A time average peak value of low frequency magnetic noise or low frequency conductive noise generated from a power supply device which drives a Hall thruster is suppressed without mass of a satellite significantly increased. A pulse width control circuit (22) of a Hall thruster power supply device (10) outputs a spread signal (58) obtained by performing spread spectrum on a pulse signal based on a control signal (54). A voltage output circuit (21) outputs output voltage (52) to a Hall thruster (50) in accordance with the spread signal (58) output by the pulse width control circuit (22).

The invention relates to a drive arrangement in a spacecraft, comprising several drive units (TW1,TW2,TW3), several individually controllable drive units that can be continuously applied to a common, constant voltage potential (HV), and a control of the axial thrust in the respective drive units is achieved due to the fact that the production of plasma in the respective drive units is individually controlled. In particular, the time-variable control of the production of plasma occurs by the time-variable control of the flow of neutral working gas (AG) in the ionization chamber (IK).

A propulsion system for an aerial vehicle having a wing structure operating in a wildfire environment, wherein the wing structure includes a drive extending through a top and a bottom surface of the wing structure and configured to provide a thrust through the top and bottom surface of the wing structure along a vertical axis of the aerial vehicle. The drive may be magnetohydrodynamic drive or an open Nacelle Fan assembly. The drive may be magnetohydrodynamic drive or an open Nacelle Fan assembly The Open Nacelle Propulsion Fan uses a drive mechanism with an induced magnetic field generated by an induction coil housed within the fan assembly open to the ambient environment, a counter-rotating fan assembly including a first fan rotating clockwise, and configured to adjust the pitch of the propulsion fan, thereby enabling the aerial vehicle's thrust to be vectored as determined by the command module.

Methods and systems for electric propulsion are provided. An example method includes providing a magnetic shield using an accelerating channel made of a soft magnetic material; generating, by a magnetic system, a radial magnetic field in the accelerating channel to ionize a working substance, wherein the magnetic system includes a central magnetic pole, an outer annular pole, a magnetic circuit, and coils to carry an electrical current; and generating, using an outer hollow cathode and an anode-gas distributor disposed within the accelerating channel, an electrical discharge along the accelerating channel. The accelerating channel provides the magnetic shield to force the radial magnetic field to have a maximum gradient at a location of the central magnetic pole and at a location of the outer annular pole and to force ions of a working substance to pass isolators of magnetic poles, thereby decreasing erosion of the isolators.

An ion thruster (1) and a method for providing trust is disclosed. The ion thruster comprises a sputtering magnetron (2), a target (3) arranged at the sputtering magnetron, and a second electrode (4). During a first pulse, the target is at a negative potential (U.sub.HiP) with respect to a second electrode and a plasma is sustained whereby atoms are sputtered from the target and at least a portion thereof become ionised by the plasma. During a second pulse, a reversed potential (U.sub.rev) is applied between the target and the second electrode. This increases the potential of a volume of the plasma adjacent to the target, which in turn accelerates ions in a direction away from the target. Thereby, thrust is provided.

The disclosure further relates to a computer program and a computer readable medium, as well as a spacecraft comprising the ion thruster.

A time average peak value of low frequency magnetic noise or low frequency conductive noise generated from a power supply device which drives a Hall thruster is suppressed without mass of a satellite significantly increased. A pulse width control circuit (22) of a Hall thruster power supply device (10) outputs a spread signal (58) obtained by performing spread spectrum on a pulse signal based on a control signal (54). A voltage output circuit (21) outputs output voltage (52) to a Hall thruster (50) in accordance with the spread signal (58) output by the pulse width control circuit (22).

A plasma accelerating apparatus includes: a cathode (11) configured to supply electrons to a plasma acceleration region; an anode (12); a power supply (13) configured to apply a voltage between the cathode and the anode; a supply port (14) arranged on an outer circumference side of the cathode to supply a propellant to the plasma acceleration region; and a first magnetic field generator (15) configured to generate a first axial direction magnetic field in the upstream side region of the plasma acceleration region to suppress electrons supplied from the cathode from heading for the anode. Thus, the plasma accelerating apparatus and the plasma accelerating method having high thrust efficiency is provided.

A plasma accelerating apparatus includes: a cathode (11) configured to supply electrons to a plasma acceleration region; a anode (12); a power supply (13) configured to apply a voltage between the cathode and the anode; a supply port (14) arranged on an outer circumference side than the cathode to supply a propellant to the plasma acceleration region; and a first magnetic field generator (15) configured to generate a first axial direction magnetic field in the upstream side region of the plasma acceleration region to suppress that the electrons supplied from the cathode head for the anode. Thus, the plasma accelerating apparatus and the plasma accelerating method having high thrust efficiency can be provided.

A Hall effect thruster arranged inside a wall and including a magnetic circuit and an electric circuit including an anode, a first cathode, and a voltage source. The magnetic circuit and the electric circuit are arranged in such a manner as to generate magnetic and electric fields around the wall. In every meridian section, the magnetic circuit presents an upstream magnetic pole and a downstream magnetic pole arranged at the surface of the wall and spaced apart from each other; and the anode and the first cathode are situated on either side of the upstream magnetic pole.

The invention is a Hall thruster that does not have any discharge channel, and magnetic pole piece. The Hall thruster utilizes permanent magnets to produce magnetic field with strong radial component in front of an annular anode, and expands propellant directly into vacuum through the anode acting also as a gas distributor. The invention reduces mass and complexity of conventional Hall thrusters, and offers a radical solution to discharge channel and magnetic pole piece erosion problem.