Numerical simulation of perveance impingement current for ion thruster

The ion extraction process is a critical physical process in the ion thruster. It directly affects the thrust, specific impulse and efficiency, etc. Based on Immersed Finite Element Particle-In-Cell (IFE-PIC) method, a three dimensional numerical model is adopted to investigate the plasma flow in an ion optics system of ion thruster. The simulation results reveal the electrostatic field distribution, ion density distribution and impingement current on the accelerator grid of the optical system. It is shown that impingement current on the accelerator grid increases when ion density of discharge chamber increases.