DEVELOPMENT OF SOFTWARE FOR NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE SPT DISCHARGE CHAMBER WALL EROSION BY THE ACCELERATED IONS

摘要

The software allowing numerical simulation of the SPT discharge chamber wall erosion due to their bombardment by the accelerated ions (one of the main processes limiting thruster life time) was developed within the frames of joint activity of RIAME MAI and Snecma Moteurs and is represented in a given paper. This software allows simulation for thrusters of different sizes operating under different operation modes and under different phases of thruster development. It is based on the simplified ion flow and erosion process models reflecting the main features of the mentioned ion flow structure and dependence of this flow parameters on thruster sizes and operation mode as well as the main particularities of the discharge chamber wall erosion. That is why it is relatively simple and allows obtaining of the simulation results in short time. Advantage of such approach via other ones is the possibility to use experience coupled during plasma dynamics studies inside the SPT accelerating channel and results of lifetime tests as well as the possibility to verify developed codes using the mentioned data.