-George, Ryan, Charles, Demaire, Alain and Hallock, Ashley
(2022)
Performance investigation of zinc propellant in sub kW class hall thrusters.
37th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA, June 19-23, 2022, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, United States.
19 - 23 Jun 2022.
20 pp
.
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
Zinc was successfully integrated and tested in sub-kW class Hall thrusters as an alternative propellant to xenon. The advantages of zinc include a high storage density, low first ionization energy, potentially high specific impulse and low cost. The third iteration (Mark 3) of a novel propellant storage and delivery system (PSDS) for solid propellants was tested and experimentally characterised, demonstrating operational zinc outputs up to 0.36 mg/s in sublimation mode with a peak of 8.2 mg/s near the melting point of zinc. The PSDS power consumption was approximately 20-30 W during thruster operation and 50 W in the start-up sequence. A 100 W laboratory cylindrical Hall thruster (CHT-100) was modified structurally and magnetically to couple with the PSDS Mark 3. Performance was measured during thruster operation on xenon, krypton and zinc with a mass flow rate of 5 SCCM to 10 SCCM, a discharge power of 50-150 W and an electromagnet current of 0.8 A on the main solenoid and 1.0 A on the secondary solenoid. Measured thrust was 1 mN during operation on zinc at an input power of 80 W and 1.2 mN during operation on krypton at an input power of 98 W. At an input power of 80 W the maximum measured specific impulse was 448 s during operation on zinc and 371 s during operation on krypton. Demonstration of throttling and PSDS redundancy in failure mode operation is discussed, as well as deposition and channel erosion.
Text
IEPC_2022_Performance_Investigation_of_Zinc_Propellant_in_sub_kW_class_Hall_Thrusters-284
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
In preparation date: 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: July 2022
Venue - Dates:
37th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA, June 19-23, 2022, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, United States, 2022-06-19 - 2022-06-23
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 474375
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/474375
PURE UUID: 3277f4bf-d6c8-4184-88ef-8b2166c98546
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 21 Feb 2023 17:35
Last modified: 07 Jun 2024 01:57
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Contributors
Author:
Vlad-George Tirila
Author:
Alain Demaire
Author:
Ashley Hallock
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