Performance Evaluation of a 50kW Hall Thruster

An experimental investigation was conducted on a laboratory model Hall thruster designed to operate at power levels up to 50 kW. During this investigation the engine's performance was characterized over a range of discharge currents from 10 to 36 A and a range of discharge voltages from 200 to 800 V Operating on the Russian cathode a maximum thrust of 966 mN was measured at 35.6 A and 713.0 V. This corresponded to a specific impulse of 3325 s and an efficiency of 62%. The maximum power the engine was operated at was 25 kW. Additional testing was conducted using a NASA cathode designed for higher current operation. During this testing, thrust over 1 N was measured at 40.2 A and 548.9 V. Several issues related to operation of Hall thrusters at these high powers were encountered.