Modeling arcjet space thrustersThe UTSI arcjet model is used to compare the performance of a hydrogen and an ammonia arcjet in the same configuration and at the same electrical power. The predicted specific impulse is 50 percent higher for the hydrogen propellant. Numerical studies made of the effect of transport properties on the performance of a hydrogen arcjet indicate that diffusive transport is very significant even in the supersonic part of the flow, and that relatively small changes in transport properties can have a significant effect on performance. These studies also show that nonequilibrium recombination chemistry can have a large effect on the transport coefficients. This leads to the conclusion that finite rate chemical calculations are necessary if accurate arcjet performance is to be calculated.
Document ID
19910059464
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Rhodes, Robert (Tennessee Univ. Tullahoma, TN, United States)
Keefer, Dennis (Tennessee, University Tullahoma, United States)