AIAA 2002-1113

MAGNETO-PLASMA-DYNAMIC THRUSTERS FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

M. Andrenucci*, V. Antoni**, M. Bagatin**, C.A. Borghi, M.R. Carraro, A. Cristofolini, R. Ghidini, F. Paganucci*, P. Rossetti*, G. Serianni** * Centrospazio, Pisa Research Consortium, Via A. Gherardesca 5, 56014 Pisa ** RFX Consortium, Association Euratom-ENEA on Fusion, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna ABSTRACT The paper describes the first results of an experimental investigation on the critical regimes of a gas-fed, applied field Magneto-Plasma-Dynamic thruster (also said Hybrid Plasma Thruster, HPT). A hollow cathode with a 20 mm diameter is placed in the center of a cylinder with an inner diameter of 200 mm, which acts as anode. Eight straps divide the region inside the cylinder into a central chamber and a peripheral chamber. The thruster is powered by a pulse with an electrical current up to 8 kA for 2.5 ms. Tests were performed using argon with a mass flow rate of 660 mg/s, both with and without an externally applied magnetic field. Values of the field on the thruster axis were of 40 and 80 mT. Time and space behavior of electron temperature, density and floating potential have been measured by means of a system of 7 aligned electrical probes, inserted into the thruster plume. The balanced triple probe configuration has been utilized. It is shown that the external magnetic field flattens the density profile and increases the fluctuation levels of electron temperature and density. The radiation emitted by the discharge plume, has been observed by means of an optical multi-channel analyzer. The observations refers to a time interval of 0.5 ms. In the spectrum, lines of neutral argon and of singly ionized argon ions, are present. The lines of the metals of the electrodes are not observed. The intensity of the ion lines increases both with the enhancement of the applied voltage of the pulse and with the use of the external magnetic field. The average value of the electron temperature derived from the line intensity, is in accordance with the average value measured by the probe method. INTRODUCTION Magneto-plasma-dynamics (MPD) thrusters are currently under investigation as a possible high-power electric propulsion system for space missions. The addition of a magnetic field has proved to increase the performance of these devices. However, critical regimes, observed when the power is increased, limit at present the performance. In the critical regime, large fluctuations in cathode and anode voltage are measured. The research project Experimental Investigation on a Magneto-Plasma-Dynamics Thrusters for Space Applications, aimed to understand the deterioration of the thruster performance, the origin of these large fluctuations, and the role of them, has been set up. Three research units are co-operating to the project. These are Centrospazio of Pisa Research Consortium, RFX Consortium of Padova of Association Euratom.ENEA on Fusion, and Department of Electrical Engineering of University of Bologna. In this paper the first results of the investigation mentioned above, are presented. These refer to measurements obtained by means of an array of electrical probes inserted into the plasma plume and to measurement radiation emission of the plasma done by means of an optical multi-channel analyzer. EXPERIMENTAL DEVICE The experimental device is shown in Fig.1. It is an axis-symmetric MPD thruster with an applied magnetic field (Hybrid Plasma Thruster - HPT).1,2,3,4 The HPT, developed at Centrospazio, consists of a hollow cathode (copper, 20 mm diameter, 50 mm length) lying on the thruster axis, through which 70-90% of a gaseous propellant is injected into the discharge chamber, and an anode, consisting of a cylinder centered on the axis (aluminum, 200 mm inner diameter, 180 mm length). Eight straps, made of copper, divide a central chamber from a peripheral chamber. 10-30% of the propellant is injected through eight peripheral hollow electrodes (copper, 12 mm in diameter each). These electrodes can be used as auxiliary cathodes to pre-ionize the peripheral propellant by means of a secondary discharge between these cathodes and the anode. The peripheral electrodes were not activated during the tests described herein. During the experiments described in this paper argon is utilized as propellant. A 70-turns coil surrounding the thruster, can generate a magnetic field up to 100 mT on the thruster axis. The HPT thruster is mounted on a thrust stand inside the Centrospazio IV3 vacuum chamber, which main-

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tains a back pressure of the order of 10-4 mbar during the pulse. The electric power for the HPT is generated by a Pulse Forming Network (PFN), which supplies quasi-steady current pulses during 2.5 ms. The propellant is injected by two gas feeding systems, one for the central cathode and the other for the peripheral cathodes, based on fast acting solenoid valves, which provide gas pulses with a long plateau after few milliseconds from valve activation3. When a steady state mass flow is reached, the discharge takes place by switching on an ignitron which closes the electric circuit. The magnetic field solenoid is powered by a DC generator, switched on few seconds before the discharge. Fig. 2 shows typical current and voltage signals of the HPT thruster.

