Power loss to generating ion current in radio-frequency ion thrusters and technological sources of ions

The balance of power in a radio-frequency ion source is constructed by calculating the inevitable power loss at surfaces bordering the inductive discharge plasma and power loss to the generation and preliminary acceleration of working-gas ions. The relationship between the specific radio-frequency power consumption per ion-current unit emerging from the source and electron temperature and geometric parameters of the gas discharge chamber is determined.     

一种耦合外部电路的脉冲感应推力器磁流体力学数值仿真模型

为了深入研究脉冲感应推力器的工作原理,预测其推进性能,建立了一种耦合外部电路的磁流体力学模型,实现了对加速通道内等离子体二维流场结构演化过程及驱动电路放电过程的同步耦合求解.模拟计算所得美国MK-1推力器加速通道内的等离子体瞬态参数分布及推力器比冲、效率等性能参数均与实验数据一致;计算结果成功复现了推力器的工作物理图景.借助这一新模型,实现了对电路-等离子体双向耦合作用的定量分析,分析结果表明:耦合等离子体导致驱动电路等效电阻增大,电感减小;激励线圈与等离子体之间的互感随等离子体整体远离线圈表面而逐渐减小.     

射频离子源离子束成分光谱测量

为HL-2A 装置中性束注入器研制了引出束功率为1MW 的射频离子源。在测试平台上,实验离子源已经成功引出了束能量和束电流分别为35keV 和12.4A、束质子比为79%、脉宽为100ms 的氢离子束,达到了设计束功率要求的44%。在射频离子源实验平台上,利用多普勒频移光谱方法测量了离子源引出束流成分比例,对比了束流成分和射频离子源引出束流之间的关系。实验数据分析表明,在10A 引出束流的情况下,离子流成分 H⁺ ₁、H⁺ ₂ 和H⁺ ₃ 分别为75%、18%和7%。并且当引出束流从3.3A 升至10.4A 时,H⁺ ₁ 从37%升至78%,而H⁺ ₃ 则从19%降至9%。     

A model for the electron thermal conductivity of a two-component,strongly coupled plasma

An expression for the electron thermal conductivity in the two-component strongly coupled plasmas is derived. The new formulation is examined in the context of laser fusion plasmas, using static correlations derived from the hypernetted chain equations. The model yields results in good agreement with molecular dynamics simulations.     

A thermal model for the ablation of polymers by lasers and high intensity ion pulses

The results for the ablation of polymers by High-Intensity Pulsed Ion Beams (HIPIB) as well as by laser pulses of different wavelengths and pulse widths are discussed. A thermal model is proposed that reproduces all available experimental data. An Arrhenius type relation is assumed for the ablation velocityw(T) =w ₀ exp (–T ₁/T). Once the two parametersw ₀ andT ₁ are known for a certain polymer the model allows one to predict the ablation rate as a function of laser wavelength, fluence, and pulse width and for HIPIB pulses.     

Numerical investigation of radio-frequency negative hydrogen ion sources by a three-dimensional fluid model

A three-dimensional fluid model is developed to investigate the radio-frequency inductively coupled H2 plasma in a reactor with a rectangular expansion chamber and a cylindrical driver chamber, for neutral beam injection system in CFETR. In this model, the electron effective collision frequency and the ion mobility at high E-fields are employed, for accurate simulation of discharges at low pressures(0.3 Pa–2 Pa) and high powers(40 k W–100 k W). The results indicate that when the high E-field ion mobility is taken into account, the electron density is about four times higher than the value in the low E-field case. In addition, the influences of the magnetic field, pressure and power on the electron density and electron temperature are demonstrated. It is found that the electron density and electron temperature in the xz-plane along permanent magnet side become much more asymmetric when magnetic field enhances. However, the plasma parameters in the yz-plane without permanent magnet side are symmetric no matter the magnetic field is applied or not. Besides, the maximum of the electron density first increases and then decreases with magnetic field, while the electron temperature at the bottom of the expansion region first decreases and then almost keeps constant. As the pressure increases from 0.3 Pa to 2 Pa, the electron density becomes higher, with the maximum moving upwards to the driver region, and the symmetry of the electron temperature in the xz-plane becomes much better. As power increases, the electron density rises, whereas the spatial distribution is similar. It can be summarized that the magnetic field and gas pressure have great influence on the symmetry of the plasma parameters, while the power only has little effect.     

