Open AccessNumerical study on Hall thruster magnetic configuration and its optimization
Author(s) -
Deng Li-Yun,
Lan Hong-Mei,
Yue Liu
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
wuli xuebao
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.199
H-Index - 47
ISSN - 1000-3290
DOI - 10.7498/aps.60.025213
Subject(s) - magnetic field , physics , current (fluid) , dipole model of the earth's magnetic field , magnetic energy , discretization , magnetic pressure , magnetic reactance , mechanics , condensed matter physics , classical mechanics , interplanetary magnetic field , magnetization , mathematics , mathematical analysis , quantum mechanics , solar wind , thermodynamics
Based on Maxwell's equations, under axis-symmetric assumption, a mathematical model of the magnetic field of a Hall thruster is established. A finite difference method is used for discretizing the model. An iterative method for numerically solving the model is given. The numerical results are obtained. From analysis of the results, the effect of the current in the magnetic field coils on the magnetic configuration of a Hall thruster is investigated. Through adjusting the current, the ideal magnetic configurations are found. It was shown that, for ideal magnetic configuration, the magnetic mirror ratio in the inner channel is between 3 and 3.5, and the magnetic mirror ratio in the outer channel is between 0.4 and 0.9. With the increasing of the current in the magnetic field coils, the magnetic field at the exit of the channel increases, but the magnetic mirror ratio cannot be increased. The magnetic field in the inner channel hardly changes with change of the currents in the magnetic field coils.