Analytical Thermal Load Prediction for Hall Effect Thrusters with Alternative Propellants

The influence of propellant properties on heat generation in Hall effect thrusters is evaluated and compared using two analytical plasma energy deposition models. Both approaches quantify discharge power losses to conduction to channel surfaces, radiation from excited neutral particles, and the plume. Each uses a propellant-specific energy deposition approach that accounts for the energy carried by each particle, specifically the ions, electrons, and neutrals. Initially developed for xenon, the models have been extended to krypton, argon, and water vapor. For each propellant, the ionization cost of electron-neutral collisions is evaluated and incorporated into the analytical models