TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of Hall thrusters and methods of their operation, especially for use at low and at variable powers.

BACKGROUND

Hall thrusters, also known as closed drift accelerators, are successful electric propulsion (EP) systems commonly used for spacecraft propulsion. Hall thrusters exhibit favorable properties, including electric efficiency of about 50%, high exhaust velocities in the range of 10-25 km/sec, and substantial thrust with a current density of the order of 1000 A/m2.

Usually, in a Hall thruster, a closed-path electron drift is induced within an annular channel in crossed electric and magnetic fields. A magnetic circuit generates a radial magnetic field, which effectively magnetizes the electrons, while ions remain unconfined. An axial electric field is generated by applying a potential difference between a backplate anode, which may also act as the gas distributor, and an external cathode (outside the channel). A propellant mass flow rate is selected to obtain efficient electron impact ionization, while maintaining a low ion-atom collision frequency in order to allow for free motion of ions in the channel.

The two conventional annular Hall thruster designs differ by the material composition of the channel walls. One type, wherein the channel walls are made from a ceramic material, is known as a magnetic-layer accelerator or a stationary plasma thruster (SPT). The other type, wherein the channel walls are made from metal, is known as a thruster with an anode-layer (TAL).

In SPT, energetic electrons coming from the acceleration region are absorbed by the ceramic walls, and low energy secondary electrons are emitted instead. This mechanism regulates the electron temperature permitting the existence of extended ionization and acceleration regions.

In TAL, the metal walls have low secondary electron emission which makes the electron temperature very high. The high temperature electrons introduce significant electric sheath effects, with much of the potential difference occurring in a short distance of the order of one electron orbit in the local magnetic field. This short distance is located near an anode potential electrode, hence the name “anode layer”.

To reduce the cost of space missions there is a general trend towards spacecraft and component miniaturization. In particular, nanosatellites, miniaturized spacecraft less than 20 kg in mass (sometimes defined as less than 12 kg in mass), are envisioned to operate in a formation of several spacecrafts and therefore require propulsion capacity. For a nanosatellite, EP is preferred over chemical propulsion as it allows for large savings in propellant mass. However, nanosatellites can generate only a limited amount of power for the EP system, typically between 2 W for the smallest CubeSats and 30 W for the larger nanosatellite versions, using state-of-the-art solar panels.

