User:Moisheweiss/DS4G Ion Thruster

The Dual Stage Gridded Ion Thruster is/was an advanced design concept for a gridded ion thruster. A normal gridded ion thruster accelerates ions past 3 electrically charged screens (the grids), which control both containment and acceleration of the ions.. In the dual stage gridded ion thruster a fourth screen is added, grouping the screens into two stages. The purpose of the second stage is to separate primary acceleration of the ions from containment of the ions into two stages. The two stage system allows for much greater acceleration with greatly reduced striking of the ions against the screens. This results in a longer life, more compact thruster with much greater specific impulse and thrust at a somewhat increased electric cost for a given amount of thrust and specific impulse.

The idea came from a fusion physicist, who noted that the ion thruster is functionally similar to a plasma injector in a fusion generator. The two stage system is already used in that context. The idea was proved at a university in Australia under funding by the European Space Agency.

The DS4G competes with the VASIMR (Variable Specific Impulse Magnetohydrodynamic Rocket), NuPIT (Nuclear powered Pulsed Inductive Thruster) and other high power gridded ion thrusters as future electric propulsion methods. It is not currently being pursued as there are currently no nuclear electric spacecraft to supply the needed electric output.

Here is the link to the discussion of the concept: http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/pro/pp/DS4G/background.htm

Here is the link to the lab test research: http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/pro/pp/DS4G/DS4G%20Test%20campaign.html --Moisheweiss (talk) 23:17, 4 January 2010 (UTC)