[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 10, 3406052 (2015)

Regular Articles

Development of a 15-kW Class RF Plasma Source for VASIMR Type Space Propulsion with Magnetic Nozzle
Yusuke HOSHINO, Takayoshi ISHIYAMA, Atsushi KOMURO, Kazunori TAKAHASHI and Akira ANDO
Department of Electrical Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-05 Aoba-yama, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
(Received 25 November 2014 / Accepted 23 February 2015 / Published 26 May 2015)

Abstract

A radiofrequency (RF) plasma source was developed for space propulsion using an FET based RF inverter power supply with a power of 15 kW. The operating frequency of the RF power supply was approximately 200 kHz. By adjusting the magnetic field strength near the RF antenna to around 10 mT, we achieved high density argon plasma on the order of 1019 m−3. The plasma passed through a region of strong magnetic field (approaching 1 T), provided by a pulsed capacitor bank for ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH). The plasma radius was reduced by the converging magnetic field, and the high plasma density was retained in the downstream ICRH region.

Keywords

RF plasma, plasma thruster, VASIMR, high density plasma, FET inverter, magnetic nozzle

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.10.3406052

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Yusuke HOSHINO, Takayoshi ISHIYAMA, Atsushi KOMURO, Kazunori TAKAHASHI and Akira ANDO, Plasma Fusion Res. 10, 3406052 (2015).