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Aerospace
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Numerical Simulations in Electric Propulsion
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Numerical Simulations in Electric Propulsion

A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 10905

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nabil Souhair

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, via Zamboni, 33, 40126 Bologna, BO, Italy
Interests: plasma thrusters; helicon plasma thrusters; electron cyclotron resonance thrusters; atmospher-breathing electric propulsion; numerical modeling; fluid methods; particle-in-cell
Prof. Dr. Fabrizio Ponti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47121 Forli, Italy
Interests: aerospike; solid propellants; solid motors modelling; plasma thrusters; plasma modelling and simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mirko Magarotto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Information Engineering (DEI), University of Padova, via Gradenigo, 6/b, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: plasma; high magnetic fields; wave propagation; plasma diagnostics; plasma technology; numerical modelling; plasma simulation; plasma kinetics; plasma antennas
Dr. Vittorio Giannetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Celeste S.r.l., 56121 Pisa, Italy
2. Institute of Mechanical Intelligence, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, 56127 Pisa, Italy
Interests: electric propulsion; low temperature plasmas; air-breathing electric propulsion; hall thrusters; plasma simulations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electric propulsion systems have become increasingly important in the aerospace industry, with applications in satellite propulsion, interplanetary missions, and more. Numerical simulations play a crucial role in the design, optimization, and understanding of these systems. This Special Issue aims to bring together the latest research on numerical simulations of electric propulsion systems.

The scope of the Special Issue will include, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Numerical simulation of plasma physics in traditional electric propulsion systems, such as gridded ion thrusters, hall effect thrusters, pulsed plasma thrusters, electrospray, arcjets and MPD thrusters.
  • Numerical simulation of novel plasma propulsion systems
  • Numerical methodologies, such as particle-in-cell, kinetic methods, fluid methods, MHD and hybrid methods applied to electric propulsion systems.
  • Optimization and design of electric propulsion systems using numerical simulations.
  • Comparison of numerical simulation results with experimental data for electric propulsion systems.
  • Numerical simulations of the plasma–satellite interaction
  • Numerical simulation of atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion systems and plasma–atmosphere interaction.
  • Numerical simulation of space debris removal by electric propulsion.
  • Numerical simulation of electric propulsion systems for in-orbit servicing.

We welcome original research articles and review articles that address any of the above topics or related areas. We look forward to receiving high-quality submissions that contribute to the advancement of the field of electric propulsion through numerical simulations.

Dr. Nabil Souhair
Prof. Dr. Fabrizio Ponti
Dr. Mirko Magarotto
Dr. Vittorio Giannetti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • electric propulsion
  • plasma thrusters
  • plasma physics
  • numerical modeling
  • MHD
  • fluid methods
  • kinetic methods
  • particle-in-cell
  • hybrid methods

