High-Voltage Pulsed Power Supply for the Igniter Circuit of a Pulsed Plasma Thruster

In nano-satellites, the pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) is a promising electric propulsion system for orbit maintenance and attitude control. In this paper, a pulse power supply based on a flyback circuit is investigated for the PPT igniter. The proposed circuit uses the resonance among the magnetizing inductance of transformer and parasitic capacitances to generate a high pulse voltage. When compared with other topologies, the flyback circuit does not require a physical high voltage capacitor. Consequently, the reliability is improved. With a reduced number of components, the circuit suits well to the size constraint of a nano-satellite. Moreover, the output pulse voltage can be easily controlled by adjusting the peak charging current. To validate the concept, a prototype circuit has been developed. The experimental results show that the proposed circuit has a medium voltage conversion gain, and the plasma can be generated in vacuum environment successfully.