Next Generation Hall effect Thruster Concepts

The purpose of this proposal is the research and development of low power (about 100 W) close-drift thruster with improved magnetic field. The patented design of the magnetic field makes possible to dramatically reduce the permissible size of aconventional stationary plasma thruster (SPT) that is limited by magnetic saturation of the inner magnetic path. The thruster with our improved magnetic field has a 20 mm outside diameter for the discharge channel and an overall diameter of 47 mm. Thethruster's mass is less than 150 g with an electromagnetic coil, and it could be reduced to 100 g with a permanent magnet configuration. Thruster efficiency is higher than 0.35 with a specific impulse of 1860-1290 sec. Thruster operates on xenon withdischarge voltage of 150-350 V. The technology generated in the research and development should have applications in commercial ion sources used in a variety of thin-film industry.