Historically, Hall thrusters were designed to operate at power levels above 300 W. Scaling existing Hall thruster designs to lower operating power, using simple linear scaling laws, has proven to be difficult. Reports in the literature, for example [A. A. Shagayda and O. A. Gorshkov, “Hall-Thruster Scaling Laws”, J. Propul. Power 29 (2), 466-474, 2013], indicate an electrical efficiency drop to 10% at power levels below 100 W. Thus, the use of Hall thrusters for nanosatellite propulsion has so far proven problematic, with no reports of successful operation of conventional annular Hall thrusters at powers below 50 W.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,989 to Kaufman discloses closed-drift ion sources of the magnetic-layer and anode-layer types, with both one-stage and two stage versions of the latter disclosed. Specific improvements include the use of a magnetically permeable insert in the closed drift region together with an effectively single source of magnetic field to facilitate the generation of a well-defined and localized magnetic field while, at the same time, permitting the placement of that magnetic field source at a location well removed from the hot discharge region. Such a configuration is also well suited to the use of a permanent magnet as the magnetic field source. In one embodiment, a baffle arrangement serves to distribute the ionizable gas uniformly circumferentially and decrease its pressure below the Paschen-law minimum before exposure to the anode potential.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,602 to Gopanchuk et al. discloses an accelerator which comprises a magnetic system, having an external magnetic pole and an internal magnetic pole which are interconnected by a magnetic circuit, an outer magnetic screen, an inner magnetic screen, a central magnetizing coil and external magnetizing coils. Besides, the accelerator has a discharge chamber comprising a concave anode encompassing magnetic force surfaces of an ionization zone, a sectional gas distributor, an inner side wall and an outer side wall, the internal surfaces whereof in the ionization zone are located at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the accelerator.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,764 to Hruby et al. discloses a tandem Hall field plasma accelerator with closed electron drift which includes a magnetic circuit having an inner pole and an outer pole and a magnetic field source and a discharge cavity disposed axially in tandem; the discharge cavity including an axially extending accelerator section defining an exit aperture between the inner and outer poles and a plenum section extending radially outwardly and upstream of the accelerator section and including an anode and a propellant injector. Also disclosed is the use of an electromagnetic coil which provides a magnetic field in a magnetic circuit and includes a multiple turn winding wound on an electrically conductive bobbin. The plasma discharge is connected electrically in series with the electromagnetic coil and a power source with a bobbin defining a single turn secondary coil winding on the magnetic circuit which reduces magnetic field fluctuations in the plasma discharge and reduces eddy currents and consequent heating of the magnetic circuit.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,448,721 to Raitses et al. discloses an apparatus and method for thrusting plasma, utilizing a Hall thruster with a cylindrical geometry, wherein ions are accelerated in substantially the axial direction. The apparatus is suitable for operation at low power. It employs small size thruster components, including a ceramic channel, with the center pole piece of the conventional annular design thruster eliminated or greatly reduced. Efficient operation is accomplished through magnetic fields with a substantial radial component. The propellant gas is ionized at an optimal location in the thruster. A further improvement is accomplished by segmented electrodes, which produce localized voltage drops within the thruster at optimally prescribed locations. The apparatus differs from a conventional Hall thruster, which has an annular geometry, not well suited to scaling to small size, because the small size for an annular design has a great deal of surface area relative to the volume.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,105 to Voigt et al. discloses a system for uniformly distributing propellant gas in a Hall-effect thruster (HET) which includes an anode and a porous material gas distributor (PMGD). The porous material may be porous metal or porous ceramic. Propellant gas is directed from a supply to the PMGD for distribution into a gas discharge region of the HET. The gas flows through the porous material of the PMGD and out of the PMGD's exit surface into the annular gas discharge region. The PMGD has an average pore size, pore density and thickness that are optimized to control the flow of the gas at the desired flow rate and distribution uniformity at a relatively short distance downstream from the PMGD. This feature allows HET to be short, significantly decreasing susceptibility to vibration problems encountered during vehicle launch. The PMGD can include a shield for preventing contaminants from traveling upstream from the gas discharge region from adhering to the porous metal. The shield may be integrated into the PMGD or be a separate shield. In addition, the shield may be perforated so as to allow gas to pass through the shield to further decrease the distance needed to achieve uniform gas distribution. Alternatively, the exit surface of the porous metal may be oriented to face perpendicularly from the gas discharge path out of the HET, which significantly reduces the probability of contaminants adhering to the exit surface.

In International Patent Application published as WO 2019/116371, for Narrow Channel Hall Thruster, commonly owned by the present applicant, and having a common inventor with the present application, there is described a closed drift, narrow channel Hall thruster configured to operate at powers of down to below 30 W. The thruster includes a thruster body and a neutralizing cathode. The thruster body includes a magnetic circuit including a magnetic source and two magnetic poles, a metallic, annular thruster channel formed by the magnetic poles with a downstream channel width smaller than about 3 mm and an upstream channel width greater than the downstream channel width, an anode positioned at the channels entry, and a gas distributor configured to release a propellant gas into the thruster channel. The magnetic circuit is configured to generate a magnetic field in the thruster channel for trapping electrons therein. The channel walls (the magnetic poles) are under bias potential. The anode and the cathode are configured to generate a substantially axial electric field in the thruster channel. In operation, propellant gas atoms ionized by trapped electrons in the thruster channel, accelerate axially, exiting via the channels exit.

The present disclosure attempts to provide novel systems and methods that overcome at least some of the disadvantages of prior art systems and methods. In particular, the present disclosure provides methods of ensuring the efficient ignition and operation of the Hall thruster described in the above mentioned WO 2019/116371

The disclosures of each of the publications mentioned in this section and in other sections of the specification, are hereby incorporated by reference, each in its entirety.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure describes new exemplary systems and methods for narrow channel Hall Thruster, which enables easier ignition at a lower voltage than previously available Hall thrusters. The Hall thrusters on which this new method can be applied are those with a narrow discharge channel, such as that shown in the above mentioned WO 2019/116371.

