R2D2

  • Purpose: Specialized for electric propulsion testing under simulated space conditions.
  • Location: REL laboratory on the UniBw M main campus.
  • Key dimensions:
    • Total volume: 4.5 m3
    • Diameter: 1.9 m
    • Height: 4 m
    • Hatch section:
      • Diameter: 0.75 m
      • Height: 0.75 m

R2D2

 

  • Pumping system of the R2D2 has three stages as follow:
    • The first level. Initial pump-down:
      • rotary vane pump (VP1)
      • root pump (WKP)
    • The second level. Intermediate vacuum, reaching ~1x10-6 mbar.
      • rotary vane pump (VP2)
      • turbomolecular pump for rough pumping (SMP)
      • four turbo molecular pumps (TMP1, TMP2, TMP3 and TMP4)
    • The third level. High vacuum cryo-stage, reaching ~5x10-8 mbar.
      • Two cold heads (KK1 and KK2)
      • Two helium compressors (HK)

R2D2 pumping system

  • R2D2. Thruster testing.The facility is equipped with carbon water-cooled angular target on the bottom of the tank volume:
    • maximising neutral flow to go through the target
    • keeping the sputter coefficient to its median numbers with respect to angular dependence
    • directing as many particles as possible towards the sidewalls

 

  • Diagnostics:
    • Langmuir probes (plasma density)
    • Emissive probes (plasma potential)
    • Retarding potential analysers (ion energy)
    • Optical emissive spectroscopy (analyse plasma composition and properties)
    • Residual gas analyser (gas composition)
    • And more

Thruster testing

  • R2D2 Operational Capabilities and Results.

R2D2 is suitable for long-time operation, i.e. for thruster lifetime tests.

It is partially automatized and is able to record main parameters of the facility and the thruster.

The facility is able to sustain the pressure in the test chamber below 5x10-6 within full range of operation of the RIT3.5.

Results of cold-flow test with Xenon feed are presented on the pictures.

R2D2 Operational Capabilities and Results

R2D2 Operational Capabilities and Results