Magnetized plasma flows and magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3447876· OSTI ID:21378061

Andreussi, T ^[1]; Pegoraro, F ^[2]

---

1. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Pisa University, 56122 Pisa (Italy)
2. Department of Physics, Pisa University and CNISM, 56127 Pisa (Italy)

An axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model of the acceleration channel of an applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster is presented. A set of general relationships between the flow features and the thruster performance is obtained. The boundary conditions and the flow regime, which depends on the Alfven Mach number, are shown to provide the ideal limits of steady state thruster operation. In the present analysis, a Hamiltonian formulation of the MHD plasma flow model is adopted. This formulation makes it possible to cast the model equations in a variational form, which is then solved by using a finite element numerical algorithm.

• OSTI ID: 21378061
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 17; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ALFVEN WAVES
ALGORITHMS
AXIAL SYMMETRY
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
CALCULATION METHODS
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FLOW MODELS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
MECHANICS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
SYMMETRY
THRUSTERS