BUSTLab Bogazici University Space Technologies Laboratory

October 4, 2018: Initial Tests of UK90 Hall Thruster

Initial tests of the UK90 Hall thruster are conducted. This 90mm diameter discharge chamber Hall thruster employs an LaB6 central cathode. The first picture shows the thruster in operation inside the BUSTLab vacuum chamber. The second picture shows the view of the thruster from one of the windows of the BUSTLab vacuum chamber.

February 26, 2018: UK90 Hall Thruster is Ready for Tests

UK90 Hall thruster is ready for tests. This 90mm diameter discharge chamber Hall thruster employs an LaB6 central cathode that is also built at BUSTLab. The first picture shows the thruster, with its copper radiator, in the hands of BUSTLab graduate student Ugur Kokal.

December 13, 2017: Assembly of UK90 Hall Thruster is Almost Complete

The assembly of the UK90 Hall thruster is mostly completed. This 90mm diameter discharge chamber Hall thruster employs an LaB6 central cathode that is also built at BUSTLab. The design of this thruster has been made by BUSTLab graduate student Ugur Kokal under the guidance of Prof. Murat Celik and Prof. Huseyin Kurt. A significant number of parts of this thruster have been machined/manufactured by hand by Prof. Huseyin Kurt.

October 15, 2017: Standard Coil Antenna and Ferrite Core Antenna RF Plasma Cathodes are Tested

Two different RF plasma cathodes have been designed, built and tested. The first cathode has a standard coil antenna, whereas the second cathode has a specially designed ferrite core antenna. The pictures below show the coil antenna RF plasma cathode and ferrite core antenna RF plasma cathode before and during operation.

September 21, 2017: Longer Coaxial-Heater Hollow Cathode is Tested

The longer version of the coaxial-heater hollow cathode, with molybdenum keeper tube, is used for the thrust tests of the HK40 Hall thruster.

September 17, 2017: MET is operated with Nitrogen

BUSTLab Microwave Electrothermal Thruster is operated with Nitrogen gas using the Pyrex Vacuum Chamber.

August 9, 2017: HK40 Hall thruster Operation in High Power Mode

HK40 Hall thruster is operated in high power mode.

August 1, 2017: Longer Coaxial-Heater Hollow Cathode is Completed

A longer version of the coaxial-heater hollow cathode with molybdenum keeper tube is completed. This latest cathode will be used as the internal cathode of our latest Hall effect thruster (UK90). This cathode employs LaB6 insert material with an inner diameter of 2mm, outer diameter of 4mm and length of 15mm.

July 6, 2017: New Coaxial-Heater Hollow Cathode is Completed

A new coaxial-heater hollow cathode is built. This new cathode employs a keeper tube made of molybdenum. The insert material is LaB6 with an inner diameter of 2mm, outer diameter of 4mm and length of 10mm. This latest cathode employs a specially designed heat shield that is made of two layers of molybdenum foil.

July 4, 2017: Thrust Measurements of the HK40 Hall Thruster

BUSTLab thrust stand is used to measure the thrust values of the HK40 Hall thruster for various operating conditions.

June 24, 2017: Second MET paper is accepted

Our paper titled "Global Energy Transfer Model of a Microwave Electrothermal Thruster Operating with Helium Propellant at 2.45 GHz Frequency", is accepted for publication to IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. Link

June 14, 2017: Thrust Measurements of the BUSTLab MET

Recently developed BUSTLab thrust stand is used to measure the thrust values of the BUSTLab microwave electrothermal thruster for various operating conditions.

June 2, 2017: Coaxial-heater hollow cathode paper is accepted

Our paper titled "Coaxial-heater hollow cathode" is accepted for publication to Review of Scientific Instruments. Link

May 1, 2017: New RF Ion Thruster is Successfully Tested

New BUSTLab RF ion thruster is tested inside the BUSTLab vacuum chamber.

April 17, 2017: First MET paper is accepted

Our paper titled "Numerical Investigation of the Electric Field Distribution and the Power Deposition in the Resonant Cavity of a Microwave Electrothermal Thruster", is accepted for publication to AIP Advances. Link

April 14, 2017: New RF Ion Thruster is Being Prepared for the Thrust Testing

The setup for the thrust measurements of the new BUSTLab RF ion thruster is being readied. The assembly of the thrust stand is complete and the calibration efforts are underway.

March 10, 2017: Assembly of the New RF Ion Thruster is Completed

New BUSTLab RF ion thruster assembly is completed. The thruster is ready for the tests with the latest coaxial hollow cathode as its neutralizer cathode.

