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Applied-field MPD thruster geometry effectsEight MPD thruster configurations were used to study the effects of applied-field strength, propellant, and facility pressure on thruster performance. Vacuum facility background pressures higher than about 0.12 Pa were found to significantly influence thruster performance and electrode power deposition. Thrust efficiency and specific impulse increased monotonically with increasing applied field strength. Both cathode and anode radii fundamentally influenced the efficiency-specific impulse relationship, while their lengths influenced only the magnitude of the applied magnetic field required to reach a given performance level. At a given specific impulse, large electrode radii result in lower efficiencies for the operating conditions studied. For all test conditions, anode power deposition was the largest efficiency loss, and represented between 50 percent and 80 percent of the input power. The fraction of the input power deposited into the anode decreased with increasing applied field and anode radius. The highest performance measured, 20 percent efficiency at 3700 seconds specific impulse, was obtained using hydrogen propellant.
Document ID
19910061183
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Myers, Roger M.
(NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland; Sverdrup Technology, Inc., Brook Park, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1991
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 91-2342
Accession Number
91A45806
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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