PLASMA ACCELERATOR CATHODE Russian patent published in 2018 - IPC H05H1/54 F03H1/00 

FIELD: plasma equipment.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a plasma equipment, namely to the class of plasma accelerators (Hall, ion), using the cathodes in their composition, and can be used in the development of electric propulsion engines. Cathode of the plasma accelerator contains a starting electrode with a hole in the end surface, a body located in the cavity of the starting electrode coaxially with it with the emission hole, an emitter installed in the housing cavity with a through channel coaxial with the emission hole, and a tube for supplying working fluid into the through channel of the emitter, wherein the radial clearance between the side surfaces of the housing and the starting electrode exceeds the axial clearance between the end of the housing and the end surface of the starting electrode, and on the side surface of the housing there is a hole, any linear dimension of which is greater than the wall thickness of the side surface of the housing.

EFFECT: technical result is an increase in the cathode resource through the increase in the number of switch-ons due to the reduction of starting erosion.

6 cl, 3 dwg