Electric power supply system for a hall effect electric thruster
AssigneeAirbus Defence and Space GmbH
InventorsCyril Brotons, Dimitry Loubere, Guillaume Scremin, Matthias Guilhem-Ducleon
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Abstract
An electric power supply system for a Hall effect electric thruster. The Hall effect electric thruster includes an anode, a cathode, a heater for the cathode and an igniter. The electric power supply system includes a first power supply source to power the anode, a second power supply source to power the heater and a power supply unit to electrically supply the igniter. The power supply unit includes a third power supply source and a passive electric circuit. The third power supply source powers the passive electric circuit and is configured to generate a voltage in the form of at least one pulse.
Claims3
An electric power supply system of a Hall-effect electric thruster, the Hall-effect electric thruster comprising an anode, a cathode, a heater for the cathode, and an igniter, the electric power supply system comprising:
- a first power supply source, a second power supply source and an entirely passive electrical circuit,
- wherein the anode is electrically connected to a first terminal of the first power supply source,
- wherein the entirely passive electrical circuit is electrically connected between the first terminal and a second terminal of the first power supply source,
- wherein the entirely passive electrical circuit provides an igniter voltage to the igniter less than a first power supply source voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal,
- wherein the igniter voltage is provided in the form of at least one pulse,
- wherein the igniter voltage generates a discharge current between the igniter and the cathode, and
- wherein the heater is electrically connected to the second power supply source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.