Design and Experimental Study on Radio Frequency Plasma Neutralizer

With the development of electric propulsion technology,there is an increasingly urgent need for neutralizers with high toxicity resistance. For this reason,based on the fundamental principle of radio frequency discharge,a radio frequency plasma neutralizer that can use various working media and has high toxicity resistance is designed,and a vacuum experiment system is built for experimental research. The curve of the emission current varied with radio frequency power and xenon flow is acquired. After the working gas is ionized,ions are collected by a graphite negative electrode placed in the discharge chamber,and electrons are extracted by a metal plate positive electrode outside the discharge chamber outlet. The results show that the radio frequency plasma neutralizer can effectively emit electrons to form a current,and the increase of radio power and xenon flow rate can increase the current. When the radio frequency power exceeds 220 W and the flow rate reaches or exceeds 4 mL/min,the emission current of the neutralizer can reach 1 A or more. Thus,the radio frequency plasma neutralizer served as an ion neutralization device for electric thruster plume has certain research value and application prospects.