Advanced Space Propulsion CISAS Propulsion Group
50 W thruster
Helicon based plasma thruster
The helicon source is provided by radio frequency powered plasma sources composed by very few physical elements:
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a feeding system able to provide the required neutral gas flow
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a glass tube where the plasma is generated
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an antenna having helix shape wrapped around the glass tube
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a system of coils placed coaxial with the glass tube to a magnetic field able to confine the plasma and to increase power deposition of the antenna
In an helicon plasma thruster the helicon source is the main element of the thruster. The thrust is obtained exhausting the plasma into vacuum driving it through a suitable magnetic field whose gradient is optimized to increase plasma velocity.
Helicon technology main feature which may an important improvement in the propulsion scenario are:
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Expected very long operative life: helicon thrusters don’t rely on critical component sensitive to erosion as grids and cathodes.
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Suitability to many different gas propellant: Helicon systems can operate in principle with many different type of gases also reactive.
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Simple PPU: PPU has only to manage RF power not high voltage operation as in Hall and Ion systems, moreover they don't require neutralizers.
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Throttabiltiy: a helicon thruster is in principle a throttable system thus allowing a big range of operations.
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High power density: a helicon system scale very well with power. The bigger helicon based system developed at Washington University had a ionization chamber of 50 mm in diameter for a 50 kW power.
Our helicon plasma thruster is a low-thrust (1mN) high-specific impulse (2000s) space propulsion system. This Plasma engine basically consists of a plasma source based on a Radio-Frequency technology, where the plasma is generated and heated, and a magnetic nozzle which accelerates the plasma towards the empty space. Other power ranges ar also explored (1kW)The thruster can be used in several space mission profiles: orbital attitude control, station keeping, drag compesation, end-of-life atmpospheric re-entry.
The thruster have been developed in the frame of HPH.com research program leaded by unveristy of Padua. The final thruster design was perfromed by Kharkov Institute Aviation, our partner in this project
The thruster is based on an innovative type of helicon antenna called S-Helicon, allowing for simple and efficient power coupling and high thruster perfromances also at low power (10 W). Teh antenna design is under patent.
The thruster has been largely simulated using many different codes. Codes have been used to simulate the antenna alone and the plasmas evolution under the electromagnetic field of the antenna.
In parallel a large experimental campaign have been conducted.
Five laboratory model and two engineering models have been developed.
Plasma Thrusters
