Influence of Propellant in the Discharge Process of PPT

摘要

Many a parameter in the design of a PPT has an impact on its performance, but one of the most influential ones is the propellant. Despite a long history of different propellants being investigated, only solid PTFE was used in space so far. This report shows a very brief review and comparison of used propellants for PPT, and proposes two new ways to increase the propellant utilization efficiency. First, metal inclusions were added to solid PTFE to reduce resistance and shield against ablative radiation. Second, a hybrid PPT was developed combining solid PTFE and water as propellant. The design and preliminary performance results are shown, and discussed.