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Low power arcjet test facility impactsPerformance characterization of a flight-type 1.4 kW arcjet system were conducted at the Rocket Research Company (RRC) in Redmond, WA, and at the NASA LeRC in Cleveland, OH. The objectives of these tests were as follows: to compare low-power arcjet performance at two different test facilities; to compare arcjet performance obtained with a 2:1 mixture of gaseous hydrogen and nitrogen and hydrazine; and to quantify the effects of test cell pressure on thruster operating characteristics. Performance and thruster temperature distributions were measured at thruster input power levels and propellant mass flow rates ranging from 1274 to 1370 W and from 3.2 x 10(exp -5) to 5.1 x 10(exp -5) kg/s, respectively. Specific impulses measured at the two facilities, at comparable test cell pressures, using gaseous hydrogen-nitrogen propellant mixtures agreed to within 1 percent over the range of operating conditions tested. The specific impulses measured using hydrazine propellant were higher than that for the cold hydrogen-nitrogen mixtures. Agreement between by hydrazine and gas mixture data was good, however, when the differences in propellant enthalpies at the thruster inlet were considered. Specific impulse showed a strong dependence on test facility pressure, and was 3 to 4 percent higher below 0.1 Pa than for test cell pressures above 5 Pa.
Document ID
19920024870
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Morren, W. Earl
(NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Lichon, Paul J.
(Rocket Research Corp. Redmond, WA., United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 1992
Subject Category
Ground Support Systems And Facilities (Space)
Report/Patent Number
E-7341
NAS 1.15:105876
AIAA PAPER 92-3532
NASA-TM-105876
Meeting Information
Meeting: Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit
Location: Nashville, TN
Country: United States
Start Date: July 6, 1992
End Date: July 8, 1992
Sponsors: ASME, SAE, AIAA, ASEE
Accession Number
92N34114
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 506-42-31
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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