To provide a Hall-type electric propulsion thruster which has overheating protection and stable operation for simultaneously solving a problem related to waste heat becoming severe in association with micronization and a problem related to vibration of discharge current.
First, the distribution of the lines of magnetic induction of an ionizing/accelerating channel section 7 is manufactured to optimize an ion accelerating vector, and a flow passage for a propellant (a propellant introducing pipe 5) is arranged in the vicinity of the magnetic pole section 3 of the propulsion thruster, especially in the vicinity of the accelerating channel section 7. Next, the propellant is passed through the flow passage, thereby the magnetic pole section overheated by a generated plasma is cooled and at the same time, the propellant is heated. Also, the heated propellant is choked in a throat region (a throat section 6a) arranged immediately before a part where the propellant is introduced into the ionizing/accelerating channel section 7, thereby increasing the acoustic velocity of the propellant (neutral particle).
Masuo Yamada
Fumio Sato