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Results of a 1462 hour ammonia arcjet endurance testA total of 1462 hours of operaton were demonstrated in an endurance test of a 30 kWe-class ammonia arcjet operated at 10 kWe. The propellant flow rate was 0.170 g/s, and the measured performance increased from approximately 650 s specific impulse at 36 percent efficiency at the beginning of the test to 675 s at 39 percent near the end. The voltage increased and the current dropped slightly over the first 400 hours, and then remained approximately constant for the remainder of the test. The test, scheduled for 1500 hours, was terminated after an insulator in the rear of the engine failed. Post-test examination of the electrodes revealed only minimal damage. Although there was evidence of a number of mass transport processes occurring in the discharge chamber, the primary life-limiting wear mechanisms appear to be cathode tip erosion and constrictor melting.
Document ID
19920071569
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Polk, J. E.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Goodfellow, K. D.
(JPL Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1992
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 92-3833
Accession Number
92A54193
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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