I will be pursuing the research and design of the mechanical aspects of a miniature Hall-Effect thruster. This is a type of electric propulsion system often used on satellites or other spacecraft due to they're efficiency and longevity. I have previous work on these types of thrusters as well as gridded ion thrusters but would like to delve deeper into the understanding of the mechanical design of this technology.
There are so many different things to consider through this process and each aspect of the thruster can impact its performance in many ways. The calculations for the channel dimensions, propellant type, electrical system all play a role in designing a thruster that maximizes performance. Through this process, I will dig deep into the plasma physics, electrical circuitry, and propellant research to create these correlations between the external systems and their relation to the mechanical aspects.