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1384 KiB  
Article
Coupling of Fluid and Particle-in-Cell Simulations of Ambipolar Plasma Thrusters
by Willem van Lynden, Raoul Andriulli, Nabil Souhair, Fabrizio Ponti and Mirko Magarotto
Aerospace 2024, 11(11), 880; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11110880 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 507
Abstract
Ambipolar plasma thrusters are an appealing technology due to multiple system-related advantages, including propellant flexibility and the absence of electrodes or neutralizer. Understanding the plasma generation and acceleration mechanisms is key to improving the performance and capabilities of these thrusters. However, the source [...] Read more.
Ambipolar plasma thrusters are an appealing technology due to multiple system-related advantages, including propellant flexibility and the absence of electrodes or neutralizer. Understanding the plasma generation and acceleration mechanisms is key to improving the performance and capabilities of these thrusters. However, the source and plume regions inside are often simulated separately, and no self-consistent strategy exists which can couple these different simulations together. This paper introduces the MUlti-regime Plasma Equilibrium Transport Solver (MUPETS), a self-consistent coupled model integrating a fluid solver for the plasma dynamics in the source, which are collision-driven, with a kinetic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) code for the plasma dynamics in the magnetic nozzle, which involve expansion across a diverging magnetic field. The methodology begins by solving the plasma source with the classical Bohm condition at the thruster’s throat. The resulting plasma profiles (density, temperature, speed) are input into the PIC code for the magnetic nozzle. The PIC code calculates the plasma plume expansion and determines the electric field at the thruster’s throat. This electric field is then used as a boundary condition in the fluid code, where it replaces the Bohm assumption, and the fluid simulation is repeated. This iterative process continues until convergence. In comparing the MUPETS results with those for an experimental thruster, the plasma densities at the thruster’s throat differed by less than 2–5% between the fluid and PIC regions. The thrust predictions agreed with the experimental trend, and were kept well within the measurement’s uncertainty band. These results validate the effectiveness of the coupling strategy for enhancing plasma thruster simulation accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Simulations in Electric Propulsion)
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18 pages, 499 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Effect of Magnetic Field and Propellant on Hall Thruster’s Stability via a 0D Model
by Luca Leporini, Ferhat Yaman, Tommaso Andreussi and Vittorio Giannetti
Aerospace 2024, 11(3), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11030227 - 14 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1660
Abstract
Hall thrusters are plasma-based devices that have established themselves as one of the most attractive and mature electric propulsion technologies for space applications. These devices often operate in a regime characterized by low frequency, large amplitude oscillations of the discharge current, which is [...] Read more.
Hall thrusters are plasma-based devices that have established themselves as one of the most attractive and mature electric propulsion technologies for space applications. These devices often operate in a regime characterized by low frequency, large amplitude oscillations of the discharge current, which is commonly referred to as the ‘breathing mode’. The intensity of these oscillations depends on the thruster’s design and operating conditions and can reach values of the order of the average discharge current, posing issues for the thruster’s performance and for coupling with the driving electronics. A 0D model of the thruster discharge was developed to investigate the core physical mechanisms leading to the onset and sustenance of the breathing mode. The model was found to be capable of reproducing oscillations with characteristics in line with those observed in the breathing mode. In this work, we extend the use of the 0D model to investigate the effect of the magnetic field intensity and of different propellants on the system stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Simulations in Electric Propulsion)
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15 pages, 25779 KiB  
Article
Elliptical Orbit Design Based on Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion Technology in Very-Low Earth Orbit Space
by Yuxian Yue, Jinyue Geng, Guanhua Feng and Wenhao Li
Aerospace 2023, 10(10), 899; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10100899 - 20 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1927
Abstract
Very-low Earth orbit (VLEO) space below 200 km is essential for high-quality communications and near-Earth space environment detection. Due to the significant atmospheric drag, orbital maintenance is required for spacecraft staying here. Based on air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology, this paper analyzed the [...] Read more.
Very-low Earth orbit (VLEO) space below 200 km is essential for high-quality communications and near-Earth space environment detection. Due to the significant atmospheric drag, orbital maintenance is required for spacecraft staying here. Based on air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology, this paper analyzed the orbital boundary conditions of the spacecraft under the constraints of parameters including slenderness ratio, thrust-to-power ratio, drag coefficient, and effective specific impulse. The energy balance is the key constraint for low VLEO orbits, which is determined by the drag coefficient, slenderness ratio, and thrust-to-power ratio. Under the existing technical conditions, the lowest circular orbit (along the terminator) is about 170 km. An elliptical orbital flight scheme is also analyzed to reach a 150 km perigee. A half-period control method was proposed based on the on–off control method for the elliptical orbit, which could enable the spacecraft to maintain a stable 150–250 km elliptical orbit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Simulations in Electric Propulsion)
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26 pages, 2247 KiB  
Article
A Coaxial Pulsed Plasma Thruster Model with Efficient Flyback Converter Approaches for Small Satellites
by Dillon O’Reilly, Georg Herdrich, Felix Schäfer, Christoph Montag, Simon P. Worden, Peter Meaney and Darren F. Kavanagh
Aerospace 2023, 10(6), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10060540 - 5 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2905
Abstract
Pulsed plasma thrusters (PPT) have demonstrated enormous potential since the 1960s. One major shortcoming is their low thrust efficiency, typically <30%. Most of these losses are due to joule heating, while some can be attributed to poor efficiency of the power processing units [...] Read more.
Pulsed plasma thrusters (PPT) have demonstrated enormous potential since the 1960s. One major shortcoming is their low thrust efficiency, typically <30%. Most of these losses are due to joule heating, while some can be attributed to poor efficiency of the power processing units (PPUs). We model PPTs to improve their efficiency, by exploring the use of power electronic topologies to enhance the power conversion efficiency from the DC source to the thruster head. Different control approaches are considered, starting off with the basic approach of a fixed frequency flyback converter. Then, the more advanced critical conduction mode (CrCM) flyback, as well as other optimized solutions using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, are presented. Variations of these flyback converters are studied under different control regimes, such as zero voltage switching (ZVS), valley voltage switching (VVS), and hard switched, to enhance the performance and efficiency of the PPU. We compare the max voltage, charge time, and the overall power conversion efficiency for different operating regimes. Our analytical results show that a more dynamic control regime can result in fewer losses and enhanced performance, offering an improved power conversion efficiency for PPUs used with PPTs. An efficiency of 86% was achieved using the variable frequency approach. This work has narrowed the possible PPU options through analytical analysis and has therefore identified a strategic approach for future investigations. In addition, a new low-power coaxial micro-thruster model using equivalent circuit model elements is developed.This is referred to as the Carlow–Stuttgart model and has been validated against experimental data from vacuum chamber tests in Stuttgart’s Pulsed Plasma Laboratory. This work serves as a valuable precursor towards the implementation of highly optimized PPU designs for efficient PPT thrusters for the next PETRUS (pulsed electrothermal thruster for the University of Stuttgart) missions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Simulations in Electric Propulsion)
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14 pages, 707 KiB  
Article
Development of a Global Model for the Analysis of Plasma in an Atmosphere-Breathing Cathode-Less Thruster
by Simone Dalle Fabbriche, Nabil Souhair, Mirko Magarotto, Raoul Andriulli, Enrico Corti and Fabrizio Ponti
Aerospace 2023, 10(5), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10050389 - 23 Apr 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2132
Abstract
This study investigates the preliminary propulsive performances of a cathode-less plasma thruster with air as its propellant. The analysis is carried out through a global model and simulates a thruster over a power range of 0 to 50 W. The developed code considers [...] Read more.
This study investigates the preliminary propulsive performances of a cathode-less plasma thruster with air as its propellant. The analysis is carried out through a global model and simulates a thruster over a power range of 0 to 50 W. The developed code considers a set of 177 chemical reactions involving 8 different species and includes empirical equations to account for electronegative effects. The analysis presents the steady-state values of species densities at 10 W, 30 W, and 50 W to gain insights into the key characteristics of plasma dynamics. Moreover, the study estimates the thrust and specific impulse and compares the results to data from models that employ xenon and iodine, aiming to understand the performances of air in low-power thrusters. Lastly, the study examines the effects of varying air inflow concentration on the chemistry, analyzing three different orbit altitudes (i.e., 200, 300, and 400 km). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Simulations in Electric Propulsion)
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