phase shift problems and to obtain simultaneous measurements of electron density and temperature. In order to obtain measurements of both average value and fluctuations of electron temperature, electron density and plasma potential, the signal bandwidth was 500 kHz and the sampling frequency was 10 MHz. The central electrode was placed at 80 mm from the thruster outlet, along the thruster axis. With respect to this position, other measurements were performed by moving the probe by 115 mm in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the thruster. Optical observations have carried out been by means of an Optical Multi-Channel Analyzer (OMA system) consisting in a Meshell 900 detector which integrates a CCD system and a spectroscope6. The maximal time resolution is of 100 ns and the maximal wave length resolution is equal to /900, where is the wave length considered expressed in nano-meter (at 500 nm the resolution is 0.56 nm). A collector has been connected to the OMA system through a fiberoptic. The collector is focused on the axis of the plasma plume at a distance of 70 cm. The focus is 8 cm away from the thruster outlet. The region of the plasma observed has a circular cross section of a diameter of 1 cm. The scheme of the optical system is shown in Fig. 3.
8 cm

Fig. 1. Schematic drawing of the thruster assembly.

HPT

Plasma

5.0

Discharge Current [kA]

4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0

70 cm

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Time [ms]
140

Collector

Fig. 3. Scheme of the optical system.

Applied Voltage [V]

120 100 80 60 40 20 0 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0

THRUSTER PERFORMANCE Tests were performed at a mass flow rate of 660 mg/s of argon (600 mg/s injected through the central cathode, 60 mg/s through the peripheral electrodes). Tests without applied magnetic field and with applied induction fields of 40 mT and of 80 mT where done. Fig.s 4 and 5 show the measured electrical characteristics and thrust. For each shot, discharge current and voltage were measured by averaging on a time interval of 100 microseconds in the middle of the pulse. The thrust value was obtained by a ballistic method which measures the total impulse (momentum) of the thrust for each shot. The thrust is obtained by divid-

Time [ms]

Fig. 2. Current and arc voltage as functions of time.

DIAGNOSTICS DESCRIPTION The probe system consists of 7 aligned graphite electrodes, 8 mm apart from each other, and housed in a boron-nitride case5. The probes were used in a fivepins balanced triple probe configuration to avoid

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ing the measured impulse by the pulse duration. Thus this value represents an average thrust of each shot. Each data point in Fig.s 4 and 5 was obtained as an average of the relevant values obtained from four-five shots at the same nominal condition (i.e. VPFN: charging voltage of the pulse forming network). Current and voltage measurements showed a good repeatability (the uncertainty is within the marker dimension). Error bars on thrust measurements include both the standard deviation and the measurement uncertainty (about 10% of the thrust value) 2, 3,4.
160 140 600-60 mg/s; 0 mT 600-60 mg/s; 40 mT 600-60 mg/s; 80 mT

Arc Voltage (V)

120 100 80 60 40 20 0 0

the electron density on the truster axis (r = 0) and at a distance of 115 mm from the axis (r = 115 mm), is shown for different values of VPFN. It appears that the density, which is typically of the order 1020 m-3, has a peak centered on the axis. When the input power was increased, the difference between the values on the axis and outside the axis resulted slightly increased, indicating a tendency to peaking with VPFN. The effect on the density of the external magnetic field Bext = 40 mT is shown in Fig. 6.b. The presence of Bext reduces the electron density on the axis and increases it at r = 115 mm. The profile of electron density resulted to be flattened. This tendency increased at high VPFN. The ratio between the density value at r = 0 and r = 115 mm is shown in Fig. 7 as a function of VPFN. The values range from 6 to 5 without Bext and from 2.5 to 1.5 with Bext.

2000

4000

6000

8000

Current (A) Fig. 4. Electrical characteristics (660 mg/s of argon).

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0

200-20 mg/s ; B=0 mT 200-20 mg/s ; B=40 mT 200-20 mg/s ; B=80 mT

Thrust (N)

Fig. 6. Electron densities on the thrust axis and at a distance of 115 mm from the thruster axis without magnetic field (plot a) and with a magnetic induction of 40 mT (plot b), as functions of VPFN.

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

Current (A)

Fig. 5. Thrust as a function of the current (660 mg/s of argon).

