Numerical suite for the design, simulation and optimization of cathode-less plasma thrusters
Nabil Souhair, Mirko Magarotto, Raoul Andriulli, Fabrizio Ponti
download PDFAbstract. A numerical suite developed for the analysis and design of cathodeless plasma thrusters is presented. The suite includes a Global Model that estimates the thruster’s propulsive performance by means of a balance of electron energy and population density, and a 3D numerical strategy to assess plasma behavior. The suite incorporates a FLUID and EM modules to solve plasma transport and electromagnetic wave propagation within the discharge chamber. The PLUME module, managed by the Starfish code, handles plasma dynamics in the magnetic nozzle using the electrostatic particle-in-cell approach. The suite has been validated against thrust measurements from a Helicon Plasma Thruster demonstrating the suite’s potential for optimizing the design and operation of cathodeless plasma thrusters for space propulsion applications.
Keywords
Space Propulsion, Electric Propulsion, Cathode-Less Plasma Thrusters, Plasma Thrusters, Numerical Simulations, Global Plasma Models, Multi Fluid Approach, Particle-In-Cell
Published online 11/1/2023, 11 pages
Copyright © 2023 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Nabil Souhair, Mirko Magarotto, Raoul Andriulli, Fabrizio Ponti, Numerical suite for the design, simulation and optimization of cathode-less plasma thrusters, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 37, pp 679-689, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644902813-146
The article was published as article 146 of the book Aeronautics and Astronautics
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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