Performance and discharge oscillation of a 1.5-kW-class double-channel Hall thruster with anode layer

Nested-channel Hall thrusters with anode layer (TAL) have the potential to improve their thrust-throttling characteristics and achieve further downsizing beyond conventional TALs. This study investigated the performance and discharge-oscillation characteristics of TMU-D058, a 1.5-kW-class double-channel TAL. During single-channel operation, it achieved a maximum anode efficiency of 49% at 507 W for the inner channel and 49% at 855 W for the outer one. However, the double-channel operation yielded a maximum anode efficiency of 29% at 591 W, which was lower than that of the single-channel operation. The surge discharge current appeared periodically at a few kilohertz only during double-channel operations, possibly owing to channel interaction. This periodic surge current reduces the anode efficiency, particularly at higher power levels. The findings of this study, particularly the double-channel operation of TAL, will contribute to the realization of nested-channel TALs.