Journal: Journal of Aeronautics Astronautics and Aviation, vol. 55(3), pp. 385-413, 2023.
Title: Vacuum arc ionization-pulsed plasma thruster: A novel design for enhanced electric propulsion systems
Authors: Yueh-Heng Li*, Sheng-Wen Liu, Shu-Xun Chang, Bo-Yu Lai
Rank: 72.7% (40/55), ESCI, ENGINEERING: AEROSPACE, 2024.
Abstract: Pulsed plasma thrusters (PPTs) have been extensively researched, resulting in numerous proposed designs. However, limited guidelines exist for effectively preventing electrode erosion and carbon deposition in PPTs. To address this issue, an innovative combination of two electric propulsors, a vacuum cathode arc thruster (VCAT) and PPT, was developed in this study. The combined system, called vacuum cathode arc-ignited PPT (VAI-PPT), was capable of magnifying the benefits of both a VCAT and PPT and alleviating the misfiring of conventional PPT due to carbon-coating on a sparker. All discharge scenarios for two configurations of the proposed VAIPPT were examined to determine its performance and the ability to replace conventional PPTs. The results demonstrated that the coaxial VAI-PPT exhibits linear thrust growth in the energy range of 0.5 J to 2 J, with a maximum thrust of 1.88 μNs. The specific impulse reaches its maximum value at 1 J of energy.
