Is a Hall thruster An ion thruster?
In spacecraft propulsion, a Hall-effect thruster (HET) is a type of ion thruster in which the propellant is accelerated by an electric field. Hall thrusters are able to accelerate their exhaust to speeds between 10 and 80 km/s (1,000–8,000 s specific impulse), with most models operating between 15 and 30 km/s.
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.
Is ion thruster possible?
Ion thrust engines are practical only in the vacuum of space and cannot take vehicles through the atmosphere because ion engines do not work in the presence of ions outside the engine; additionally, the engine’s minuscule thrust cannot overcome any significant air resistance.
Why don’t we use ion thrusters?
The trade-off for the high top speeds of ion thrusters is low thrust (or low acceleration). These thrusters must be used in a vacuum to operate at the available power levels, and they cannot be used to put spacecraft in space because large amounts of thrust are needed to escape Earth’s gravity and atmosphere.
What are the disadvantages of Hall thruster?
While able to operate, small Hall thrusters suffer from reduced life and efficiency, due for the most part to the violent plasma environment required to maintain a collisionality level similar to larger devices.
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.
How does a 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.
Who invented the Hall thruster?
the Russians
The Hall Thruster is a plasma-based propulsion system for space vehicles that was invented in the late 1950s. It has been developed primarily by the Russians. During the past 20 years, the Russians placed in orbit about 100 Hall Thrusters.
What is the most powerful ion engine?
The ion engines on BepiColombo are four QinetiQ T6 ion thrusters. They operate singly or in pairs, to provide a maximum combined thrust of 290 mN (millinewtons), which makes it the most powerful ion engine in space. For comparison, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft used an Nstar ion engine that produced only 92 mN.