Single Converter Hall Thruster Power Processor

"The need for low mass, cost and complexity electric propulsion systems driven by the growing interest in microsatellites to perform high delta-V missions requiring north/south station keeping, orbit transfer, inclination changes and precise formationflying can be enabled by Busek's multi-mode low power Hall thruster. However, state-of-the-art electric propulsion technology is complex and costly for many mission applications. Of the subsystems that comprise the propulsion system, the most fruitful toachieve a significant reduction in cost, complexity and mass is the power processing unit.In Phase I, Busek will demonstrate the feasibility of a new power processing architecture that replaces the four (4) main DC to DC converters of the conventional PPU with a single converter architecture.The single converter design utilizes a high power converter to provide the discharge power to the thruster and both heat and start the cathode. The proposed converter topology will be a derivative of Busek's nominal 500 W (350 V; 1.5 A) dischargeconverter developed and demonstrated as part of the AFRL/VS TechSat 21 mission. In addition Busek will develop a modified cathode design capable of heating at low input current. Experiments will be performed to develop a starting sequence and operatingalgorithm for the thruster. The long-term objective is to develop a simplified flight qualification low power Hall thruster system with high performance and