STATIONARY PLASMA ENGINE Russian patent published in 1994 - IPC

FIELD: space technology. SUBSTANCE: engine has a diode, a cathode-compensator, an ignitor electrode, a discharge voltage source, a control unit, magnetizing coils brought into discharging circuit in series. The engine also has a capacitor connected in parallel to the discharge gap, a unit-commutator and a current transducer brought in parallel into the discharging circuit at the section between the minus of the power source and the beginning of the magnetic coils. A modulator controls the unit-commutator by signals of the current transducer. The diode is brought in opposite polarity between the plus circuit of the power source and the circuit connecting the unit-commutator and the current transducer. A supplementary magnetic coil is magnetically connected to the magnetizing coil and by one output - to the cathode-compensator, and by the second one - to the ignitor electrode. EFFECT: reduced anomalous discharge current overshoot and improved thrust control. 2 cl, 1 dwg