A study on simultaneous design of a Hall Effect Thruster and its low-thrust trajectory. (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kwon, Kybeom; Lantoine, Gregory; Russell, Ryan P.; Mavris, Dimitri N.
• Is Part Of: Acta astronautica. Volume 119(2016)
• Page Start: 34
• Page End: 47
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: Hall Effect Thruster -- Low-thrust trajectory -- Simultaneous design environmen; Astronautics -- Periodicals; Outer space -- Exploration -- Periodicals; Astronautics; Periodicals; 629.405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2015.11.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-5765

Abstract

Abstract: Space missions involving Hall Effect Thrusters are more and more common, and designs of both Hall Effect Thrusters and low-thrust trajectories require more elaborated process to meet the on-going mission demands. The design of a new Hall Effect Thruster can be improved by considering mission goals for high-demand missions rather than by relying on the current empirical and experimental design process. Moreover, the optimization of low-thrust trajectories involving the Hall Effect Thrusters can also be improved by incorporating the physics of the Hall Effect Thrusters rather than using a simplified model of the given thruster or incorporating the limited existing thruster characteristics. In order to accomplish these two objectives, a simultaneous design environment of the Hall Effect Thruster and its associated low-thrust trajectory is developed. By linking these two disciplines through a direct embedding of the Hall thruster analysis module within the low-thrust optimal control problem, we show that a new Hall Effect Thruster and the associated low-thrust trajectory can be designed simultaneously. As a starting example applying this coupled strategy, a plausible, high-demand mission scenario is attempted with highly simplified assumptions on trajectory optimization, which is the final stage of a geostationary transfer orbit that takes place entirely outside the Van Allen radiation belts. Highlights: Embedding of the Hall Effect Thruster (HET) physics-based analysis module within low-thrust trajectory optimization problem. Simultaneous design of a low-thrust trajectory and an HET. Enables an HET to be custom designed for a specific, high-traffic HET mission.