China has created a new ion thruster

Almaty. August 16. Silkroadnews – China has created a new ion thruster, Russian information portal Lenta.ru informs.
Investigators at the Harbin Institute of Technology in China have improved design for cylindrical shaped Hall thruster. of the cylindrical engine on the Hall effect. The study was published in the journal Physics of Plasmas, the report said.
It is explained that “the most practical way to alter the neutral flow dynamics in the discharge channel is by changing the gas injection method or the geometric morphology of the discharge channel”.
Using COMSOL software the specialists have chosen design of the inlet nozzle (the angle of the solution), to ensure high density and uniformity of gas in the discharge channel, which improves thruster performance.
According to the publication, the modeling results have been confirmed with practical test. In particular, the thruster’s specific impulse increased by 53.5 percent at a discharge voltage of 100-200 Volts. In the future the authors plan to continue improving the unit and test it in the space.
The report notes, the cylindrical shaped Hall thrusters are characterized by smaller dimensions, which allows them to be installed on small space vehicles to ensure maneuvering. Compared to the rest of the ionic aggregates, the shaped Hall thrusters are known for their higher thrust.