Small Hall Effect Thruster with 3D Printed Discharge Channel: Design and Thrust Measurements

This paper presents the design and performance of the UAH-78AM, a low-power small Hall effect thruster. The goal of this work is to assess the feasibility of using low-cost 3D printing to create functioning Hall thrusters, and study how 3D printing can expand the design space. The thruster features a 3D printed discharge channel with embedded propellant distributor. Multiple materials were tested including ABS, ULTEM, and glazed ceramic. Thrust measurements were obtained at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Measured thrust ranged from 17.2-30.4 mN over a discharge power of 280 W to 520 W with an anode I-SP range of 870-1450 s. The thruster has a similar performance range to conventional thrusters at the same power levels. However, the polymer ABS and ULTEM materials have low temperature limits which made sustained operation difficult.

Automated summary

This paper presents the design and performance of the UAH-78AM, a low-power small Hall effect thruster. The study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using cost-effective 3D printing in creating functional Hall thrusters and its impact on design space. The thruster demonstrated thrust measurements ranging from 17.2-30.4 mN over a discharge power of 280 W to 520 W, with an anode I-SP range of 870-1450 s.