Studying cold hollow magnetron cathode for electric thruster

Aeronautical and Space-Rocket Engineering


DOI: 10.34759/vst-2022-1-109-117

Аuthors

Podguiko N. A.*, Marakhtanov M. K., Semenkin A. V., Khokhlov Y. A.

Bauman Moscow State Technical University, MSTU, 5, bldg. 1, 2-nd Baumanskaya str., Moscow, 105005, Russia

*e-mail: podguyko.nikolay@mail.ru

Abstract

Electron sources have found their application in many fields of science and technology. In ion-plasma technologies and electro-propulsion engines (EPE), the electron source is applied as a cathode-neutralizer. Besides, it is employed as a plasma contactor that ensures the electric charge discharging from the body of a spacecraft, such as the (International Space Station) ISS.

Most electron sources, being applied, are based on the thermionic emission phenomenon. The disadvantage of such emitters is many factors limiting their resource. The resource of such electron sources decreases even more when the latter are employed in the processes with reactive gases.

However, there are gas-discharging electron sources or plasma cold-cathode electron sources. A glow discharge or a Penning discharge are being most often used in such sources. The effect of a hollow cathode is being used as well. Thus, such an emitter is referred to as a cold hollow cathode (CHC) in many applications. The disadvantage of the CHC based on self-sustained gas discharges is high operating voltages.

The CHC presents interest when working with reactive gases. The studies of alternative working substances for electric thruster (air, iodine) require the design further development of the thrusters including cathodes.

The presented work conducts the studies of the cold hollow magnetron cathode performance (CHMC) for the electric thruster, and performs energy efficiency comparison of various cathode material – working gas combinations.

The following factors affecting the CHMC energy efficiency were studied in the presented work:

  1. The working gas flow rate. The article shows that maximum energy efficiency is being achieved by maximum possible flow rate of the working gas.

  2. The magnetic field magnitude in the hollow cathode. The study revealed that maximum energy efficiency is achieved at maximum value of the magnetic field.

  3. Combination of the cathode material and working gas. The article demonstrates that the CHMC performance characteristics depend significantly on the cathode material and the working gas type. To demonstrate capabilities of the cathode applied consumption as a cathode-c neutralizer for the electric thrusters, the unit operating characteristics were obtained while running on gases, such as xenon and air.

Thus, the experiments on the presented design of a hollow magnetron cathode have revealed the fundamental possibility of obtaining an electron current to compensate for the charge of the ion beam of the electric thruster. However, the device efficiency compared with the thermionic cathodes employed now is low. It has been demonstrated experimentally that all the ways, being described, of the energy efficiency increasing are limited by the operating voltage of 300 V. This limitation corresponds to the theoretical models of magnetron discharge.

To reduce the operating voltage threshold, the authors are planning the electrode system modification, such as, extra ionization stages application with non-self-maintained discharges.

Keywords:

cold hollow magnetron cathode for electric thruster, electric thruster cathode-neutralizer, magnetron discharge, cathode-neutralizer energy efficiency, iodine as electric thruster working substance, air as electric thruster working substance

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