DEVICE FOR INCREASING THRUST IN AN ELECTRIC ION THRUSTER Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC F03H1/00 B64G1/00 

FIELD: rocket technology.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to rocket technology, in particular to electric ion engines equipped with a device for increasing the thrust force by accelerating ions in a constant electric field. The device contains an ionization system, a decelerating electrode and a multibeam ion-optical system of n sequentially installed flat accelerating electrodes with span holes connected to sources of constant accelerating voltage. The cathode of the previous pair is the anode of the next pair of electrodes. The distance between the first pair of electrodes is chosen to be as small as possible when focusing the ion beams, without electrical breakdown and deformations leading to contact of the accelerating electrodes. The distance between the electrodes of the i-th pair is selected from the condition of ensuring the maximum current density not lower than for the 1st pair.

EFFECT: calculations have shown that the proposed device makes it possible to increase the midship thrust from 2 to 500 times, depending on the value of the specific charge at an exhaust velocity of 50 to 500 km/s.

2 cl, 3 dwg, 1 tbl