Duration: 12 months
Our objective is to improve ion yield in EP thrusters operating with xenon or krypton propellant. As of today EP thrusters efficacy is strongly limited by ion yield achieved in the ionisation process. Main loss of thrust is the fraction of non-ionized (neutral) propellant atoms, which are wasted by not being accelerated by the electric field. Goal of Aedus Space Ltd. is the further development of xenon and/or krypton propellant gas (PG) with gas phase additives (GPA), which can enhance the probability of ionization of the propellant atoms. Technical background: Ionization rate improvement of the propellant gas is based on the Penning effect caused by GPA. PG and GPA together would form a Penning gas mixture in which GPA has a higher metastable potential (Vms) than the ionisation potential (Vion) of PG. The collision between PG and excited metastable GPA atoms yield an efficient transfer of energy stored in excited metastable state to ionization of PG counterpart. Activity includes: requirement specification of GPA candidates: considering Vms vs. Vion rates, corrosivity and stability shall be comparable to targeted propellant gases, further explained below: a. Kr-GPA-01 mixture: Krypton has 14,00 eV ionization potential. GPA-01 additive helps to ionize Krypton. b. Xe-GPA-02 mixture: Xenon has 12,13 eV ionization potential. GPA-02 additive helps to ionize Xenon. DoE definition: composition of mixtures, test environment definition (thruster type and operation setting, thruster performance test plan.
