Analytical Modeling Of Low Erosion Extraction Grid For Ion Thruster

Ion thruster is the most useful electronic propulsion system in deep space to control the orbit of a satellite due to its high exhaust velocity. Erosion of extraction grid is a critical parameter, which limits the life of an ion thruster. In this paper, an analytical model has been presented to estimate the rate of erosion of the extraction grid. The analytical results show that the rate of erosion can be reduced by about 66% using modified extraction grid as compared with conventional grid.