The Electric Propulsion Laboratory (EPL) is located on the ground floor of the ASRI new building. The laboratory is divided into two halls, the Experimental and Machine halls.
The Laboratory is completed with the different diagnostics needed for the comprehensive experimental investigations of the Hall thrusters including cathodes compensators.
Present-day stage in the development of worldwide spacecraft technology is characterized by an increasing use of electric propulsion (EP) for solving a broad spectrum of problems: from a correction of a spacecraft position in orbit to a radical change of its flight trajectory and implementations of interplanetary missions. The application of electric propulsion allows a significant reduction of the spacecraft mass as a consequence of propellant saving. This, in turn, provides substantial cost savings of the mission.
In Israel, for over 20 years, research and development in the electric propulsion field is being carried out. As a culmination of present Israel’s experimental research and developments in the EP area, a thruster system based on the Hall thruster was built for the joint French-Israeli satellite (project “Venus”). Israel’s research and developments in the EP area can be defined as having a high level, but Israel is able to become one of the leaders in this promising area. An indicator of this are the results of the recent successful tests of a new concept of a small power Hall thruster CAMILA, proposed and developed at ASRI-Technion. The performance of the thruster, obtained in the tests, is, probably, the best in the world in the range of powers from 150 to 500 W.
In order to significantly expand the investigations in the field of the electric propulsion in Israel, an Electric propulsion laboratory (EPL) was established at ASRI-Technion.
General Description of Electric Propulsion Laboratory
The Electric Propulsion Laboratory (EPL) is located on the ground floor of the ASRI new building. The laboratory is divided into two halls, the Experimental and Machine halls. 3D-layouts of the Experimental and Machine halls are presented in Fig.1.
Fig.1: 3D-layouts of the Experimental and Machine halls
In the Experimental hall, which occupies a floor space of 52 m2, the following equipment is located:
A vacuum chamber with volume of 3.2 m3 together with three cryopump heads and vacuum fittings (Fig.2 and Fig.3);
Fig.2: Vacuum chamber in the Experimental hall
Fig.3: Cryopump heads on the vacuum chamber
Power supplies for the thruster and measuring units (Fig.4);
Fig.4: Industrial cabinets with power supplies in the Experimental hall
Three mass flow controllers (Fig.5);
Fig.5: Xenon feedline equipment
Control of the vacuum equipment, thruster, and diagnostics is performed from the soundproof room (Fig.6) in the hall;
Fig.6: Soundproof room in the Experimental hall
The Machine hall, having a floor space of 20 m2, is intended for placement of compressors for the cryopumps, fore-vacuum mechanical pump (Fig.7), compressors for producing compressed air, and chillers for cooling the compressors;
Fig.7: Roots pumping system and Helium compressors in the Machine hall
The Laboratory is completed with the different diagnostics needed for the comprehensive experimental investigations of the Hall thrusters including cathodes compensators.
We shall notice here only the most important of them:
The positioning assembly allows with the accuracy not worse than 0.2 mm and velocity up to 30 mm/s 2D-mapping the acceleration channel of the thruster.
Electric Propulsion Laboratory Planned Activities
The Laboratory activities will be focused on the following directions.
Besides, attention will be given to the following topics:
