Preliminary Results of Geometry Scaling and Magnetic Topology Study for Low Power Hall Effect Thrusters
by Erdal Bozkurt, Murat Celik

Satellites moving in orbit generally use chemical thrusters that use the principle of conser- vation of momentum to provide the desired thrust. Over the last several decades, there has been an increased interest in developing thrusters that use the on-board electrical energy to provide in space propulsive needs of such satellites. Among these propulsion concepts, Hall effect thrusters are the most studied and widely employed electric thrusters. Hall effect thrusters convert the electric power into thrust by the ionization of the propellant gas and the acceleration of the ionized gas under the influence of electric and magnetic fields. Even though, the Hall effect thrusters have a simple geometry and are easy to manufacture, the physical working principle of these thrusters are not well understood. There are also many dierent Hall thrusters with different sizes and power levels. By using the proper scaling laws it is possible to predict thruster performance parameters. In this study, appropriate scaling laws are determined and a 30mm diameter SPT type Hall effect thruster is designed. In addition, by providing the appropriate magnetic field topology it is possible to obtain higher efficiency. In this study the scaling method and the magnetic topology studies are presented.