Two-dimensional Modeling of the Hall Thruster Discharge with Non-uniform Propellant Supply in Azimuth

TL;DR

This study uses a two-dimensional simulation to explore how non-uniform propellant supply in azimuth affects electron transport in Hall thrusters, revealing azimuthal electric fields and phase shifts that enhance axial electron transport.

Contribution

It introduces a hybrid model incorporating empirical anomalous electron mobility to analyze azimuthal effects on electron transport in Hall thrusters.

Findings

Azimuthal electric fields are generated with nonuniform propellant supply.

An azimuthal phase shift occurs between ion density and space potential.

Cross-field electron transport is enhanced due to azimuthal electric fields.

Abstract

A two-dimensional simulation is conducted to investigate the effect of cross-field electron transport enhancement in the Hall thruster discharge caused by the nonuniform propellant supply in azimuth. The Hall thruster operation with azimuthally nonuniform propellant supply is expected to be a good test case to understand the influences of azimuthal plasma property distributions on the axial electron transport. A particle-fluid hybrid model is developed with a two-dimensional magnetized electron fluid model incorporated with an empirical anomalous electron mobility model. The calculation results indicate that the azimuthal electric field is generated in the cases of nonuniform propellant supply. The azimuthal phase shift is observed between the ion number density and space potential at the downstream plume region. Owing to this azimuthal out-of-phase and the azimuthal electric field, the cross-field electron transport in the axial direction can be enhanced.