Authors:

Liam West

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

Hall-effect thrusters are a popular choice for in-space propulsion systems due to their high efficiency and wide range of applications. Development of improved thrusters is a major area of research, as improvements in these thrusters would allow for a larger number and variety of space missions. The characterization and refinement of these thrusters can aid in creating methods for designing and manufacturing more advanced thrusters. This study aims to characterize and improve the performance of an SPT-100 hall-effect thruster running on krypton to allow for stable and repeatable use. Electrical measurements were taken of the electronic system powering the SPT-100 hall-effect thruster and photographic observations were made of the thruster plume across various operating modes and electrical setups, generating V-I curves and identifying plume shape characteristics and areas of stability. This study identifies key improvements made to the power and control circuitry as well as to the operating procedures which improved operational stability and control. Recommendations for future research with this SPT-100 thruster setup are also provided.

Source:

Purdue University / 2023

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Liam West