近年來，隨著太空產業的發展，衛星發射成本的降低，將衛星送入地球軌道的趨勢越來越大，這為許多國家研究太空業提供了有吸引力的動力。相較於化學推進器，電力推進系統通常比化學推進具有更高比衝的性能，以減少推進劑的體積重量並在可長時間運行。離子推進器的優勢在於具有高比衝的性能來執行長久任務。在這項研究中，感應耦合電漿(ICP) 在射頻 (RF) 波段的發展下已被用作電漿源。通過使用多級集成電路產生高頻信號來產生射頻電能。然而，電路功率放大電路必須連接到阻抗匹配電路以將射頻功率傳輸到螺線管線圈。否則，可能會引起反射功率，從而危及射頻產生電路。這種感應耦合電漿源可以在高推進劑利用效率和低功耗下提供高密度電漿源。此外，高頻電磁場在低氣壓條件下電離推進劑形成感應耦合電漿。靜電場通過高壓電差加速離子以形成離子束。為了中和推進器的電位能，需要安裝發射電子的中和器，在推進器的下游中和離子束。SIMION 軟件用於模擬加速區域的離子路徑和離子束受到電場影響之軌跡。感應耦合電漿源的特性和離子推進器之性能將由量測系統診斷。最終，離子推進器的性能可以在 80W – 120W 總輸入功率下提供 1200 –1633.3 秒的比衝和 7.6 –13.8 mN 的推力。推進器效率可達10－13%，質量利用效率可達12% – 16%。總之，微型射頻離子推進器可成為立方體衛星任務電力推進系統之候選者。

Decreasing satellite launch costs have prompted numerous countries to investigate the benefits of satellite launches. Ion thrusters can provide thrust on the order of millinewtons with a high specific impulse of 1000 s for long-term station keeping . This study investigated an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) as an ion source. This ICP source can produce high-density plasma and has high propellant utilization efficiency and low power consumption. The ICP source was induced by a 13.56-MHz electromagnetic field and by supplying argon propellant gas into the radio frequency (RF) ion thruster at low gas pressures. The ions were accelerated along the electrostatic field gradient by using a potential bias to form an ion beam. SIMION was used to simulate the trajectory and distribution of the ion beam. An electron-emitting neutralizer must be located downstream of the thruster to neutralize the potential of the ion thruster. A Langmuir probe was used to measure the electron temperature and plasma density. A Faraday cup was used to determine the ion current of the ion thruster. The parameters of the ICP ion source and the performance of the ion beam were evaluated using the measurement systems. The miniature RF ion thruster achieved 1200 – 1633 s of specific impulse and 7.6 – 13.8 mN of thrust at 80 W of total input power. The thruster efficiency was 10% – 13%, and the mass utilization efficiency was 12% – 16%.

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