Pulsed inductive thruster performance data base for megawatt-class engine applications

Conference · Wed Jan 20 04:00:00 EST 1993 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.43108· OSTI ID:5460731

Dailey, C L ^[1]; Lovberg, R H ^[2]

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1. TRW Space and Technology Group, One Pace Park, Redondo Beach, CA 90278 (United States)
2. University of California at San Diego, 4744 Panorama Drive, San Diego, CA 92116 (United States)

The pulsed inductive thruster (PIT) is an electrodeless plasma accelerator employing a large (1m diameter) spiral coil energized by a capacitor bank discharge. The bank can be repetitively recharged by a nuclear electric generator for continuous MW level operation. The coil can be designed as a transformer that permits thruster operation at the generator voltage, which results in a low thruster specific mass. Specific impulse ([ital I][sub sp]) can be readily altered by changing the propellant valve plenum pressure. Performance curves generated from mesausred impulse, injected mass and capacitor bank energy are presented for argon, ammonia, hydrazine, carbon dioxide and helium. The highest performance measured to date is 48% efficiency at 4000 seconds [ital I][sub sp] with ammonia. The development of a theoretical model of the thruster, which assumes a fully ionized plasma, is presented in an appendix.

• OSTI ID: 5460731
• Report Number(s): CONF-930103--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States) Journal Volume: 271:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210600* -- Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
AMMONIA
ARGON
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIUM
HYDRAZINE
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MOBILE REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PLASMA
POWER REACTORS
PROPELLANTS
PROPULSION REACTORS
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
RARE GASES
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
TESTING
THRUSTERS