Design, Manufacturing and Testing of Electric Propulsion Plasma and Ion Beam Plume Diagnostics using Optical/Spectroscopic Methods (EP Diagnostics)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schein, who holds the Professorship of Plasma Technology and Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering, has acquired funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) for the project “Design, Manufacturing and Testing of Electric Propulsion Plasma and Ion Beam Plume Diagnostics using Optical/Spectroscopic Methods (EP Diagnostics)”.
Electric space propulsion systems use electrostatic or electromagnetic fields to accelerate fuel particles to high speeds and thus generate thrust. The distribution of the energy of the applied fields determines the thrust as well as the efficiency of a propulsion system and is therefore a key parameter that should be determined.
The main objective of this project is the development of a diagnostic package for the characterization of plasma parameters of electric propulsion (EP) systems using non-invasive optical and spectroscopic methods, plasma parameters being indispensable for a detailed understanding of EP systems.
As part of the project, a scattering laser diagnostics technique is being developed for plasma characterization. The left image shows diagnosis during adjustment, the right image during measurement (© Michal Szulc, LPT, Universität der Bundeswehr München).
Project period: 1 February 2020 to 30 September 2022
Funding by: European Space Agency (ESA)
Lead image: © Michal Szulc, LPT, Universität der Bundeswehr München