Assessment of testing facility adaptation and diagnostic capabilities improvement
One of the aims of the project consist also in assessing the adaptation of testing facilities and the improvement of diagnostic capabilities for water-based propulsion systems. This involves conducting feasibility analyses with the focus on modifying the existing infrastructure and diagnostic tools at USTUTT
and CNRS respectively for compatibility with water propulsion.
The diagnostic tools to be upgraded for low-pressure water plasma characterization include Langmuir probes (LP), Faraday probes (FP), and a retarding potential analyzer (RPA) for electrical methods. Optical and laser-aided techniques will also be considered in this work to observe molecules, atoms and ions. Due to the heritage in hydrogen plasma testing IRS has a long-term experience in diagnostics and laboratory safety routines and measures, also facility wise. The diagnostic capabilities will also be expanded to include Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy for the evaluation of water plasma, utilizing a state-of-the-art compact LIF optical setup adapted for water vapor detection. The development of a compact Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) setup will be assessed for observing atomic, ionic, and molecular emission lines in RF discharges pertinent to water-based propellants.
