Microplasma thruster for ultra-small satellites: plasma chemical and aerodynamical aspects

• Takao, Yoshinori

• Takahashi, Takeshi

• Eriguchi, Koji

• Ono, Kouichi

Abstract

A microplasma thruster has been developed of electrothermal type using azimuthallysymmetric microwave-excited microplasmas. The microplasma source was ～2 mmin diameter and ～10 mm long, being operated at around atmospheric pressures; the micronozzlewas a converging-diverging type, having a throat ～0.2 mm in diameter and ～1 mmlong. Numerical and experimental results with Ar as a working gas demonstrated that thisminiature electrothermal thruster gives a thrust of >1 mN, a specific impulse of ～100 s, anda thrust efficiency of ～10% at a microwave power of <10 W, making it applicable to attitudecontroland station-keeping maneuver for a microspacecraft of <10 kg.

Journal

• Pure and applied chemistry : the official journal of the International Union of Pure and Applied ChemistryChimie pure et appliqu?e

  Pure and applied chemistry : the official journal of the International Union of Pure and Applied ChemistryChimie pure et appliqu?e 80 (9), 2013-2023, 2008-09

Keywords

• plasma thrusters
• electric propulsion
• micropropulsion
• microthrusters
• microplasma
• microdischarge
• surface wave-excited plasma
• micronozzle flow
• microplasma jets
• nano- and pico-satellites

Details

• CRID: 1050845762712923648
• NII Article ID: 120005553869
• NII Book ID: AA00797859
• ISSN: 00334545
• Web Site: http://hdl.handle.net/10131/9072
• Text Lang: en
• Article Type: journal article
• Data Source:
  • IRDB
  • CiNii Articles