Hall-type electric propulsion

Abstract

The present invention provides a hall-type electric propulsion that exhibits both overheating protection and operational stability, thereby simultaneously solving the problem of waste heat, which worsens with micronization, and the problem of discharge current oscillation. First, the magnetic flux distribution in ionization/acceleration channel is formed to optimize ion velocity vector, whereupon a propellant flow passage (propellant conduit) is disposed in a magnetic pole of the propulsion, or more specifically in the vicinity of the acceleration channel, and then propellant is passed through the flow passage. Thus, the magnetic pole, which is overheated by the generated plasma, can be cooled, and at the same time the propellant can be heated. Furthermore, the heated propellant is choked immediately before being introduced into the ionization/acceleration channel by a throat region provided immediately before the ionization/acceleration channel, and as a result the sonic speed of neutral species (propellant) is increased.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.