Thyristor power processor for the 30 cm mercury electric propulsion engine
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Biess, J. J.↗
Engineering topics
Shank, J. H.
Publications and source records attributed to Shank, J. H..
High voltage series resonant inverter ion engine screen supply
A high-voltage, high-power LC series resonant inverter using SCRs has been developed for an Ion Engine Power Processor. The inverter operates within 200-400Vdc with a maximum output power of 2.5kW. The inverter control logic, the screen supply electrical and mechanical characteristics, the efficiency and losses in power components, regulation on the dual feedback principle, the SCR waveforms and the component weight are analyzed. Efficiency of 90.5% and weight density of 4.1kg/kW are obtained.
Biess, J. J.↗
Interface requirements for electric propulsion power processing equipment
Power processor interfaces, internal functions, and design techniques established for the 30-cm ion engine power processor are discussed. The interfaces include the ion engine interface, the spacecraft interface, source/load interactions, protection, and optimization criteria. In the analysis, particular attention is given to the interaction and protection aspects. A breadbord system designed and built for the 30-cm ion engine is discussed which will be used as an engineering tool to establish guidelines for electric propulsion systems.
Biess, J. J.↗