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Application Of Spectral Solution And Neural Network Techniques In Plasma Modeling For Electric Propulsion, Joseph R. Whitman
Application Of Spectral Solution And Neural Network Techniques In Plasma Modeling For Electric Propulsion, Joseph R. Whitman
Theses and Dissertations
A solver for Poisson's equation was developed using the Radix-2 FFT method first invented by Carl Friedrich Gauss. Its performance was characterized using simulated data and identical boundary conditions to those found in a Hall Effect Thruster. The characterization showed errors below machine-zero with noise-free data, and above 20% noise-to-signal strength, the error increased linearly with the noise. This solver can be implemented into AFRL's plasma simulator, the Thermophysics Universal Research Framework (TURF) and used to quickly and accurately compute the electric field based on charge distributions. The validity of a machine learning approach and data-based complex system modeling approach …
Pseudo Linear Hall Effect Thruster Characterization Through Potential, Magnetic, And Optical Measurements, Braeden A. Sheets
Pseudo Linear Hall Effect Thruster Characterization Through Potential, Magnetic, And Optical Measurements, Braeden A. Sheets
Theses and Dissertations
Electric propulsion systems are a more mass efficient method for providing a change in velocity, ΔV, to on-orbit spacecraft, than their chemical counterparts. In comparison, electric systems generally have a much higher specific impulse, Isp, than chemical systems. One option within the realm of electric propulsion is Hall Effect Thrusters, which have moderately high specific impulse values. From their advent in the 1960s, Hall Effect Thrusters have been used for orbit station keeping, attitude control, and orbit transfer. Although the discharge cavity is conventionally circular, pseudo-linear or racetrack shaped cavities have been developed. Even though Hall thrusters have decades of …
Characterization And Analysis Of Plasma Instabilities In A 600 W Permanent Magnet Hall Thruster, Samuel D. Wright
Characterization And Analysis Of Plasma Instabilities In A 600 W Permanent Magnet Hall Thruster, Samuel D. Wright
Theses and Dissertations
Electric propulsion is an important technology for the future of space operations and exploration. Within the range of electric propulsion devices, Hall Effect Thrusters provide a balance of thrust and specific impulse well-suited for many Earth-centric missions. Hall Effect Thrusters have been studied since their development in the 1960s and have been flown on hundreds of spacecraft, but the intimate details of the plasma behavior within the thruster exhaust plume are still not well understood. Furthering this knowledge may be key to improving thruster design to yield better performance and longer lifetimes. To this end, experiments were conducted to measure …