Particle simulation of grid erosion in an ion thruster

Author

Xiaohang Peng

Date of Award

12-1991

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Mechanical Engineering

Major Professor

Dennis Keefer

Committee Members

G. W. Garrison, T. D. McCay, R. A. Crawford, F. G. Collins, B. A. Kupershmidt

Abstract

A particle simulation computational code has been developed to study the effect of charge-exchange-induced grid erosion in electron bombardment ion thrusters. The code is based on the particle-in-cell (PIC) method to simulate the ion flow and a Monte Carlo method to calculate the charge exchange collisions. Both two- and three-dimensional versions of this code have been developed. The two-dimensional model provides a qualitative description of the details of the ion flow and the charge exchange collisions. The three-dimensional version has successfully predicted the experimentally observed erosion pattern in which the maximum erosion occurs at the geometric centers of accelerator grid apertures.

Recommended Citation

Peng, Xiaohang, "Particle simulation of grid erosion in an ion thruster. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1991.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/11199