How does a Hall effect thruster work?

Hall-effect thrusters use a magnetic field to limit the electrons’ axial motion and then use them to ionize propellant, efficiently accelerate the ions to produce thrust, and neutralize the ions in the plume. Hall thrusters operate on a variety of propellants, the most common being xenon and krypton.

How much does a Hall effect thruster cost?

The recurring cost estimated for a Hall thruster system capable of performing the DAWN mission was $5.7 million dollars [8], an order of magnitude less than the system Dawn used.

What is an electric jet engine?

The device, created by researchers from the Institute of Technological Sciences at Wuhan University in China, compresses air and ionizes it using microwaves. This then generates plasma that thrusts the engine forward.

Who invented ion thruster?

The ion engine was first demonstrated by German-born NASA scientist Ernst Stuhlinger, and developed in practical form by Harold R. Kaufman at NASA Lewis (now Glenn) Research Center from 1957 to the early 1960s.

Can Hall effect thrusters be used on Earth?

Innovators at NASA’s Glenn Research Center have developed new technologies that increase the operational lifetime of a Hall effect thruster (HET), which is used primarily on Earth-orbiting satellites and can also be used for deep-space robotic vehicles.

How does a krypton ion thruster work?

An ion thruster ionizes propellant by adding or removing electrons to produce ions. Most thrusters ionize propellant by electron bombardment: a high-energy electron (negative charge) collides with a propellant atom (neutral charge), releasing electrons from the propellant atom and resulting in a positively charged ion.

What is the Hall effect thruster (HET)?

When the US was beginning to investigate the gridded ion drive, the Soviet Union was investigating the Hall Effect thruster (HET). This is a very similar concept in many ways to the ion drive, in that it uses the electrostatic effect to accelerate propellant, but the mechanism is very different.

What type of magnetic field is used in a Hall thruster?

A radial magnetic field of about 100–300 G (0.01–0.03 T) is used to confine the electrons, where the combination of the radial magnetic field and axial electric field cause the electrons to drift in azimuth thus forming the Hall current from which the device gets its name. Hall thruster. Hall thrusters are largely axially symmetric.

When were Hall thrusters first used on the Moon?

The first use of Hall thrusters on lunar orbit was the European Space Agency (ESA) lunar mission SMART-1 in 2003. Hall thrusters were first demonstrated on a western satellite on the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) STEX spacecraft, which flew the Russian D-55.

What is the mass use efficiency of a thruster?

The mass use efficiency of the thruster is thus around 90\%, while the discharge current efficiency is around 70\%, for a combined thruster efficiency of around 63\% (= 90\% × 70\%). Modern Hall thrusters have achieved efficiencies as high as 75\% through advanced designs.