Title: One Micro-thrust Measurement Method Based on the Dynamic Photoelastic Theory
Abstract: A new method is adopted to measure the micro-thrust of the plasma thruster. In this method, the dynamic photoelastic theory is used to record the stress loaded on the special structure. This technique is called dynamic photoelasticity method. The photoelastic element is the core of the whole system as it can transform the thrust changes into the variation of fringe images. The variation of thrust can be recorded by a CCD camera and then the thrust changes in real-time could be obtained, which is helpful for developing a higher precision propulsion system. This method built in this paper is not only non-contact and non-destructive but also easy to operate with simple structure and high precision.