Ion Thrusters

**Ion thrusters**, also known as **ion drives** or **ion engines**, generates thrust by accelerating ions with electricity. Ion thrusters ionizes a neutral gas by extracting electrons from atoms, creating a cloud of positive ions. Ion drives rely on electrostatics as ions are accelerated by the Kolumm force along an electric field. Temporarily-stored electrons are finally re-injected by a neutralizer in the positive ion cloud after passing through an electrostatic grid so the gas returns to a neutral state and can be freely ejected into space without further electrical interaction with the thruster.

## Working Principle

Ion thrusters use beamed ions (electrically charged atoms or molecules) to generate thrust as demanded by momentum conservation. Though methods of acceleration vary, all designs take advantage of the charge/mass ratio of ions. The ratio asserts that relatively small potential differences can generate high exhaust velocities. Such differences reduces the amount of propellant or reaction mass necessary, but increases the amount of specific power required to operate. Thus, ion thrusters are able to achieve high specific impulses, but only as it directly correlates to the amount of power used during operation. This generates low thrust, which in turn produces low acceleration, which is unsuitable for transorbital travel or even interplanetary travel but makes them effective approach and departure maneuvers when utilizing ship's power.

Ion thrusters are categorized as either electrostatic or electromagnetic. The main difference is the method for accelerating the ions:

* Electrostatic ion thrusters use the Kolumm force and accelerate the ions in the direction of the electric field
* Electromagnetic ion thrusters use the Lorretts force to accelerate the ions in the direction perpendicular to the electric field

Electric power for ion thrusters is usually provided by nuclear power, but solar panels often provides this should a port require onboard nuclear power plants be shut down before approach depending on the location's proximity to their star. In both cases, power supply mass is proportional to the peak power that can be supplied, and for this application, both provide near limitless energy.

Electric thrusters tend to yield low thrust, resulting in low acceleration. Defining 1*g* ＝ 9,81m/s2, the standard gravitational acceleration acceptable for standard-strain humans, and observing that *F* ＝ *ma* ⟹ *a* ＝ *F/m*, this can be examined. An Yhuan-series KLS-344X thruster producing a thrust force of 92mN will accelerate a lighter with a mass of 11.000 tonnes by 0,092N/11000kg ＝ 8,36×10−6m/s2 (or 8,52×10−7*g*).

# F
2

(

η
P

g

I

s
p

)

{\displaystyle F = 2\left ( \frac{\eta P}{gI\_{sp}} \right )}

Where

* *F* is thrust force in N
* *η* is efficiency
* *P* is electrical power used by a thruster in W
* *I*sp is specific impulses in seconds (s)

Ion thrusters have not been used solely as the means ships will travel between planetary systems for millennia, but they remain the most useful thrusters for orbital and littoral movement since their creation before the Dusk of Gold. Incapable of producing radiative flux, they are by far the safest method of piloting to, from, and around inhabited space.

## Known Models

* Empire of Zhuyaai Yhuan-series KLS-344X littoral ion thruster