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Single Converter Hall Thruster Power Processor

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Missile Defense Agency
Contract: F04611-02-M-0026
Agency Tracking Number: 02-0734
Amount: $69,942.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2002
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
11 Tech Circle
Natick, MA 01760
United States
DUNS: 184629491
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Bruce Pote
 Director
 (508) 655-5565
 bpote@busek.com
Business Contact
 Judy Budny
Title: Contracts Administrator
Phone: (508) 655-5565
Email: judy@busek.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

"The need for low mass, cost and complexity electric propulsion systems driven by the growing interest in microsatellites to perform high delta-V missions requiring north/south station keeping, orbit transfer, inclination changes and precise formationflying can be enabled by Busek's multi-mode low power Hall thruster. However, state-of-the-art electric propulsion technology is complex and costly for many mission applications. Of the subsystems that comprise the propulsion system, the most fruitful toachieve a significant reduction in cost, complexity and mass is the power processing unit.In Phase I, Busek will demonstrate the feasibility of a new power processing architecture that replaces the four (4) main DC to DC converters of the conventional PPU with a single converter architecture.The single converter design utilizes a high power converter to provide the discharge power to the thruster and both heat and start the cathode. The proposed converter topology will be a derivative of Busek's nominal 500 W (350 V; 1.5 A) dischargeconverter developed and demonstrated as part of the AFRL/VS TechSat 21 mission. In addition Busek will develop a modified cathode design capable of heating at low input current. Experiments will be performed to develop a starting sequence and operatingalgorithm for the thruster. The long-term objective is to develop a simplified flight qualification low power Hall thruster system with high performance and

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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