Optimizing the Design Geometry of Radio-Frequency Ion Thrusters and Ion Sources

The optimum design geometry of a quasi-neutral plasma source is calculated. An ion-source scheme with the inductive plasma discharge induced and maintained by a rf electromagnetic field with a frequency of about 1 MHz is investigated . The surface profiles of the main design units, including the dis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Surface investigation, x-ray, synchrotron and neutron techniques x-ray, synchrotron and neutron techniques, 2023-02, Vol.17 (1), p.135-143
Main Authors: Abgaryan, V. K., Melnikov, A. V., Kupreeva, A. Yu, Peisakhovich, O. D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chambers
Chemistry and Materials Science
Configurations
Design optimization
Electromagnetic fields
Electron density
Electron energy
Ion currents
Ion sources
Ion thrusters
Materials Science
Plasma jets
Surfaces and Interfaces
Thin Films
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Summary:The optimum design geometry of a quasi-neutral plasma source is calculated. An ion-source scheme with the inductive plasma discharge induced and maintained by a rf electromagnetic field with a frequency of about 1 MHz is investigated . The surface profiles of the main design units, including the discharge chamber and electrodes of the ion-extraction system, are jointly optimized using computational modelling. The calculation is carried out within a previously developed engineering model of inductive discharge in plasma. The optimization criteria are the thrust and the ion current extracted from the source, which are determined from the calculated electron density and electron temperature distributions over the discharge-chamber volume. The optimization calculation is made for an ion source 16 cm in diameter with the discharge-chamber surfaces in the form of segments of a sphere. The calculated thrust data are compared with the values calculated for the basic ion-source configuration with a hemispherical discharge chamber and a flat ion-extraction system. A significant increase in the extracted ion current and thrust in the established optimum ion-source configuration is obtained.
ISSN:1027-4510
1819-7094
DOI:10.1134/S1027451023010020