Swaged heaters ignite hollow cathodes used in electric propulsion devices and plasma contactors. This project applied confidence and life-testing procedures for performance evaluation of commercially manufactured swaged heaters. An existing data acquisition and control system for heater testing at NASA Glenn Research Center was updated and upgraded with life-testing capabilities. Tests have shown that throughout the lifetime of a heater the electric resistance and power consumed increases over time until heater failure.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Doughty, Robert F.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 06C007M

Advisor

• Olinger, David J.
• Gatsonis, Nikolaos A.

Year

• 2006

Sponsor

• NASA Glenn Research Center

Date created

• 2006-01-01

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright