Hypersonic MHD Propulsion System Integration for the Mercury Lightcraft

Journal Article · Tue Mar 30 00:00:00 EST 2004 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1721031· OSTI ID:20632955

Myrabo, L N ^[1]; Rosa, R J ^[2]

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1. Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering Dept., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (United States)
2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT (United States)

Introduced herein are the design, systems integration, and performance analysis of an exotic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) slipstream accelerator engine for a single-occupant 'Mercury' lightcraft. This ultra-energetic, laser-boosted vehicle is designed to ride a 'tractor beam' into space, transmitted from a future orbital network of satellite solar power stations. The lightcraft's airbreathing combined-cycle engine employs a rotary pulsed detonation thruster mode for lift-off and landing, and an MHD slipstream accelerator mode at hypersonic speeds. The latter engine transforms the transatmospheric acceleration path into a virtual electromagnetic 'mass-driver' channel; the hypersonic momentum exchange process (with the atmosphere) enables engine specific impulses in the range of 6000 to 16,000 seconds, and propellant mass fractions as low as 10%. The single-stage-to-orbit, highly reusable lightcraft can accelerate at 3 Gs into low Earth orbit with its throttle just barely beyond 'idle' power, or virtually 'disappear' at 30 G's and beyond. The objective of this advanced lightcraft design is to lay the technological foundations for a safe, very low cost (e.g., 1000X below chemical rockets) air and space transportation for human life in the mid-21st Century - a system that will be completely 'green' and independent of Earth's limited fossil fuel reserves.

• OSTI ID: 20632955
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 702, Issue 1; Conference: 2. international symposium on beamed energy propulsion, Sendai (Japan), 20-23 Oct 2003; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.1721031; (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ACCELERATORS
AIR
COMBINED CYCLES
DESIGN
ENGINES
HYPERSONIC FLOW
LASER RADIATION
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
LASERS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MASS
MERCURY
ORBITAL SOLAR POWER PLANTS
PERFORMANCE
PLASMA PRODUCTION
PROPULSION
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
PULSES
SPACE VEHICLES
THRUSTERS