Phase shift effects of radio-frequency bias on ion energy distribution in continuous wave and pulse modulated inductively coupled plasmas

A retarding field energy analyzer(RFEA) is used to measure the time-averaged ion energy distributions(IEDs) on the substrate in both continuous wave(CW) and synchronous pulse modulated radio-frequency(RF) inductively coupled Ar plasmas(ICPs).The effects of the phase shift θ between the RF bias voltage and the RF source on the IED is investigated under various discharge conditions.It is found that as θ increases from 0 to π,the IED moves towards the low-energy side,and its energy width becomes narrower.In order to figure out the physical mechanism,the voltage waveforms on the substrate are also measured.The results show that as θ increases from 0 to π,the amplitude of the voltage waveform decreases and,meanwhile,the average sheath potential decreases as well.Specifically,the potential drop in the sheath on the substrate exhibits a maximum value at the same phase(i.e.,θ = 0) and a minimum value at the opposite phase(i.e.,θ = π).Therefore,when ions traverse across the sheath region above the substrate,they obtain less energies at lower sheath potential drop,leading to lower ion energy.Besides,as θ increases from π to 2π,the IEDs and their energy widths change reversely.     

A coupled neutronic and thermal-hydraulic model for ALFRED

The European Physical Journal Plus - A new method of Serpent–OpenFOAM coupling is developed as a multi-physics model for Advanced Lead Fast Reactor Demonstrator. The reactor core is simulated...     

A sampling cathode activity test for gridded TWT's

A method of obtaining high current density from a small fraction of the total emitting area was developed. This was done by using a low positive DC voltage on the control grid of the TWT in conjunction with a negative (suppressing) voltage on the anode. Current density that was a significant fraction of that for pulsed anode operation was obtained and the grid dissipation was so low that the pulsed operation was avoidable. Underheating (slump) curves taken by varying cathode temperature in this mode were found to correlate well with pulsed anode results, and accurately to predict cathode activity under normal operating conditions.     

A lattice Boltzmann model for coupled diffusion

Diffusion coupling between different chemical components can have significant effects on the distribution of chemical species and can affect the physico-chemical properties of their supporting medium. The coupling can arise from local electric charge conservation for ions or from bound components forming compounds. We present a new lattice Boltzmann model to account for the diffusive coupling between different chemical species. In this model each coupling is added as an extra relaxation term in the collision operator. The model is tested on a simple diffusion problem with two coupled components and is in excellent agreement with the results obtained through a finite difference method. Our model is observed to be numerically very stable and unconditional stability is shown for a class of diffusion matrices. We further develop the model to account for advection and show an example of application to flow in porous media in two dimensions and an example of convection due to salinity differences. We show that our model with advection loses the unconditional stability, but offers a straight-forward approach to complicated two-dimensional advection and coupled diffusion problems.     

A model for strongly coupled spin waves

The connection between a model of coupled oscillators and the system of coupled spin waves is discussed. Also the region ofk-space is estimated in which the spin-wave amplitudes have appreciable magnitude when a normal mode of coupled spin waves is excited.     

Frequency effects in capacitively coupled radio-frequency glowdischarges: a comparison between a 2-D fluid model and experiments

The results of a 2-D fluid model for argon radiofrequency (RF) discharges in a closed cylindrical vacuum chamber are compared with experimental data from an amorphous silicon deposition reactor operated in argon. Good agreement is obtained for the relation between the DC autobias voltage and the dissipated power in the frequency range 40-100 MHz at pressures between 10 and 60 Pa. Scaling laws are presented for the dissipated power and for the ion fluxes toward the electrodes. These quantities are expressed in the DC bias voltage, the RF excitation frequency and the background pressure. Also the uniformity of the ion fluxes is studied. The model yields a linear relation between the applied RF voltage and the DC bias voltage. This relation depends only on the geometry of the discharge chamber and shows an offset     

Bosons in thermal contact: AC*-algebraic model

A gas of two Boson systems coexisting inR ³, and interacting only mutually, is analyzed. The interaction is quadratic, so that the dynamical problem may be solved completely and exactly.The initial state is taken to be the mutually uncorrelated Gibbs states: ^{(1) (2)} = . We find the time evolved state, and its projections onto the separate species and the subvolumes.The principle consequences of this model are discussed. In particular we examine the possible occurrence of harmonic oscillations between the species.On Study Leave at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Rochester.This research was partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Contract No. 5-28501.     

