An experimental study on carbon nanotube cathodes for electrodynamic tether propulsion |
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| Institution: | 1. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan;2. Toshiba Corporation, Japan;1. Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, United States;2. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Louisiana State University and LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States;3. Center for Atomic-Level Catalyst Design, #324, Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States;4. Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439-4837, United States;5. Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405-7000, United States;1. Institute of Advanced Composites Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Chudong-ro 92, Bongdong-eup, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do 55324, South Korea;2. Department of Carbon Materials, Chosun University, Pilmun-daero 309, Dong-gu, Gwangju 61452, South Korea |
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| Abstract: | Research and development of an electrodynamic tether propulsion system for space debris removal has been started in the Institute of Space Technology and Aeronautics, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). An experimental investigation of a carbon-nanotube field-emission cathode (FEC), which is suitable as an electron emitter in this propulsion system, was conducted in this study. One of the important issues in the design of a FEC is to suppress an electron flow to a gate electrode to avoid thermal deformation of the electrode and to reduce power loss. For meeting this requirement, we designed an FEC device having a masking plate on a cathode surface. A numerical simulation indicated that presence of the masking plate distorts the electric field adjacent to the cathode surface and a converged electron beam that does not impinge on the gate electrode is formed. Several FEC devices were fabricated based on the simulation results, and they were tested experimentally. Results showed that no electron current flowed to the gate electrode when all the electrodes were assembled and aligned correctly. |
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