Preliminary investigation of power flow and electrode phenomena in a multi-megawatt coaxial plasma thrusterThe present report on preliminary results of theoretical and experimental investigations of power flow in a large, unoptimized, multimegawatt coaxial thruster evaluates the significance of these data for the development of efficient, megawatt-class magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters. The good agreement obtained between thruster operational performance and model predictions suggests that ideal MHD processes, including those of a magnetic nozzle, play an important role in coaxial plasma thruster dynamics at power levels relevant to advanced space propulsion. An optimized magnetic nozzle design would aid the development of efficient, multimegawatt MPD thrusters.
Document ID
19920071520
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Schoenberg, Kurt F. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Gerwin, Richard A. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Henins, Ivars (Los Alamos National Laboratory NM, United States)
Mayo, Robert (North Carolina State University Raleigh, United States)
Scheuer, Jay (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Wurden, Glen (Los Alamos National Laboratory NM, United States)