January 28, 2017: Assembly of the New RF Ion Thruster is Almost Complete

New BUSTLab RF ion thruster assembly is mostly completed. The new thruster employs an 80mm inner diameter alumina chamber. The truster grids have 469 extraction holes.

January 27, 2017: Coaxial-Hollow Cathode with Molybdenum Cathode Tube has been Assembled

A newer LaB6 coaxial hollow cathode that employs a cathode tube made of molybdenum has been manufactured.

December 21, 2016: Nazli Defends Her M.S. Thesis

Nazli Turan has defended her M.S. thesis.

November 30, 2016: Serhan Defends His Ph.D. Thesis

Mehmet Serhan Yildiz has defended his Ph.D. thesis.

October 4, 2016: Latest RPA measurements of BURFIT-80 RF Ion Thruster

The retarding potential analyzer (RPA) probe is used to measure the ion energy distribution function in the near plume region of the BURFIT-80 RF ion thruster. The pictures below show some images from the latest tests. The last two images show the raw data (the measured I-V curve) and the corresponding ion energy distribution function for a known set of operational conditions.

August 8, 2016: BUSTLab MET is tested Using the Pyrex Vacuum Chamber

The BUSTLab Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET) is successfully tested while attached to the specially designed port on the main flange of the pyrex vacuum chamber. The pictures below show some images from the testing.

May 9, 2016: A new Pyrex Vacuum Chamber is built

A new pyrex vacuum chamber is built. The portable chamber will allow testing of plasma devices attached to its numerous ports.

May 7, 2016: BUSTLab RPA is built

The retarding potential analyzer (RPA) probe is assembled. This RPA probe incorporates several unique design features. The delicate parts of the probe has been machined by Prof. Huseyin Kurt himself at the machine shop facilities of Istanbul Medeniyet University. The grids of the probe has been manufactured using laser micromachining by Ahmet Talas of Bogazici University at the Kandilli Kampus clean room facilities. The pictures below show some images from the assembly process. The latest image shows a blow up drawing of the built RPA.

March 17, 2016: HK40 Hall Thruster with electromagnets is tested

The most recent version of the HK40 Hall Thruster with electromagnets has been succesfully tested with the newest coaxial hollow cathode. During the testing the hollow cathode has been placed on a 2D translational stage and its location with respect to the thurster has been varied. Langmuir probe measurements of the thruster plume region have also been carried out. During the testing the magnetic field topology of the HK40 Hall thruster has been varied by changing the currents to inner and outer electromagnets of the thruster.

March 11, 2016: Coaxial-Hollow Cathode has been Assembled

A newer LaB6 hollow cathode that employs a creative coaxial design has been manufactured. A patent application for the most current design is in preparation stage. The built cathode has been successfully tested inside the BUSTLab vacuum chamber. This latest cathode has been through tens of start-ups and shut-downs, and has been run with BUSTLab Hall effect thrusters for long hours without problems.

February 5, 2016: Latest version of the BURFIT-80 RF Ion Thruster is tested.

A newer version of the prototype radio frequency ion thruster (BURFIT-80) is successfully tested inside the BUSTLab vacuum chamber. This latest prototype has 397 extraction holes. We thank Ahmet Turan Talas of Bogazici University Kandilli Campus Life Sciences and Technologies Center for producing the new grids.

February 3, 2016: Latest Tests of the Protototype Microwave Electrothermal Thruster are Conducted.

The prototype microwave-electrothermal-thruster (MET), designed and built by Mehmet Serhan Yildiz, is successfully tested. Unlike the tests conducted during the summer of 2015, the prototype thruster is placed on a specially manufactured port on the door of the BUSTLab vacuum chamber. Thus the thruster and all the relevant connections were outside the chamber. The thruster nozzle plate faces the inside of the chamber, thus allowing the thruster plume to expand into the vacuum of the chamber. The thruster was operated at 2.45 GHz microwave frequency with Helium propellant. Power levels of up to 500 W was delivered to the thruster during the tests. The first picture below shows the thruster attacched to the ISO-320 port on the door of the BUSTlab vacuum chamber. The second picture shows the power generation and delivery system, as well as the gas delivery and pressure measurement systems located outside the vacuum chamber. The third picture shows the discharge region of the chamber during its operation. The fourth picture shows plume exiting the nozzle of the thruster. The last picture is taken from one of the side viewports of the BUSTLab vacuum chamber.

January 25, 2016: BURFIT-80 RF Ion Thruster is tested.

The prototype radio frequency ion thruster (BURFIT-80) is successfully tested inside the BUSTLab vacuum chamber. The thruster has an 80 mm diameter discharge chamber and operates at 13.56 MHz radio frequency. Grid voltage differences of up to 1500 V were provided to the thruster during its initial tests. This earliest prototype has 91 extraction holes only. Improved, denser grid systems are going to be tested in the near future.

June 11, 2015: Microwave Electrothermal Thruster is tested.

The prototype microwave-electrothermal-thruster (MET), designed and built by Mehmet Serhan Yildiz, is successfully tested inside the BUSTLab vacuum chamber. The thruster operates at 2.45 GHz microwave frequency. Power levels of up to 550 W was delivered to the thruster during its initial tests. The first picture below shows the power generation and delivery system located outside the vacuum chamber. The power is brought inside vacuum chamber with high power microwave cables and a 7/16" power feedthrough. The second picture shows the prototype MET thruster, placed on a stand, and its high power microwave connections inside the BUSTLab vacuum chamber. The third picture shows a close-up view of the MET thruster before its initial tests. The fourth picture shows the thruster in operation inside the chamber. The last picture is taken from one of the side viewports of the BUSTLab vacuum chamber. From the forth picture, through the circular window port on the thruster, it is possible to see the plasma inside the resonant cavity of the thruster, as well as the plume exiting the nozzle of the thruster.

May 28, 2015: HK40 Hall Thruster with LaB6 Hollow Cathode

New HK40 Hall Thruster is successfully tested with the in-house built LaB6 hollow cathode inside the BUSTLab Vacuum chamber.

May 27, 2015: New version of HK40 Hall Thruster is constructed

A new HK40 Hall Thruster with improved anode and discharge channel is constructed and placed on a stand with the in-house built LaB6 hollow cathode.

May 18, 2015: CHFT-40 Hall Thruster with LaB6 Hollow Cathode

CFHT-40 Hall Thruster is successfully tested with the in-house built LaB6 hollow cathode inside the BUSTLab Vacuum chamber.

May 16, 2015: Anode spot experiments at BUSTLab

Sina Jahanbakhsh has conducted anode spot experiments inside the BUSTLab vacuum chamber.

May 14, 2015: LaB6 Hollow Cathode is tested successfully

The LaB6 hollow cathode, designed and built at BUSTLab, is successfully tested inside the BUSTLab vacuum chamber.

April 8, 2015: Prototype RF Cathode is tested successfully

The prototype RF cathode is successfully tested inside the BUSTLab Vacuum chamber.

February 19, 2015: HK40 Hall Thruster with Hollow Cathode

The newly built LaB6 hollow cathode is integrated with the HK40 Hall Thruster for the first testing of the thruster & cathode system.

February 16, 2015: LaB6 Hollow Cathode is Assembled

The manufactured parts of the LaB6 hollow cathode are assembled. The following pictures show instants from the assembly process.

January 28, 2015: CHFT-40 Hall Thruster with RF Cathode

CFHT-40 Hall Thruster is successfully tested with an in-house built RF cathode inside the BUSTLab Vacuum chamber. The thruster was operated at a discharge voltage of 400 V and a discharge current of 1.2 A with high purity argon gas as the propellant. The RF cathode was run at 50 W RF power using a 13.56 MHz RF power supply. The cathode flow rate was varied between 2 to 5 sccm of argon during the testing.

January 19, 2015: First Test of the HK40 Hall Thruster

HK40 Hall Thruster is successfully tested inside the BUSTLab Vacuum chamber. The thruster was operated at a discharge voltage of 260 V and discharge current of 1.2 A with argon propellant for the initial tests.

January 15, 2015: HK40 Hall Thruster is being prepared for the first testing

Prof. Huseyin Kurt is preparing the HK40 Hall Thruster for the first testing inside the BUSTLab Vacuum chamber.

January 15, 2015: HK40 Hall Thruster is assembled

The manufactured parts of the HK40 Hall Thruster are assembled for the first time. The front and rear views of the newly assembled thruster are seen in the following pictures.

January 13, 2015: First Thruster Testing at BUSTLab

The prototype Cusped Field Hall Thruster, CFHT-40, was fired for the first time inside the BUSTLab Vacuum chamber. The thruster was operated for 30 minutes at a discharge voltage of 400 V with argon propellant for the initial tests.

January 9, 2015: CFHT-40 is Assembled

The prototype Cusped Field Hall Thruster, CFHT-40, is assembled.

December 17, 2014: Vacuum Chamber is Fully Operational

BUSTLab Vacuum chamber is now fully operational with both cryopumps are attached, and the gas flow and electrical connections are completed.

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