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Numerical simulation of cylindrical, self-field mpd thrusters with multiple propellants
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Lapointe, Michael R. |
| Copyright Year | 1994 |
| Description | A two-dimensional, two-temperature, single fluid MHD code was used to predict the performance of cylindrical, self-field magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters operated with argon, lithium, and hydrogen propellants. A thruster stability equation was determined relating maximum stable J(sup 2)/m values to cylindrical thruster geometry and propellant species. The maximum value of J(sup 2)/m was found to scale as the inverse of the propellant molecular weight to the 0.57 power, in rough agreement with limited experimental data which scales as the inverse square root of the propellant molecular weight. A general equation which relates total thrust to electromagnetic thrust, propellant molecular weight, and J(sup 2)/m was determined using reported thrust values for argon and hydrogen and calculated thrust values for lithium. In addition to argon, lithium, and hydrogen, the equation accurately predicted thrust for ammonia at sufficiently high J(sup 2)/m values. A simple algorithm is suggested to aid in the preliminary design of cylindrical, self-field MPD thrusters. A brief example is presented to illustrate the use of the algorithm in the design of a low power MPD thruster. |
| File Size | 1553031 |
| Page Count | 22 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19940020241 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t3mw7c138 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1994-03-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Spacecraft Propulsion And Power Stability Electric Rocket Engines Hydrogen Lithium Spacecraft Propulsion Ammonia Propellants Algorithms Plasma Propulsion Simulation Argon Thrust Magnetoplasmadynamics Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
