IMPROVED EFFICIENCY ELECTRIC PROPULSION FOR ORBIT TRANSFER MISSIONS

THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE METHODS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF ION ENGINES, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE EXHAUST VELOCITY OF 20 KM/S, WHICH IS NEAR THE OPTIMUM FOR TYPICAL LOW EARTH ORBIT TO GEOSTATIONARY ORBIT TRANSFER. CURRENTLY, NO FORM OF PROPULSION PERFORMS WELL IN THIS CRITICAL REGION. THIS PRESENTS A SERIOUS BARRIER TO LARGE SCALE USE OF ELECTRIC PROPULSION. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL POTENTIAL METHODS FOR EFFICIENTLY CREATING IONS, WHICH IS THE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH ACHIEVING ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE IN ION ENGINES IN THIS VELOCITY RANGE. NEW METAL IONS, HEAVY ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, AND METAL CLUSTERS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS PROPELLANTS WHICH MAY ACHIEVE THE DESIRED INCREASE IN EFFICIENCY. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS AND SOME EXPERIMENTAL WORK WILL BE DONE TO EXPLORE THE MERITS OF OUR PROPOSED PROPELLANTS. SUPPORTING WORK ON SYSTEMS STUDIES AND TRADES WILL ALSO BE CARRIED OUT.