Kenichi Kubota

TL;DR: In this article, the numerically simulated results of plasma flow fields in a 100kW-class 2-D magnetoplasmadynamic thruster with the available experimental data are conducted.

TL;DR: In this article, a self-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster was numerically studied for an argon mass flow rate of 0.8 g/s, and the authors focused on the plasma behavior around the critical current, at which full propellant ionization is theoretically expected.

TL;DR: In this paper, a numerical study of the geometry effect on the flowfield in two-dimensional MPD Thrusters was conducted under the constant mass flow rate 1.25 g/s for argon propellant.

Abstract: A 1 kW class magnetic layer type Hall thruster designed for high specific impulse operation by IHI Corporation, Japan was modeled by a fully kinetic particle code. The measured maximum performance of the thruster was 64% in anode efficiency and 3,200s (3.1kW, 800V) in anode specific impulse. The thruster performance, wall heat loss and erosion, and the plasma property distributions were numerically investigated for the operation conditions ranged from 300V to 700V in discharge voltage, and 2mg/s to 4mg/s in xenon mass flow rate. Simulations with two numerical models: with and without the Bohm diffusion assumption were performed for each thruster operation conditions to characterize the uncertainty caused by the Bohm diffusion model. The simulation results were compared with the measured results, and exhibited excellent agreement with the maximum performance error of 20% for both models. It is suggested that as engineering tools, with and without Bohm simulations can be respectively used as the worst and best case analysis for the performance, heat load, and erosion.