Recommended Practice for Pressure Measurement and Calculation of Effective Pumping Speed in Electric Propulsion Testing

TLDR

The electric propulsion community requires universally applicable test standards to ensure consistent, accurate, and repeatable performance measurements across facilities and from ground to flight. This paper proposes a recommended practice for making pressure measurements and calculating effective pumping speeds in electric propulsion testing. The practice incorporates pressure diagnostics and a justification framework for determining effective pumping speeds.

Abstract

The electric propulsion community has been implored to establish and implement a set of universally applicable test standards during the research, development, and qualification of electric propulsion systems. Variability between facility-to-facility and more importantly ground-to-flight performance can result in large margins in application or aversion to mission infusion. Performance measurements and life testing under appropriate conditions can be costly and lengthy. Measurement practices must be consistent, accurate, and repeatable. Additionally, the measurements must be universally transportable across facilities throughout the development, qualification, spacecraft integration, and on-orbit performance. A recommended practice for making pressure measurements, pressure diagnostics, and calculating effective pumping speeds with justification is presented.