Abstract
A study was conducted to demonstrate a low-weight fixed ceramic capacitor impedance matching system for an electrothermal plasma microthruster. A low-weight fixed ceramic capacitor and inductor impedance matching system mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) was developed and used to couple rf power into the electrothermal Pocket Rocket plasma microthruster. The excitation frequency was swept to achieve maximum transmitted rf power to the plasma at the resonant frequency and the system was compared to a standard high-weight variable capacitor impedance matching network pretuned at about 13.56 MHz. The rf electrothermal plasma microthruster called Mini Pocket Rocket (MiniPR) was designed to be integrated within a 20 cm vacuum flange for ease of operation with a number of vacuum vessels. Two distinct impedance matching systems were used to couple rf power into MiniPR, with the first being referred to as MB and second being referred to as PCB.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1117-1121 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of Propulsion and Power |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |