Thales Electron Devices Gmbh

Airbus Defence and Space Gmbh

Thales Electronic Systems Gmbh

Thales Air Systems & Electron Devices Gmbh

Günter Kornfeld

Norbert Koch

Franz Georg Hey

Ulrich Johann

Gregory Coustou

Werner Schwertfeger

Roland Lenz

Gregory Emsellem

Nils Gerrit Kottke

A neutralizer suitable for use in an ion engine comprises a halogen gas source and an electrode tube comprising an inlet opening connected to the halogen gas source for supplying a halogen gas provided by the halogen gas source into the electrode tube, a discharge space for generating a plasma from the halogen gas supplied into the electrode tube, and an outlet opening for discharging the plasma generated in the discharge space and free electrons from the electrode tube. An electron emitter is arranged in the discharge space of the electrode tube, which is at least partially made of tungsten, a tungsten alloy or a tungsten composite material containing at least one of iridium, rhenium, ruthenium, rhodium and osmium.

Neutralizer for an ion engine, method of operating a neutralizer and ion engine

The invention relates to an ion accelerator arrangement which uses a combination of a magnetic field having a cusp structure and a cross-section of an ionisation chamber that is extended in one direction transversally in relation to the longitudinal axis. This enables the ionic current to be advantageously scaled.

Ion accelerator arrangement

For an ion accelerator system having a special magnetic field structure with an alternating predominantly longitudinal and crosswise progression of the magnetic field, a geometry of the ionization chamber having a non-cylindrical shape of the chamber wall that is adapted to the progression of the magnetic field is proposed.

The invention relates to various advantageous embodiments of a plasma-accelerator configuration, especially for the configuration and design of electron sources used for ionizing the working gas and/or neutralizing the discharged plasma jet.

Plasma-accelerator configuration

A multistage plasma accelerator system includes at least one intermediate electrode between the plasma chamber between electrodes that include each other. An especially good efficiency can be achieved by way of an uneven distribution of potential to the potential stages formed by the plurality of electrodes having a high potential gradient of the last stage, when the plasma beam emerges, and by a special shape of the magnetic field prevailing in the plasma chamber of the last stage.

Growing community of inventors

Elchingen, Germany

Günter Kornfeld