Download or read book The Development of a Pulsed Plasma Thruster as a Solid Fuel Plasma Source for a High Power Helicon written by Ian Kronheim Johnson and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Expanding the Capabilities of the Pulsed Plasma Thruster for In space and Atmospheric Operation written by Ian Kronheim Johnson and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of all in-space propulsion systems to date, the Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) is unique in its simplicity and wide range of operational parameters. This study examined multiple uses of the thruster for in-space and atmospheric propulsion, as well as the creation of a CubeSat satellite and atmospheric airship as test beds for the thruster. The PPT was tested as a solid-propellant feed source for the High Power Helicon Thruster, a compact plasma source capable of generating order of magnitude higher plasma densities than comparable power level systems. Replacing the gaseous feed system reduced the thruster size and complexity, as well as allowing for extremely discrete discharges, minimizing the influence of wall effects. Teflon (C2F4) has been the traditional propellant for PPTs due to a high exhaust velocity and ability to ablate without surface modification over long durations. A number of alternative propellants, including minerals and metallics commonly found on asteroids, were tested for use with the PPT. Compounds with significant fractions of sulfur showed the highest performance increase, with specific thrusts double that of Teflon. A PPT with sulfur propellant designed for CubeSat operation, as well as the subsystems necessary for autonomous operation, was built and tested in the laboratory. The PPT was modified for use at atmospheric pressures where the impulse was well defined as a function of the discharge chamber volume, capacitor energy, and background pressure. To demonstrate that the air-breathing PPT was a viable concept the device was launched on two atmospheric balloon flights.
Download or read book A plasma chemistry study on global model for argon gas as a propellant to electrostatic gridded ion thruster written by Bernardo Vieira Magaldi and published by Editora Dialética. This book was released on 2024-07-31 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Electric propulsion optimizes propellant mass and meets new propulsion device demands. These devices adjust satellite orbits and enable long missions. Among various thrusters, electrostatic ones have well-defined physics, simplifying operational parameter optimization. This study developed a global model for an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) cylindrical ion thruster with an output polarized grid system. Argon propellant is injected into the chamber, and ICP plasma is generated by a radiofrequency current. Neutral and excited species are accelerated out by diffusion, while ionized species are accelerated via the polarized grids' electric field. The polarized grid system was optimized for better plasma sheath use. The model considers single and multi-step ionization, the Electron Energy Distribution Function (EEDF), neutral gas, and electron power balance equations. Excited species influence ionization energy, but not ionic density. However, the ion substitution rate increases, essential for thrust and specific impulse. The model determines the neutral gas temperature by considering the power balance and interactions with other species.
Download or read book Propulsion Mechanisms in a Helicon Plasma Thruster written by Nareg Sinenian and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Electric thrusters offer an attractive option for various in-space propulsion tasks due to their high thrust efficiencies. The performance characteristics of a compact electric thruster utilizing a helicon plasma source is investigated with the goal of identifying potential thrust mechanisms. Performance characteristics such as thrust, specific impulse, ion cost and thrust efficiency are discussed and related to plasma parameters. The design and fabrication of a prototype compact helicon thruster is presented, including design of a radio-frequency power delivery system, electromagnets and a propellant flow system. The design of plasma diagnostics and associated measurement techniques are discussed including a retarding potential analyzer, mach probes and langmuir probes. These diagnostics are used to measure plasma properties such as electron temperature, plasma density, and ion flow velocities. Thruster performance characteristics are then derived from these measurement results. Significant ion acceleration is demonstrated in both Argon and Nitrogen plasmas and potential mechanisms for this are discussed.
Download or read book Powerful Pulsed Plasma Generators written by Victor Kolikov and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-07-25 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents experimental and theoretical results on extremely powerful plasma generators. It addresses pulsed electrical mega-ampere arcs and the mechanisms of energy transfer from the arc into hydrogen, helium and air under pressures up to 250 MPa and currents up to 2 MA. Extreme plasma parameters and increased energy density in the arc were achieved. It was found experimentally that increasing the initial gas pressure to hundreds of MPa leads to improved arc stability, high efficiency of energy transfer from arc to gas, and plasma enthalpy growth. The data obtained data provides the basis for the development of electrophysical devices with high energy density, e.g. high intensity sources for visible, UV and X-ray irradiation for laser pumping, generators of high enthalpy plasma jets, and plasma chemical reactors.
Download or read book A Performance Comparison of Pulsed Plasma Thruster Electrode Configurations written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-08-09 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pulsed plasma thrusters are currently planned on two small satellite missions and proposed for a third. In these missions, the pulsed plasma thruster's unique characteristics will be used variously to provide propulsive attitude control, orbit raising, translation, and precision positioning. Pulsed plasma thrusters are attractive for small satellite applications because they are essentially stand alone devices which eliminate the need for toxic and/or distributed propellant systems. Pulsed plasma thrusters also operate at low power and over a wide power range without loss of performance. As part of the technical development required for the noted missions, an experimental program to optimize performance with respect to electrode configuration was undertaken. One of the planned missions will use pulsed plasma thrusters for orbit raising requiring relatively high thrust and previously tested configurations did not provide this. Also, higher capacitor energies were tested than previously tried for this mission. Multiple configurations were tested and a final configuration was selected for flight hardware development. This paper describes the results of the electrode optimization in detail. Arrington, Lynn A. and Haag, Tom W. and Pencil, Eric J. and Meckel, Nicole J. Glenn Research Center NASA/TM-97-206305, E-11002, NAS 1.15:206305, IEPC-97-127 NAS3-27186; RTOP 632-1B-1B...
