An Ion Thruster Accelerating Electrode Made of Carbon-Carbon Composite Material

At present, the requirements for the lifetime of electric propulsion thrusters of spacecraft are growing. The article is devoted to the selection of material of the accelerating electrode that is the critical element of the ion thruster from the lifetime point of view. The accelerating electrode of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Thermal engineering 2018-12, Vol.65 (13), p.986-993
Main Authors: Akhmetzhanov, R. V., Balashov, V. V., Bogachev, Ye. A., Yelakov, A. B., Kashirin, D. A., Svotina, V. V., Spivak, O. O., Cherkasova, M. V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carbon
Carbon-carbon composites
Charge exchange
Composite materials
Electric propulsion
Electrodes
Engineering
Engineering Thermodynamics
Erosion mechanisms
Erosion rates
Heat and Mass Transfer
Ion bombardment
Spacecraft propulsion
Sputtering
Thrusters
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Summary:At present, the requirements for the lifetime of electric propulsion thrusters of spacecraft are growing. The article is devoted to the selection of material of the accelerating electrode that is the critical element of the ion thruster from the lifetime point of view. The accelerating electrode of the ion thruster is exposed to bombardment by charge-exchange ions, which cause its erosion. The rate of erosion depends on the ion-sputtering rate of the material from which the accelerating electrode is made. Graphite-based materials have the lowest ion-sputtering rate. The article considers the use of carbon–carbon composite material based on the Ipresscon ® carbon frame developed by OAO Kompozit as a material for manufacturing the ion thruster accelerating electrode. The results of calculation of erosion of such material and experimental verification of its application in the construction of the ion thruster are given in the article.
ISSN:0040-6015
1555-6301
DOI:10.1134/S0040601518130025