In such Hall thrusters, the cathode, which can be a filament driven cathode, or an arc hollow cathode, is used in order to generate a stream of electrons which will neutralize the charged ion stream emitting from the annular thrust aperture. The objective is to ensure the generation of a neutral stream of propellant gas emitted from the thrust aperture. The cathode should be located in a position that does not interfere with the free passage of the emitted propellant gases from the exit aperture, and can thus be located either outside of the annular aperture or inwards of the exit aperture, at the center of the thruster. The thruster could not begin to operate without this neutralizing beam of electrons.

In prior art, large aperture discharge channels, electrons from the cathode will be emitted directly into the clearly accessible electric field between the anode and cathode, and there is no difficulty in neutralizing positively charged ions in the beam. Furthermore, the discharge voltage used in such large aperture channels is generally substantially higher (300V) than those of the small aperture implementations of the present application (100V), such that the electric field used is accordingly higher. However, in the narrow channel Hall thruster geometry, because of the very small output aperture of the ionized beam, electrons emitted by the cathode, which is offset from the beam output direction in order not to interfere with the flow of propellant out of the aperture, do not experience the electric field of the anode, as it is recessed deep in the thruster channel with only a narrow gap to the outside. The thruster of the present disclosure provides a method of enabling easy ignition and efficient operation of the discharge, despite the problematic geometry, from the point of view of the ignition process, of the discharge channel.

The presently described thruster includes an additional power supply called the cathode coupling power supply, or cathode coupling voltage source, which applies a negative voltage to the cathode relative to the body of the thruster, thereby providing the emitted electrons with a higher effective energy, and facilitating their passage across the electric field and into the thruster channel. Without this additional cathode bias power supply, it would be difficult to turn on the plasma discharge, because of the small field exposure of the cathode electrons to the anode. If the cathode were at the same potential as the body, the voltage required to initiate the discharge would have to be substantially increased, which would negate the advantages imbued by used of the narrow channel geometry, would be energy expensive and would complicate the need for insulation of the anode.

The front body of the thruster, that facing the cathode, is covered with a thin insulator layer, with a gap at the aperture to enable the propellant gas to be emitted. An additional accelerator electric field is generated between the cathode and the metal of the thruster body behind the insulator layer.

The cathode biasing power supply is intended to operate only during the initial ignition of the plasma discharge. Once the discharge has started, it is self-sustaining from the applied anode to thruster body potential, and there is no further need for the bias voltage to be applied to the cathode. The cathode bias power supply should therefore be such that after ignition of the discharge, its output voltage falls to zero. This avoids unnecessary expenditure of energy. This characteristic of the power supply can be achieved by configuring its regulation characteristics to cause the output voltage to drop to zero once the full predefined current level is generated.

Instead of a conventional power supply for biasing the cathode during startup, it is possible to use any other voltage source which will reduce its level once the plasma discharge has commenced in the channel. One such possibility is the use of a high-capacity capacitor, which can be charged up to the required voltage before initiating discharge, and discharge of the stored energy in the capacitor when the plasma discharge is intended to come into operation. The charge stored in the capacitor can be adjusted such that the charge is fully discharged once the plasma discharge has begun. A battery can also be used, with a suitable control system, or designed to have a capacity and a high current discharge ability such that the charge can be delivered in the time taken for the thruster discharge to ignite and reach a stable discharge configuration. It is noted that the polarity of the capacitor or battery charge must be such that they deliver their charge into the thruster power circuit in a direction such that current is drawn from the cathode.