Download or read book Overview of Nasa s Pulsed Plasma Thruster Development Program written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-21 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NASA's Pulsed Plasma Thruster Program consists of flight demonstration experiments, base research, and development efforts being conducted through a combination of in-house work, contracts, and collaborative programs. The program receives sponsorship from Energetics Project, the New Millennium Program, and the Small Business Innovative Research Program. The Energetics Project sponsors basic and fundamental research to increase thruster life, improve thruster performance, and reduce system mass. The New Millennium Program sponsors the in-orbit operation of the Pulsed Plasma Thruster experiment on the Earth Observing 1 spacecraft. The Small Business Innovative Research Program sponsors the development of innovative diamond-film capacitors, piezoelectric ignitors, and advanced fuels. Programmatic background, recent technical accomplishments, and future activities for each programmatic element are provided. Pencil, Eric J. and Kamhawi, Hani and Arrington, Lynn A. Glenn Research Center NASA/TM-2004-213291, AIAA Paper 2004-3455, E-14738
Download or read book Empirical Aspects of a Mini Helicon Plasma Thruster Experiment mHTX MIT written by Joseph Eugene Palaia and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A helicon plasma source experiment has been developed and then constructed in the MIT Space Propulsion Laboratory (SPL) vacuum chamber. This experiment allows study of the intrinsic advantages of efficient helicon plasma production for use in space electric propulsion. Historical helicon experiment data have been applied to help size the experiment. The goal was to create a robust and flexible experimental system which would allow optimization of the source and system parameters for efficient thrust generation, and would permit for correlation between helicon theory and experiment. This effort may lead to the development of a new electric propulsion device, the Mini-Helicon Plasma Thruster. A design process was undertaken for the creation of this experimental setup, with the aid of a number of students and researchers at the MIT SPL. This thesis will focus on the author's specific contributions to this larger effort, which included the following elements. A survey of past helicon experiment parameters was completed, made possible largely due to the wealth of data provided by helicon plasma use in academia and for research and development. An analysis of the flow of propellant through the thruster was completed, utilizing low Mach number flow theory. A metallic structure was designed, structurally analyzed and constructed to support the electromagnets used to provide the required magnetic field. In addition, a radio frequency matching network enclosure and suitable interconnections were designed and constructed as part of the RF power delivery system. The result of the design and construction effort is a working, reliable, and flexible helicon plasma source system. This system provides the capability for future experimentation and helicon plasma thruster development.
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Plasma Technology Two Volume Set written by J. Leon Shohet and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-12-12 with total page 1654 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Technical plasmas have a wide range of industrial applications. The Encyclopedia of Plasma Technology covers all aspects of plasma technology from the fundamentals to a range of applications across a large number of industries and disciplines. Topics covered include nanotechnology, solar cell technology, biomedical and clinical applications, electronic materials, sustainability, and clean technologies. The book bridges materials science, industrial chemistry, physics, and engineering, making it a must have for researchers in industry and academia, as well as those working on application-oriented plasma technologies. Also Available Online This Taylor & Francis encyclopedia is also available through online subscription, offering a variety of extra benefits for researchers, students, and librarians, including: Citation tracking and alerts Active reference linking Saved searches and marked lists HTML and PDF format options Contact Taylor and Francis for more information or to inquire about subscription options and print/online combination packages. US: (Tel) 1.888.318.2367; (E-mail) [email protected] International: (Tel) +44 (0) 20 7017 6062; (E-mail) [email protected]
Download or read book Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book To Mars and Beyond Fast written by Franklin Chang Díaz and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-06-03 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As advanced in-space propulsion moves from science fiction to reality, the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, or VASIMR® engine, is a leading contender for making 'Mars in a month' a possibility. A paradigm shift in space transportation, this book is an in-depth and compelling story co-written by its inventor. It traces the riveting history of the development of the VASIMR® engine. This landmark technology is grounded in concepts of advanced plasma physics. It cross-pollinates ideas and disciplines to offer a new, practical, and sustainable solution for in-space transportation beyond low Earth orbit in the decades to come. Invented by the co-holder of the world’s spaceflight record, astronaut Franklin Chang Díaz, the VASIMR® engine is developed by Ad Astra Rocket Company in its Texas facilities with NASA as part of the NextSTEP VASIMR® partnership. With adequate funding, the first spaceflight of the VASIMR® engine is imminent. Plasma rockets feature exhaust velocities far above those achievable by conventional chemical rockets. The VASIMR® engine is the most advanced high-power plasma propulsion system operating in the world today and it may place long, fast interplanetary journeys withinour reach in the near future.
