Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2023
27th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Numerical simulations of the helicon plasma thruster experiment under different magnetic configurations
Submission Author:
Renan Almeida de Souza , DF , Brazil
Co-Authors:
Ricardo Miranda, José Ferreira
Presenter: Renan Almeida de Souza
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2023.COB2023-2433
Abstract
This paper reports the latest findings from the Helicon Plasma Thruster experiment being developed at the University of Brasilia (HPT-UnB). This device employs a radiofrequency (RF) antenna to generate plasma within a glass tube containing a dielectric material, linked to a wider tube with a flange. Magnetic coils maintain a constant field within the tube, including its diverging end. The interaction with this magnetic field generates internal structures that control power coupling and plasma diffusion in the magnetic nozzle section. Recently, the HPT-UnB setup was updated by introducing movable rails for the magnetic coils, allowing parametric studies by adjusting their position relative to the RF antenna and altering the coil spacing. Additionally, the metal flange connecting the tubes was replaced with a dielectric material to prevent particle loss. Updates were made to the particle-in-cell model to reflect these changes. These preliminary results are crucial for identifying key parameters and validating the experimental engine at the Laboratory of Plasma Physics, University of Brasilia (LFP-UnB)
Keywords
Propulsion, Plasma, helicon waves, plasma thruster, plasma simulation
