Comparison of the performance of a cylindrical Hall thruster with different anode voltages via numerical simulations

Resumo

Plasma propulsion, or electric propulsion, arises from the need to explore deep space in a more economical and efficient manner. The cylindrical Hall Thruster (CHT) is an electric propulsion device that offers high propellant utilization and performance at smaller dimensions and lower power levels than traditional plasma propulsion devices. The reduced dimensions of the CHT operating at lower power levels make it an interesting option to provide propulsion of CubeSats and small satellites. The CHT consists of a channel with an annular anode through which neutral gas is injected. The neutral gas is then ionized by magnetized electrons injected from an external hollow cathode. The resulting plasma ions are ejected from the device due to the positive electrostatic potential at the anode, giving thrust. The aim of this work is to understand and study the plasma in the discharge channel of a CHT through numerical simulations. The numerical code describes the plasma with a hybrid model in which the electrons are treated as a fluid and the ions and neutral atoms as pseudo particles. The simulations were conducted for two different potential values at the anode, namely, 150 V and 300 V, representing different modes of operation. The results obtained with this simplified model allow to obtain an optimal configuration for a future prototype to be implemented at the Plasma Physics Laboratory at the University of Brasilia.