Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 9, 3406025 (2014)

Regular Articles

Development of Direct Thrust Measurement System for the Completely Electrodeless Helicon Plasma Thruster

Daisuke KUWAHARA, Yushi KOYAMA, Shuhei OTSUKA, Takamichi ISHII, Hiroki ISHII, Hiroaki FUJITSUKA, Shimpei WASEDA and Shunjiro SHINOHARA

: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-Cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan

(Received 19 November 2013 / Accepted 17 February 2014 / Published 14 March 2014)

Abstract

In order to establish a completely electrodeless electric thruster, we have been studying the proposed electromagnetic acceleration methods, and estimating plasma performance using various diagnostics. Plasma thrust is the most important feature of the thruster; therefore estimation of the plasma thrust is necessary. In this study, we have developed a pendulum-target-type plasma thrust stand. Our experiment uses a Large Mirror Device and a high-power radiofrequency source (7 MHz, ∼5 kW) to produce high-density helicon plasma. The thruster uses both permanent magnets and electromagnets for generating magnetic field with a large radial component to increase electromagnetic acceleration by the proposed method of including an azimuthal current. In this paper, details of the developed thrust stand and experimental results for thrust, thrust efficiency and specific impulse are presented.

Keywords

electric thruster, helicon plasma, electrodeless acceleration, thrust measurement, pendulum-target type thrust stand, active damper

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.9.3406025

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Daisuke KUWAHARA, Yushi KOYAMA, Shuhei OTSUKA, Takamichi ISHII, Hiroki ISHII, Hiroaki FUJITSUKA, Shimpei WASEDA and Shunjiro SHINOHARA, Plasma Fusion Res. 9, 3406025 (2014).