Experimental study of ATON stationary plasma thrusters
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Experimental Study of ATON Stationary Plasma Thrusters A. I. Bugrovaa, A. V. Desyatskova, A. S. Lipatova, A. S. Sigova, A. I. Koryakinb, V. M. Murashkob, and A. N. Nesterenkob a
Moscow State Institute of Radioengineering, Electronics, and Automation (Technical University), pr. Vernadskogo 78, 117454 Russia b Fakel Experimental and Design Bureau, Moskovsky pr. 181, Kaliningrad, 236001 Russia Received July 1, 2009
Abstract—Results from experimental studies of integral characteristics of laboratory models of secondgen eration ATON stationary plasma thrusters are presented. Special attention is paid to highvoltage modes with a sufficiently high specific anode propulsive burn. Integral parameters of the thrusters were measured using a test bench with diffusion evacuation at the Moscow State Institute of Radioengineering, Electronics, and Automation and that with cryogenic evacuation at the Fakel Experimental and Design Bureau. The values of the thrust, specific propulsive burn, and efficiency measured in these test benches in the main operating mode coincide to within measurement errors. At a discharge power of 2 kW and voltage of about 700 V, the specific anode propulsive burn and anode thrust efficiency reach 3000 s and 60%, respectively. The experimental data show that the efficiency of the ATON stationary plasma thruster operating in a highvoltage mode is higher than that of other similar thrusters. DOI: 10.1134/S1063780X10040069
1. INTRODUCTION SPT70 and SPT100 stationary plasma thrusters (SPTs), developed at the Fakel Experimental and Design Bureau (EDB), have received wide application in space engineering [1, 2]. In particular, they are used to correct spacecraft orbits. These thrusters operate at a discharge voltage of 300 V, and their anode specific propulsion burns and thrust efficiencies reach 1500– 1600 s and 50%, respectively. SPTs can be used for propelling spacecrafts into design orbits and as flight engines in expeditions to distant planets. For example, a PPS1350 thruster was used to deliver the Smart1 spacecraft from the near Earth orbit to the Moon. Permanent increase in the spacecraft lifetimes necessitates increasing the amount of the stored plasmaforming substance. To lower the mass of the propulsion system, it is necessary to increase the specific propulsion burn of the thruster, which can be achieved by increasing the accelerating voltage. The results of experimental studies of the operation of moderatepower thrusters at high discharge voltages were presented in [1, 3, 4]. The specific propulsion burn of a 2.5kW KM88 thruster reached 3000 s only at discharge voltages higher than 900 V. The anode specific propulsion burn of PPS1350 exceeded 3000 s only at a xenon consumption of 2.9 mg/s and voltage of 850 V. In a D80 doublestage thruster with an anode layer, an anode specific propulsion burn of 2600 s was achieved at a total voltage of 700 V and deposited power of 2.8 kW.
The efficiency of a thruster operating at high accel erating voltages increases substantial
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