PROBE MEASUREMENTS The mean parameters characterizing the plasma of the plume and their fluctuations were measured by means of the probe system. Mean Parameters To relate the thrust to the plasma main parameters, the electron density and temperature, averaged in a time interval of 0.1 ms around t = 1 ms from the discharge initiation have been analyzed for different input powers (i.e of and of magnetic fields. In Fig. 6.a
Fig. 7. Ratio of the electron densities on the thrust axis and at 115 mm from the axis without magnetic field and with a magnetic induction of 40 mT as a function of VPFN.

The electron temperature showed a different dependence on Bext. In Fig. 8.a the values of Te at the two different radial positions of the observations, without Bext, are plotted as a function of VPFN. Typical values range from 3 to 5 eV with a slight increase of VPFN. The temperature profiles are rather flat with small dif-

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ferences between values on the axis and outside of it. Fig. 8.b shows that the external magnetic field caused an increase of Te. This assumes values of 6 9 eV. In Fig. 9 the ratio between Te at r = 0 and r = 115 mm for tests with and without external field are shown. Hence without Bext the density profile has a peak centered on the thruster axis and with the presence of an externally applied magnetic field the temperature profile is flatter. Moreover the effect of an external Bext is to increases the temperature and to reduce the density.

Fig. 10. Te and ne as functions of time (in each plot t ranges from 0 to 5 ms) for VPFN = 1400 V. The upper plots are done for Bext = 0, the lower ones for Bext = 40 mT.

Fig. 8. Electron temperatures on the thruster axis and at a distance of 115 mm from the thruster axis without magnetic field (plot a) and with a magnetic induction of 40 mT (plot b), as functions of VPFN. Fig. 11. RMS of Te and ne as functions of time (in each plot t ranges from 0 to 5 ms) for VPFN = 1400 V. The upper plots are done for Bext = 0, the lower ones for Bext = 40 mT.

Fig. 9. Ratio of the electron temperatures on the thruster axis and at 115 mm from the thruster axis without magnetic field and with a magnetic induction of 40 mT, as a function of VPFN.

In Fig. 10 the time evolution of the electron density and of the electron temperature in two different shots with and without external magnetic field, are shown. In the signals a high level of fluctuations is present. The time evolution of the corresponding Root Mean Square (RMS) of the signals, obtained by averaging over 0.01 ms time intervals, is shown in Fig. 11. The utilization of an externally applied magnetic field causes an increase of the absolute level of RMS for Te and a reduction of the RMS of the electron density. In Fig.s 12 and 13, the mean values of the RMS normalized to the mean electron density and electron temperature are plotted as functions of applied voltage. Each point is obtained averaging over an interval of 0.1 ms around t = 1 ms. The normalized RMS for electron density fluctuations is about twice that for temperature fluctuations. The utilization of an externally applied magnetic field cause an increase of the normalized RMS. Higher powers result in larger RMS of the temperature fluctuations. The normalized RMS values slightly depend on the radial location.

Fluctuations The study of the electrostatic fluctuations has been addressed to characterize the regimes with and without external field and the onset of the critical regimes at higher power. These regimes are characterized by a high level of fluctuations of the electrode voltage, and by a decrease of the electron density close to the cathode.

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gon ions are observed. The argon ion lines lie in the range 400-650 nm and the neutral argon lines lie in the range 650-900 nm. This has been observed during all tests. Lines of metals of the electrodes have not been detected. The intensity of the ion lines is much higher than that of the neutral lines. Moreover the intensity of ion lines is increased both by increasing the PFN voltage and the externally applied magnetic field. During tests at different VPFN and Bext, the variation of the line intensity emitted by the neutral argon atoms was much lower than that of the ion lines. These events indicate that the number of ions is much greater than the number of neutral atoms and that the plasma is nearly approaching full ionization.
Fig. 12. Average the RMS value of ne normalized to the average ne as a function of VPFN in two two different positions, and Bext = 0 (plot a), and Bext = 40 mT (plot b).
Intensity [uW/cm^2nm]
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 Wavelength [nm] 600

a)

500

Intensity [uW/cm^2nm]

400

b)

300 200

Fig. 13. Average the RMS value of Te normalized to the average ne as a function of VPFN in two two different positions, and Bext = 0 (plot a), and Bext = 40 mT (plot b).

