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Manuel Martinez-Sanchez and Oleg V. Batishchev. White, Daniel B., Jr Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2009-04-29T17:13:02Z 2009-04-29T17:13:02Z 2008 2008 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/45237 309296197 Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-109). Electric propulsion systems provide an attractive option for various spacecraft propulsion applications due to their high specific impulse. The power balance of an electric thruster based on a helicon plasma source is presented. The power balance is shown to be comprised of several variables, including the RF power supplied to the system, dissipative losses in transmission hardware, losses in the neutral confinement tube, uncoupled RF radiation, ionization power, and plume output power. A thermal model for the neutral confinement tube is presented whereby heat flux may be derived from thermal response data. Numerical simulation and experimental benchmarking are employed to validate this thermal model. A mapping of power consumption is presented. Comparison with experimental parameters indicates that 97% of the power supplied to the system is accounted for, suggesting that primary loss mechanisms have been identified. Avenues for improving the performance of the thruster, based on these data, are presented. by Daniel B. White, Jr. S.M. 109 p. eng Massachusetts Institute of Technology M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 Aeronautics and Astronautics. Power balance in a helicon plasma source for space propulsion Thesis application/pdf false Publication unknown unknown <Publication xmlns="https://www.openaire.eu/cerif-profile/1.1/" id="adef2b3f-0d94-4df1-93d7-95d573fd5468"> <Type xmlns="https://www.openaire.eu/cerif-profile/vocab/COAR_Publication_Types">http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_1843</Type> <Language>eng</Language> <Title>Power balance in a helicon plasma source for space propulsion</Title> <PublishedIn> <Publication> </Publication> </PublishedIn> <PublicationDate>2008</PublicationDate> <Authors> <Author> <DisplayName>White, Daniel B., Jr</DisplayName> <Affiliation> <OrgUnit> </OrgUnit> </Affiliation> </Author> </Authors> <Editors> </Editors> <Publishers> <Publisher> <DisplayName>Massachusetts Institute of Technology</DisplayName> <OrgUnit /> </Publisher> </Publishers> <License>http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582</License> <Keyword>Aeronautics and Astronautics.</Keyword> <Abstract>Electric propulsion systems provide an attractive option for various spacecraft propulsion applications due to their high specific impulse. The power balance of an electric thruster based on a helicon plasma source is presented. The power balance is shown to be comprised of several variables, including the RF power supplied to the system, dissipative losses in transmission hardware, losses in the neutral confinement tube, uncoupled RF radiation, ionization power, and plume output power. A thermal model for the neutral confinement tube is presented whereby heat flux may be derived from thermal response data. Numerical simulation and experimental benchmarking are employed to validate this thermal model. A mapping of power consumption is presented. Comparison with experimental parameters indicates that 97% of the power supplied to the system is accounted for, suggesting that primary loss mechanisms have been identified. Avenues for improving the performance of the thruster, based on these data, are presented.</Abstract> <Access xmlns="http://purl.org/coar/access_right" > </Access> </Publication>