This work focuses on a numerical suite targeted at cathodeless plasma thrusters. A Global Model is used for a preliminarily estimate of the propulsive performance. The code 3D-VIRTUS solves self-consistently the plasma transport with a fluid approach and the electromagnetic wave propagation in the plasma source. Starfish and SPIS are used to handle the magnetic nozzle region via a fully kinetic Particle-in-Cell approach. Starfish solves the plasma dynamics in a 2D axisymmetric domain and has been coupled to 3D-VIRTUS in order to estimate the propulsive performance. SPIS is a 3D PIC code used mainly to study the interactions between the satellite and the plume. Results have been benchmarked against thrust measurements performed on a low power (50 W range) Helicon Plasma Thruster.
NUMERICAL SUITE FOR MAGNETICALLY ENHANCED PLASMA THRUSTERS / Magarotto M.; Di Fede S.; Souhair N.; Andrews S.; Manente M.; Ponti F.; Pavarin D.. - ELETTRONICO. - C4:(2021), pp. 1-11. (Intervento presentato al convegno IAF Space Propulsion Symposium 2021 at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2021 tenutosi a are nel 2021).
NUMERICAL SUITE FOR MAGNETICALLY ENHANCED PLASMA THRUSTERS
Souhair N.;Ponti F.;
2021
Abstract
This work focuses on a numerical suite targeted at cathodeless plasma thrusters. A Global Model is used for a preliminarily estimate of the propulsive performance. The code 3D-VIRTUS solves self-consistently the plasma transport with a fluid approach and the electromagnetic wave propagation in the plasma source. Starfish and SPIS are used to handle the magnetic nozzle region via a fully kinetic Particle-in-Cell approach. Starfish solves the plasma dynamics in a 2D axisymmetric domain and has been coupled to 3D-VIRTUS in order to estimate the propulsive performance. SPIS is a 3D PIC code used mainly to study the interactions between the satellite and the plume. Results have been benchmarked against thrust measurements performed on a low power (50 W range) Helicon Plasma Thruster.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
