Non-linear flux-balanced magnetic circuit for thruster

A reduced mass high-power Hall thruster, comprising:

• a discharge chamber with a longitudinal extension according to an axial direction of the Hall thruster;
• and
• a magnetic circuit for generation in the discharge chamber of magnetic field lines according to a radial direction, the magnetic circuit comprising a magnetic core and a magnet system;
• wherein
• the magnetic core includes a thickness profile that is configured to equalize a magnetic flux conducted through a magnetically permeable material of the magnetic core during operation of the magnetic circuit in a linear regime and a nonlinear regime, thereby maintaining a substantially constant shape of the magnetic field lines during operation in the linear regime and the nonlinear regime, and
• the thickness profile includes a region with varying thickness, wherein the thickness profile in the region with the varying thickness is configured to follow a contour of magnetic flux lines of the magnetic flux, thereby reducing mass of the magnetic core by removing portions of the magnetically permeable material devoid of magnetic flux.

A method for reducing mass and size of a magnetic circuit of an electric propulsion (EP) system, the method comprising:

• providing dimensions of a discharge channel of the EP system;
• providing desired shape of a magnetic field produced in the discharge channel by a magnetic circuit of the EP system;
• based on the providing and the providing, iteratively tuning a thickness profile of a magnetic core of the magnetic circuit while validating provision of the desired shape of the magnetic field via finite element model (FEM) simulation of a correspondingly produced magnetic field;
• repeating the iteratively tuning of the thickness profile for different strengths of the produced magnetic field, the different strengths spanning across a linear regime and a nonlinear regime of the magnetic circuit;
• and
• based on the repeating, deriving an optimal thickness profile of a flux-balanced magnetic core that is configured to equalize a magnetic flux conducted through a magnetically permeable material of the magnetic core during operation of the magnetic circuit in a linear regime and a nonlinear regime.