碩士生: 張書熏
畢業年月: 2025年7月
論文名稱: 尖端電極對真空陰極誘發脈衝式 電漿推進器之電漿羽流分布影響 / The effect of isharp electrodes on the plasma plume distribution vacuum cathode-induced pulsed plasma thrusters
中文摘要:
脈衝式電漿推進器（PPT）結構簡單、體積小、重量輕且耗電低，適合長時間立方衛星任務，但點火器上的碳沉積會造成點火不穩並縮短壽命。本研究將真空陰極電弧推進器與傳統PPT整合為真空電弧誘發脈衝式電漿推進器（VAI-PPT），探討電極幾何形狀對羽流特性的影響，以快速響應法拉第杯量測各角度離子通量與速度，並以高速攝影分析羽流空間分布。與平板電極相比，尖端電極提高局部電流密度與電離效率：軸向平均離子速度為17.95 km/s，比平板的15.82 km/s高約13.5%，中心離子通量分別為14 μC與13 μC。影像顯示中性粒子擴散較廣，離子則沿中心軸被強烈加速，使羽流高度準直。
英文摘要:
Pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) are simple, compact, lightweight, low-power devices suited to long CubeSat missions, but carbon deposition on the igniter causes unstable ignition and shortens lifetime. This thesis integrates a vacuum cathode arc thruster with a conventional PPT to form a vacuum arc-induced PPT (VAI-PPT) and studies how electrode geometry affects plume characteristics, using a fast-response Faraday cup for ion flux and velocity at different angles and high-speed imaging for plume distribution. Tip electrodes raise local current density and ionization efficiency compared with flat ones: average axial ion velocity was 17.95 km/s versus 15.82 km/s (about 13.5% higher), and center ion fluxes were 14 μC versus 13 μC. Imaging showed neutrals diffusing widely while ions were accelerated along the axis, giving a highly collimated plume.
