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Experiments and analysis of a compact electrothermal thruster
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Asmussen Sr., Jes Whitehair, Stan |
| Copyright Year | 1988 |
| Description | The description and experimental performance of a compact microwave electrothermal thruster (MET) are presented. This thruster uses a coaxial applicator to couple microwave power into a high pressure discharge. Unlike earlier experiments, it uses no fused quartz in the discharge chamber or the nozzle. This allows high temperatures in the discharge chamber without quartz erosion and melting, thereby improving thruster performance and lifetime. The thruster design is compact, enhancing its potential as a space engine. Experimental tests using nitrogen and helium propellants with input powers levels of 200 W to 1.5 kW are presented. Experimental results, which produce energy efficiencies of 20 to 60 percent and specific impulse of 250 to 450 sec, compare favorably to previous experimental MET performance. |
| File Size | 430112 |
| Page Count | 6 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19890018402 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t3wt3kc21 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1988-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Spacecraft Propulsion And Power Electric Propulsion Nitrogen Plasma Propellants Coaxial Plasma Accelerators Arc Discharges Helium Plasma Arc Jet Engines Microwave Frequencies Rocket Engine Design Spacecraft Propulsion Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