100 0 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 Wavelength [nm]

OPTICAL MEASUREMENTS The radiation emitted by the plasma of the thruster plume has been measured by means of the optical system shown in Fig. 3. The observation interval was of 0.5 ms starting at the start up of the PFN pulse, after 0.5 ms, and after 1 ms. Shots with VPFN = 900, 1100, 1200, 1300 and 1400 V, without externally applied magnetic field, and with VPFN = 900, 1200 and 1400 V for Bext = 40 and 80 mT, have been done. In order to decrease the influence of the background noise, each shot with a defined condition has been repeated three times and the measured signals have been averaged. Spectra of the radiation observed during typical tests are shown in Fig. 14. The figure refers to two tests for Bext = 0 and Bext = 40 mT respectively. The observation time interval is between 1 and 1.5 ms from the pulse start up. In each measured spectrum, lines emitted by neutral argon atoms and by singly ionized ar-

Fig. 14. Spectrum of the radiation emitted by the plasma for VPFN = 1200 without external magnetic field a (plot a), and for Bext = 40 mT (plot b).

An analysis of the absorption of emitted radiation was made at electron temperatures and densities of the order of magnitude obtained by probe system. The dominant mechanism of line broadening is Doppler broadening. The plasma in the wave-length range of the ion lines, results to be optically thick with an absorption length of few millimetres. The radiation observed comes from the first layers of the plasma plume surface. In the wave length range of the lines of neutral argon the plasma is optically thin and the radiation detected comes from the whole region of the plasma crossed by the optical axis. By means of the Boltzmann plot of excited states of argon the electron temperature has been determined. Excited states of singly ionized argon ions have been considered only as the intensity of neutral lines is too

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low in comparison with the background signal. In order to consider the absorption of these lines their intensity have been corrected by means of the escape factor. A typical Boltzmann plot obtained from the line intensity observed during a test with VPFN = 1200 V, Bext = 40 and the observation time between 1 and 1.5 ms, is shown in Fig. 15. The electron temperature derived is 2.2 eV.
-20 19 -25 19.5 20 20.5 21 21.5

The intensity of ion lines is much higher than that of neutral lines. The former increase by increasing the pulse voltage and the external magnetic field. Apparently a small variation of the neutral lines by variing the pulse voltage and the external magnetic field is observed. From the ions lines the Boltzmann plot of the singly ionized ions have been derived. Electron temperatures of few eV have been obtained in agreement with the temperature obtained by the probe measurements. AKNOLEDGEMENTS The Experimental Investigation on a MagnetoPlasma-Dynamics Thrusters for Space Applications project in the frame of which this work has been done, is founded by MIUR (Ministry of University and Research of Italy). REFERENCES 1. V.B. Tikhonov et al., Investigation on a New Type of MPD Thruster, OR 21, 27th European Physical Society Conference on Controlled Fusion and Plasma Physics, 12-16 June 2000, Budapest, Hungary, 12-16 June 2000. 2. V.B. Tikhonov et al., Development and Testing of a New Type of MPD Thruster, IEPC-01-123, 27th International Electric Propulsion Conference, October 14-19, 2001, Pasadena, CA. 3. F. Paganucci et al., Performance of an Applied Field MPD Thruster, IEPC-01-132, 27th Internaa New Type of MPD Thruster, IEPC-01-123, 27th International Electric Propulsion Conference, tional Electric Propulsion Conference, October 14-19, 2001, Pasadena, CA. 4. F. Paganucci, P. Rossetti, M. Andrenucci, Performance of an Applied Field MPD Thruster with a Pre-ionization Chamber, this conference, paper AIAA 2002-1109. 5. G. Serianni, et al., Plasma Diagnostics in an Applied Field MPD Thruster, 27th Internation Electric Propulsion Conference, IEPC-01-135, Pasadina (2001). 6. C.A. Borghi, M.R. Carraro, A. Cristofolini, and R. Ghidini, Theoretical and experimental Investigation on a Magneto-Plasma-dynamic Thruster, this conference, paper AIAA 20021112.

-30

-35

-40

Fig. 15. Boltzmann plot obtained from the ion lines for with VPFN = 1200 V, Bext = 40 and t between 1 and 1.5 ms.

CONCLUSIONS A research project aimed to investigate the conditions which causes the deterioration of the performance of HPT thruster have been set up. The investigation is carried out in the thruster device of Centrospazio of Pisa Research Consortium. The plasma conditions of the thruster plasma plume have been observed by means of a probe system ad by means of optical measurements realized through an optical channel analyzer. The first results of the investigation are described. Temperature and density profiles have different behavior with power and externally applied magnetic field. An externally applied magnetic field flattens the density profile. Fluctuation analysis reveals that normalized RMS of density are larger than those for temperature and that the external magnetic field causes an increase of the fluctuation level. Radiation spectra show the presence of ion and neutral atoms of argon. The line of ions are in the optically thick region and the line of neutrals are in an optically thin region.

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