Numerical Simulation Of The Influence Of Electron Conduction Characteristic To Stationary Plasma Thruster

The electron conduction characteristic in SPT channel has very important influence on work conditions of SPTs. It not only affects the potential drop and the electron energy distribution along the channel axis, but also affects the ionization of neutral atoms and the acceleration of ions in the channel, which consequently influences the integral performance parameters. It will be favorable to grasp the change rule and impel the theoretical study of SPTs when the influence of electron conduction characteristic on SPTs is scaled quantitatively using numerical simulation method.In order to study the influence of electron conduction characteristic on SPTs, we should first analyze the factors which affect the electron conduction characteristic. These factors include the imposed magnetic field by electrified magnetic coils, the wall material and the ion bombardment to the wall, all of which are selected from the experimental phenomenon and have the practical research value.After all, it is primary and necessary for our study to establish a SPT numerical model and the corresponding numerical simulation platform. Considering the anisotropic property of electron energy distribution in the channel, a one-dimensional transit fluid model with two electron temperature hypothesis is employed. The features of the fluid equations in the model for each component, i.e., neutral atoms, ions and electrons, are analyzed separately. Then the numerical solution arithmetic for each component's equations is determined using the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) theory. Finally, we work out the steady solution of the model successfully and finish establishing the numerical simulation platform using the time-asymptotic iterative method.On the basis of the numerical simulation platform, we first study the influence of electron conduction characteristic on SPTs under the condition of different magnetic field gradients. After analyzing the computational results, we learn that the bigger the magnetic field gradient, the longer the potential slowly varying region and the shorter the potential rapidly varying region along the channel axis. Consequently with the bigger magnetic filed gradient, it is...