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Improving the Total Impulse Capability of the NSTAR Ion Thruster With Thick-Accelerator-Grid Ion OpticsThe results of performance tests with thick-accelerator-grid (TAG) ion optics are presented. TAG ion optics utilize a 50 percent thicker accelerator grid to double ion optics' service life. NSTAR ion optics were also tested to provide a baseline performance for comparison. Impingement-limited total voltages for the TAG ion optics were only 0 to 15 V higher than those of the NSTAR ion optics. Electron backstreaming limits for the TAG ion optics were 3 to 9 V higher than those for the NSTAR optics due to the increased accelerator grid thickness for the TAG ion optics. Screen grid ion transparencies for the TAG ion optics were only about 2 percent lower than those for the NSTAR optics, reflecting the lower physical screen grid open area fraction of the TAG ion optics. Accelerator currents for the TAG ion optics were 19 to 43 percent greater than those for the NSTAR ion optics due, in part, to a sudden increase in accelerator current during TAG ion optics' performance tests for unknown reasons and to the lower-than-nominal accelerator aperture diameters. Beam divergence half-angles that enclosed 95 percent of the total beam current and beam divergence thrust correction factors for the TAG ion optics were within 2 degrees and 1 percent, respectively, of those for the NSTAR ion optics.
Document ID
20020012005
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Soulas, George C. (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Date Acquired
September 7, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 2001
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
E-13075
NASA/TM-2001-211276
NAS 1.15:211276
Meeting Information
Meeting: 27th International Electric Propulsion Conference
Location: Pasadena, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: October 14, 2001
End Date: October 19, 2001
Sponsors: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech., NASA Headquarters, Electric Propulsion Lab., Inc., NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA Glenn Research Center, Air Force Research Lab., Bolling Air Force Base
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 755-B4-04
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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