What is it about?
Hall Effect Thrusters require accurate magnetic field geometry to function as designed. Magnetic field mapping can be a valuable way to compare actual field geometry to simulated field geometry before firing a thruster. We demonstrate that a cost-effective and reasonably accurate magnetic field mapper can be made from a commercial Hall Probe and repurposed 3D-printer.
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Photo by NASA on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Ultimately, we were able to determine that our newest Hall Effect Thruster doesn't have magnetic shielding, based on the magnetic field map. Conclusions from the magnetic field mapping process have informed future iterations of thrusters, and have demonstrated that undergraduate teams on a budget can create valuable validation devices in the electric propulsion space.
Perspectives
Writing this article was a great first experience in academia. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about electric propulsion through the development of the field mapper, and hope that the article inspires other undergraduate teams interested in electric propulsion to develop innovative solutions to historically expensive problems.
Rahul Pai
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Evaluation of Hall Effect Thruster Magnetic Shielding Using a Low-Cost Magnetic Field Mapper, January 2025, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2025-0911.
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