NASA tested a new ion engine

X-3 relates to engines operating on the Hall effect.

X-3 relates to engines operating on the Hall effect, which occurs when exposed to a magnetic field on moving charged particles, for example ions of xenon gas. Last deviate from its path, which is why there is another current is perpendicular to the main direction. This creates additional thrust and enables a high flow rate of the working fluid, that is, ionized gas. This is an advantage of X-3 over other ion engines.

The new engine is a three-band, i.e. it has three channel of plasma. This technology has allowed X-3 to be more compact than conventional single-channel ion engines, even though it weighs about 220 pounds. His work provides an electric power unit XR-100, developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne.

During the tests the device was placed in a special vacuum chamber. According to project leader Gallimore Alec (Alec Gallimore), managed to achieve power over 100 kilowatts (the other ion engines, Hall effect, this rate is 4.5 kW), thrust equaled the record is 5.4 Newton.

The main advantage of ion propulsion is the high specific impulse of about 40 kilometers per second, while fuel missiles this feature is 5 kilometers per second. As a result, to achieve high speeds is spent much less fuel than chemical engines. However, the desire is usually there is a small (about 100 millinewtons), so ion spacecraft long dispersed, in addition, they are not yet able to overcome the gravitational pull of the Earth.

Next year the experts will continue testing X-3. It is planned that the ion engine will work at full power for 100 hours. This will be a special magnetic shielding system that protects the walls of the engine from the heated plasma.

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