A two-electron group model theory for radio-frequency ionization ofnoble gases with turbulent flow

Equations are derived for predicting the current-voltage characteristic curves of axial RF discharges in noble gases, with turbulent flow. The electrons are considered to be made up of two Maxwellian groups: bulk and tail electrons. The bulk electrons are described by a temperature T_b, and have kinetic energies (1/2 mv²=eV) from 0 to eV _l (eV_l=the threshold energy of the first dominant inelastic collision process). The electrons of the depressed tail of the distribution function are described by another temperature, T_t<T_b, and have (eV>eV_l). The terms in these equations correspond to the prevailing processes occurring inside the noble gas discharge. The rate coefficients given are derived, based on the two-electron group model. The effect of the high velocity flow is accounted for by the terms giving the divergence of the flux of particles in the redirection of flow in each of the continuity equations for the primary species and by adding a diffusion coefficient due to turbulence to the static discharge diffusion coefficients of the ions and metastables     

离子推力器工作性能参数控制模型

为了研究离子推力器工作参数对输出特性的影响,通过离子推力器工作性能参数的理论计算公式,建立起离子推力器输入参数与输出参数的Simulink控制模型,根据模型分别对我国研制的30 cm口径以及20 cm口径离子推力器的工作输出参数进行了理论计算,并通过推力测量试验对理论值进行了比对和分析。比对结果表明:在推力理论计算过程中引入二价Xe离子比率和束流密度分布推力修正,以及推力均方误差修正后,推力理论值与实测值符合性较好,计算误差小于1 mN,证明了推力修正方法的合理性。     

离子推力器工作性能参数控制模型

为了研究离子推力器工作参数对输出特性的影响,通过离子推力器工作性能参数的理论计算公式,建立起离子推力器输入参数与输出参数的Simulink控制模型,根据模型分别对我国研制的30 cm口径以及20 cm口径离子推力器的工作输出参数进行了理论计算,并通过推力测量试验对理论值进行了比对和分析。比对结果表明：在推力理论计算过程中引入二价Xe离子比率和束流密度分布推力修正,以及推力均方误差修正后,推力理论值与实测值符合性较好,计算误差小于1 mN,证明了推力修正方法的合理性。     

Development of a coupled NS-DSMC method for the simulation of plume impingement effects of space thrusters

A coupled NS-DSMC method possessing adapted-interface and two-way coupling features is studied to simulate the plume impingement effects of space thrusters. The continuum-rarefied interface is determined by combining Kn_GL and P_tne continuum breakdown parameters. State-based coupling scheme is adopted to transfer information between continuum and particle solvers, and an overlapping grid technique is investigated to combine structured-grid NS code and Cartesian-grid DSMC code to form the coupled solver. Flow problem of a conical thruster plume impinging on a cone surface is simulated using the coupled solver, and the simulation result is compared with experimental data, which proves the validity of the proposed method. Plume flow while the ascent stage of lunar module lifting off in lunar environment is also computed by using the present coupled NS-DSMC method to demonstrate its capability. The whole flow field from combustion chamber to the vacuum environment is obtained, and the result reveals that special attention should be paid to the plume aerodynamic force at the early stage of launching process.     

A model of coupled maps for economic dynamics

A deterministic system of coupled maps is proposed as a model for economic activity among interacting agents. The values of the maps represent the wealth of the agents. The dynamics of the system is controlled by two parameters. One parameter expresses the growth capacity of the agents and the other describes the local environmental pressure. For some values of the parameters, the system exhibits nontrivial collective behavior, characterized by macroscopic periodic oscillations of the average wealth of the system, emerging out of local chaos. The probability distribution of wealth in the asymptotic regime shows a power law behavior for some ranges of parameters.