Pulsed hall thruster system
US6735935B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 11, 2001 |
| Grant date | May 18, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05H1/54
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A pulsed Hall thruster system includes a Hall thruster having an electron source, a magnetic circuit, and a discharge chamber; a power processing unit for firing the Hall thruster to generate a discharge; a propellant storage and delivery system for providing propellant to the discharge chamber and a control unit for defining a pulse duration &tgr;<0.1d3&rgr;/{dot over (m)}, where d is the characteristic size of the thruster, &rgr; is the propellant density at standard conditions, and {dot over (m)} is the propellant mass flow rate for operating either the power processing unit to provide to the Hall thruster a power pulse of a pre-selected duration, &tgr;, or operating the propellant storage and delivery system to provide a propellant flow pulse of duration, &tgr;, or providing both as pulses, synchronized to arrive coincidentally at the discharge chamber to enable the Hall thruster to produce a discreet output impulse.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.