This additional cathode biasing supply is used with a novel start up procedure for the thruster discharge, involving adjustment of the mass flow, the magnetic field and the self-regulated power supply output in order to accomplish the start-up. At the outset, the magnetic field has to be set at a low level, to enable a sufficient flow of electrons to facilitate start-up. The cathode biasing supply is activated, and the full anode voltage applied until the plasma discharge strikes. Once the discharge has commenced, the level of current through the anode supply and the cathode coupling supply causes the voltage of the cathode coupling supply to fall towards zero, and the discharge continues on just the anode voltage. This arrangement reduces any wasted power keeping the cathode coupling supply operating, when it is not needed because the discharge is operating independently of its additional voltage support.

There is thus provided in accordance with an exemplary implementation of the devices described in this disclosure, a narrow channel Hall thruster, comprising:

(i) a thruster body comprising a magnetic circuit,

(ii) an annular thruster channel formed within the magnetic circuit, and having a channel width of 3 mm or less,

(iii) an annular anode positioned at or near the annular thruster channel,

(iv) a cathode positioned externally to the annular thruster channel, and configured for electron emission,

(v) a first power supply configured to apply a positive potential to the anode relative to the thruster body and the cathode, such that a plasma discharge can be generated in gases within the annular thruster channel, and

(vi) a second power supply configured to apply a negative potential to the cathode, relative to the thruster body and the anode,

wherein the second power supply is configured to reduce its negative potential output applied to the cathode, when the current supplied by the first power supply exceeds a predetermined level.

In such a thruster, the predetermined level of current supplied by the first power supply may be representative of the current of the plasma discharge when it has reached a predetermined level of its normal operating power. In either of the above described thrusters, the reduction of negative potential of the second power supply output, may be generated by the self-regulation of the second power supply. Alternatively, it could be generated either by the output signal of a current limiter circuit, or by a feedback signal provided by a current sensor in the circuit comprising the first power supply.

In any of the above described thrusters, the cathode may be activated by a third power supply to emit a stream of electrons. The cathode may be any one of a thermionic cathode, a hollow cathode, a field emission cathode, a radiofrequency cathode or a microwave cathode.

According to yet another implementation of the thrusters of this disclosure, the second power supply may be either a charged capacitor or a battery, either of them configured to draw current from the cathode at a level which will suffice until the current supplied by the first power supply is expected to exceed a predetermined level.

Furthermore, in any of the above described thrusters, the second power supply may be configured to reduce its negative potential output applied to the cathode towards zero when the current supplied by the first power supply exceeds a predetermined level.

There is further provided, according to other implementations described in this application, a method of initiating the discharge of a narrow channel Hall thruster, the thruster comprising,

(i) a thruster body comprising a magnetic circuit,

(ii) an annular thruster channel formed within the magnetic circuit, and having a channel width of 3 mm or less,

(iii) an annular anode positioned at or near the annular thruster channel, and

(iv) a cathode positioned externally to the annular thruster channel, and configured for electron emission, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) applying a positive potential to the anode relative to the thruster body and the cathode, such that a plasma discharge can be generated in gases within the annular thruster channel, and(b) applying a negative potential to the cathode relative to the thruster body and the anode,
wherein the negative potential applied to the cathode is reduced when the current supplied to the anode exceeds a predetermined level.

In such a method, the predetermined level of current supplied to the anode may be representative of the current of the plasma discharge when it has reached a predetermined level of its normal operating power. In either of the above described methods, the reduction of negative potential applied to the cathode may be generated by the self-regulation of the power supply generating that negative potential. Alternatively, it could be generated by the output signal of a current limiter circuit, or by a feedback signal provided by a current sensor in the circuit supplying the anode with current.

In any of the above described methods, the cathode may be activated by a power supply to emit a stream of electrons. The cathode may be any one of a thermionic cathode, a hollow cathode, a field emission cathode, a radiofrequency cathode or a microwave cathode.

According to yet another implementation of the methods of this disclosure, the negative potential applied to the cathode may be obtained either from a charged capacitor or a battery, configured to draw current from the cathode at a level which will suffice until the current supplied by the first power supply is expected to exceed a predetermined level.

Furthermore, in any of the above described methods, the negative potential applied to the cathode may be reduced towards zero when the current supplied to the anode exceeds a predetermined level.

