A ionic liquid has been used as propellant in a linear slit FEEP thruster for the first time. The test was carried out using a standard FEEP emitter fed with the ionic liquid BMIM - Tf2N. The emitter was easily ignited and operated for about 200 hours successfully. Extraction of particle beams was demonstrated both with positive and negative applied voltage, with very stable current at positive polarity and more intense, less stable emission in negative particle mode. In positive mode, emission was remarkably stable for operation at 6 kV during as much as 50 hours. Some dependancy of extracted current on emitter temperature was observed. The estimated maximum thrust was 20 μN in positive mode and 150 μN in negative mode. The applicability of ionic liquid propellants in operational linear slit FEEP thrusters will have to be assessed by future investigation, in particular regarding the ionic or microdroplet nature of the emitted beam.

Characterization of Linear Slit FEEP Using a Ionic Liquid Propellant

MARCUCCIO, SALVO;
2009-01-01

Abstract

A ionic liquid has been used as propellant in a linear slit FEEP thruster for the first time. The test was carried out using a standard FEEP emitter fed with the ionic liquid BMIM - Tf2N. The emitter was easily ignited and operated for about 200 hours successfully. Extraction of particle beams was demonstrated both with positive and negative applied voltage, with very stable current at positive polarity and more intense, less stable emission in negative particle mode. In positive mode, emission was remarkably stable for operation at 6 kV during as much as 50 hours. Some dependancy of extracted current on emitter temperature was observed. The estimated maximum thrust was 20 μN in positive mode and 150 μN in negative mode. The applicability of ionic liquid propellants in operational linear slit FEEP thrusters will have to be assessed by future investigation, in particular regarding the ionic or microdroplet nature of the emitted beam.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/127945
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