周方向に非一様な推進剤供給によるアノードレイヤ型ホールスラスタの放電安定化

抄録

Discharge current oscillation at the frequency of 10--100kHz causes serious problems in using an anode layer type Hall thruster in space. As a novel approach to the oscillation reduction, azimuthally nonuniform propellant flows were created in an acceleration channel. As a result, the small-amplitude oscillation region became significantly wide. Although the thrust efficiency decreased in exchange due to increase in electron current from the channel exit, the tradeoff curve between oscillation amplitude and thrust efficiency was improved by introduction of a new parameter ``differential flow rate.'' In this study, the small-amplitude oscillation region with 42--64mT width and the thrust efficiency 39%, which is roughly equivalent to the magnetic layer type thrusters with the same channel diameters, was achieved.