Download or read book A Performance Comparison of Pulsed Plasma Thruster Electrode Configurations written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book High Efficiency Pulsed Plasma Thruster for Satellite Attitude Control and Maneuver written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The primary objective of this project was to develop Gas-Fed Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (GF-PPT) that can be used with water vapor or hydrazine as fuel, with vapor pressures of less than 1 Torr necessary to operate the thruster. This propulsion technology can be used to perform orbit phase changes or plane (inclination) changes for near and intermediate-earth orbit satellites. GF-PPT technology is particularly suited for large DELTA-V, in-plane, orbit phase changes. This technology can therefore complement resistojet technology and allow rapid constellation redeployment to insure prompt satellite coverage of conflicts at any location on the surface of the earth with a constellation of satellites optimized for minimum size and cost. This report discusses GF-PPT thruster performance scaling, as well as hardware and power electronics that were developed in this project.
Download or read book Evaluation of Pulsed Plasma Thruster Micropulsing written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-21 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper evaluates the concept of pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) micropulsing. Micropulsing was a premise behind a power processing unit (PPU) and an energy storage unit (ESU) design that for certain mission profiles, it was advantageous to operate a PPT at lower energy but higher frequency rather than at a higher energy but lower frequency. This premise allows for reductions in the ESU volume and mass without paying a penalty in thrust. To complete the evaluation, an independent spark plug initiation unit, a high voltage power supply and a variety of mica foil capacitors at 2.6, 5, 10, and 20 capacitance were used to conduct a series of tests on a single PPT to map performance levels of thrust, impulse bit, efficiency and specific impulse over a comparable power range. Testing at NASA Glenn Research Center was conducted with breadboard PPT hardware. The test results showed that operating in the lower energy ESU micropulsing mode produced similar thrust levels to a higher energy ESU operating at high power level. Further testing however showed a reduction in specific impulse and efficiency when the smaller capacitances were used at the highest power levels. This would require more fuel mass for a mission that was predominately high power, potentially negating the ESU mass savings. Therefore, micropulsing is advantageous where most of a mission profile occurs at low power, but retains the ability to conduct high thrust maneuvers when necessary. Arrington, Lynn Glenn Research Center NASA/CR-2004-213209, AIAA Paper 2004-3458, E-14717
Download or read book Plasma Propulsion written by Fouad Sabry and published by One Billion Knowledgeable. This book was released on 2021-10-13 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What Is Plasma Propulsion A SpaceX Starship powered by chemical methylox engines will take up to six months to reach Mars. On Earth, radiation exposure is less than 2.5 milliseiverts per year. On their approach to Mars, colonists will face levels 300 times higher than that. Can we use superconducting advanced plasma propulsion technologies to cut the time down to 30 days? Neutron Star Systems has developed an improved magnetoplasmadynamic thruster system that uses rare earth barium copper oxide high temperature superconducting electromagnets to significantly improve plasma propulsion performance while consuming less electricity. This could be the way of the future for spaceflight propulsion. Technically, there are two types of propulsion systems namely chemical and electric depending on the sources of the fuel. Electrostatic thrusters are used for launching small satellites in low earth orbit which are capable to provide thrust for long time intervals. These thrusters consume less fuel compared to chemical propulsion systems. Therefore for the cost reduction interests, space scientists are interested to develop thrusters based on electric propulsion technology. Can SpaceX use Advanced Plasma Propulsion for Starship? How You Will Benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Plasma Propulsion Engine Chapter 2: Spaceflight Chapter 3: Wingless Electromagnetic Air Vehicle Chapter 4: Electrically Powered Spacecraft Propulsion Chapter 5: Ion thruster Chapter 6: Stellarator Chapter 7: Electric sail Chapter 8: MagBeam Chapter 9: Spacecraft propulsion Chapter 10: Advanced Electric Propulsion System Chapter 11: Anti-gravity Chapter 12: Artificial gravity (II) Answering the public top questions about plasma propulsion. (III) Real world examples for the usage of plasma propulsion in many fields. (IV) 17 appendices to explain, briefly, 266 emerging technology in each industry to have 360-degree full understanding of plasma propulsion' technologies. Who This Book Is For Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of plasma propulsion.
Download or read book Pulsed Plasma Thruster Technology for Small Satellite Missions written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion written by Dan M. Goebel and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-12-22 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout most of the twentieth century, electric propulsion was considered the technology of the future. Now, the future has arrived. This important new book explains the fundamentals of electric propulsion for spacecraft and describes in detail the physics and characteristics of the two major electric thrusters in use today, ion and Hall thrusters. The authors provide an introduction to plasma physics in order to allow readers to understand the models and derivations used in determining electric thruster performance. They then go on to present detailed explanations of: Thruster principles Ion thruster plasma generators and accelerator grids Hollow cathodes Hall thrusters Ion and Hall thruster plumes Flight ion and Hall thrusters Based largely on research and development performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and complemented with scores of tables, figures, homework problems, and references, Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion: Ion and Hall Thrusters is an indispensable textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing to enter the aerospace industry. It also serves as an equally valuable resource for professional engineers already at work in the field.
