Dual-Stage 4-Grid
Encyclopedia
Dual-Stage 4-Grid is an electrostatic ion thruster
currently under development by the European Space Agency
, in collaboration with the Australian National University
.
A single 20 cm diameter 4-grid ion thruster could operate at 250kW power to produce a 2.5N thrust with a specific impulse
of 19,300s and an exhaust velocity of 210km/s using Xenon
propellant. These high power and thrust densities allow the maximum attainable power for gridded ion engines to be extended from 40 kW of the present day, to hundreds of kW. This aspect, in combination with the very high specific impulse and a lightweight power system, makes them especially suitable for large, high delta-V future missions.
Similar to the Vasimr thruster, the limiting factor is the availability of an advanced power supply.
Electrostatic ion thruster
An electrostatic ion thruster is a design for ion thrusters . These designs use high voltage electrodes in order to accelerate ions with electrostatic forces.-History:...
currently under development by the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
, in collaboration with the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
.
A single 20 cm diameter 4-grid ion thruster could operate at 250kW power to produce a 2.5N thrust with a specific impulse
Specific impulse
Specific impulse is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines. It represents the derivative of the impulse with respect to amount of propellant used, i.e., the thrust divided by the amount of propellant used per unit time. If the "amount" of propellant is given in terms of mass ,...
of 19,300s and an exhaust velocity of 210km/s using Xenon
Xenon
Xenon is a chemical element with the symbol Xe and atomic number 54. The element name is pronounced or . A colorless, heavy, odorless noble gas, xenon occurs in the Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts...
propellant. These high power and thrust densities allow the maximum attainable power for gridded ion engines to be extended from 40 kW of the present day, to hundreds of kW. This aspect, in combination with the very high specific impulse and a lightweight power system, makes them especially suitable for large, high delta-V future missions.
Similar to the Vasimr thruster, the limiting factor is the availability of an advanced power supply.