SOUTHAMPTON

  • Purpose: Specialized for electric propulsion testing under simulated space conditions.
  • Location: REL laboratory on the UniBw M main campus.
  • Key dimensions:
    • Total volume: 1 m3
    • Diameter: 0.85 m
    • Lenght: 2 m

Southampton

Pumping system of the Southampton has three stages as follow:

  • Fore-Vacuum Stage:
    • Pump: Pfeiffer DUO 125 (VP)
    • Pumping Speed: 135 m3/h
    • Pressure range: 1x103 to 1x10-2 mbar
  • Roots Stage:
    • Pump: Pfeiffer Okta 250 (SMP)
    • Pumping speed: 145 to 440 m3/h
    • Pressure range: 1x101 to 1x10-3 mbar
  • High Vacuum Stage:
    • Pump: Pfeiffer TPH 2200(SMP)
    • Pumping speed: 2200 l/s (7920 m3/h)
    • Pressure range: 1x100 to 8x10-7 mbar

southampton pumping system

Designed to test medium-power gas-fed thrusters (e.g. C-STAR, Arcjet).

The facility is equipped with pressure and temperature stabilised propellant feed system; and fully automatised, ensuring the reliable control and recording of all subsystem parameters.

Diagnostics:

  • Langmuir probes (plasma density)
  • Emissive probes (plasma potential)
  • Retarding potential analysers (ion energy)
  • Optical emissive spectroscopy with three-stage spectrometer (analyse plasma composition and properties)
  • Thomson scattering (electron temperature and density)
  • Rayleigh scattering (Neutral density and temperature)
  • Raman scattering (Identify molecular species)
  • And more

Southampton testing

  • Diagnostic Capabilities: Equipped with an extensive range of diagnostics and a specially designed moving arm, enabling precise positioning for detailed thruster characterization.
  • Thrust Measurement: Recently acquired FOTEC thrust measurement system, capable of measuring thrusts up to 100 mN.
  • Pressure Maintenance: Maintains test chamber pressure below 1 x 10-3 mbar with up to 50 sccm cold-flow.
  • Performance Results: Cold-flow test results with Argon and Carbon Dioxide are shown below.

 

Southampton Operational Capabilities and Results1Southampton Operational Capabilities and Results2