A model of teflon ablation in a pulsed plasma thruster

Summary form only given, as follows. A kinetic model of the propellant ablation in a pulsed plasma thruster is developed. The model takes into account the non-free nature of ablation due to the presence of a high-density discharge plasma. The kinetic approach namely bi-modal distribution function was used to determine the parameters at the interface between the kinetic Knudsen layer and the hydrodynamic layer. By coupling the kinetic layer solution with the hydrodynamic non-equilibrium layer model an ablation rate was calculated. The model allows the calculation of ablation rate as a function of propellant surface temperature, plasma density and temperature, and in combination with a plasma discharge model self-consistently describes the electrical discharge in an electrothermal pulsed plasma thruster. An example of the calculated ablation rate as a function of plasma bulk density and Teflon surface temperature is shown.