BIT-3 RF Ion Thruster Spec

World’s First Iodine Gridded Ion Thruster
Busek’s BIT-3 RF ion thruster is a compact, highperformance
ion
propulsion
device
with
unprecedented efficiency for its size. Designed for
60W nominal operation, it is capable of 1.4mN
thrust and 3500sec Isp on xenon propellant.
BIT-3’s 20-70W power throttle-ability offers
exceptional thrust and Isp range, making it suitable
for many small satellite platforms.
BIT-3 RF Ion Thruster
As with other Busek RF ion thrusters, BIT-3
employs
inductively-coupled
plasma
(ICP)
discharge to generate its ion source. The utilization
of RF discharge eliminates the need for internal hot
cathode and thus increases overall lifetime.
Thruster life is dominated by grid erosion, which by
simulation exceeds 20,000 hours. BIT-3 can be
paired with Busek’s flight-heritage cathode
BHC-1500, or the new subminiature, iodinecompatible cathode BHC-50E, for ion beam
neutralization.
Very precise thrust output is possible with this
technology, as well as multiple modes of operation,
ranging from higher to lower specific impulse.
BIT-3 Operating with Iodine at 60W
Est. Thrust from Beam Current, mN
The most unique feature of BIT-3 is its compatibility
with iodine propellant. Busek has successfully
demonstrated BIT-3 operation with iodine and
verified that iodine can be a drop-in replacement for
xenon in terms of thrust and Isp performance.
Iodine is stored as a dense solid (>2x storage
density than xenon) and has sub-Torr vapor
pressure at room temperature. The latter enables
the iodine propellant tank to be lightweight and
conformable to the surrounding volume. Such
unique properties make iodine extremely favorable
for small satellites such as CubeSats, where
volume and mass are always highly constrained.
BIT-3 Operating with Xenon at 60W
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
Total Thruster Power (RF + DC), W
42 ug/s Xe
42 ug/s I2
Xenon vs. Iodine Performance
w w w . b u s e k . c o m
70
Est. Thrust from Beam Current, mN
Envelope Drawing
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
0.60sccm
1.0
0.43sccm
0.8
0.36sccm
0.6
0.28sccm
0.4
0.2
0.0
Total Thruster Power*
Ion Beam Current
Propellant Mass Flow
Thrust
Specific Impulse
Propellant Utilization
Energy Efficiency**
Grid Input Voltage
Thruster Mass***
60 W
21 mA
42 µg/sec Xe
1.4 mN
3500 sec
68%
62%
2 kV
200 g
3500
3000
2500
0.60sccm
2000
0.43sccm
0.28sccm
1000
500
60%
55%
50%
0.60sccm
45%
0.43sccm
40%
0.36sccm
35%
0.28sccm
30%
25%
20%
80
80%
70
70%
60
60%
0.43sccm
0.36sccm
30
0.28sccm
20
80
65%
10
40
20
30
40
50
60
70
Total Thruster Power (RF + DC), W
70%
Propellant Utilization
Total Thruster Power (RF + DC), W
0.36sccm
1500
Performance Characteristics (Xe)
0.60sccm
80
4000
10
*Does not include PPU efficiency or neutralizer consumption
** Defined as Pgrids /(Pgrids + PRF)
***A complete BIT-3 propulsion system will need to include neutralizer, PPU, feedsystem, and propellant tank
50
20
30
40
50
60
70
Total Thruster Power (RF + DC), W
0
- Efficiency
Energy
Nominal Specification
Est. Isp from Beam Current, sec
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Total Thruster Power (RF + DC), W
80
50%
0.60sccm
40%
0.43sccm
0.36sccm
30%
0.28sccm
20%
10%
10
0%
0
4
6
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
RF Load Power (Discharge Power), W
26
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Total Thruster Power (RF + DC), W
80
Busek Co. Inc.
11 Tech Circle, Natick, MA 01760 | 508.655.5565 | [email protected]
Copyright 2014, Busek Co. Inc. All Rights Reserved.
70010819 RevA

Download Report