Magnetically-conformed, variable area discharge chamber for hall thruster, and method

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United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 8407979
SERIAL NO

11926279

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Abstract

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The invention is a Hall thruster that incorporates a discharge chamber having a variable area channel including an ionization zone, a transition region, and an acceleration zone. The variable area channel is wider through the acceleration zone than through the ionization zone. An anode is located in a vicinity of the ionization zone and a cathode is located in a vicinity of the acceleration zone. The Hall thruster includes a magnetic circuit which is capable of forming a local magnetic field having a curvature within the transition region of the variable area channel whereby the transition region conforms to the curvature of the local magnetic field. The Hall thruster optimizes the ionization and acceleration efficiencies by the combined effects of the variable area channel and magnetic conformity.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
NATIONAL AEONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION U S GOVERNMENT AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THEWASHINGTON DC 20546-0001

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Hofer, Richard R Monrovia, US 7 54

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