Model of an ion flow and a method for calculating the erosion of discharge-chamber walls in a stationary plasma thruster

Abstract

Morozov’s stationary plasma thrusters (SPTs) are used effectively in motion-control systems of Russian and foreign spacecraft, and the field of their application is still expanding. For this reason, the demands placed in the output parameters and lifetime of such thrusters are becoming more stringent. When solving the problems of increasing the service lifetime of SPTs, methods for predicting the erosion of discharge-chamber walls–a process that limits the lifetime of a thruster—are useful. We developed one such method earlier, which has been efficiently used in the development of modern SPTs. This letter presents an additional physical grounding and further development of the main ideas of this method on the basis of results obtained in recent years. This grounding makes it possible to expand the range of applicability of the method.