A brief review of JPL's electric propulsion technology activities

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5649231

Barnett, J W; Chopra, A; Deininger, W D; Garner, C E; Pivirotto, T J; Sercel, J C

Near-term objectives and recent technological progress of JPL's electric propulsion program are discussed. Particular attention is given to accomplishments for ion, magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD), electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR), and arcjet thrusters. Xenon ion thruster erosion tests indicate a 15-fold reduction in tantalum baffle erosion when nitrogen is added to the xenon propellant and steady-state cylindrical MPD thruster tests at powers up to 72 kW show distinct self-constricted and diffuse discharge modes. An ECR thruster was operated at up to 7 kW with plasma acceleration at energies up to 7 kW; there was plasma acceleration at energies approaching 100 electron volts. 8 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5649231
• Report Number(s): AIAA-Paper-89-2493; CONF-8907118-
• Resource Relation: Conference: 25. American Society of Mechanical Engineers joint propulsion conference, Monterey, CA (USA), 10-13 Jul 1989
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
DESIGN
ECR HEATING
ENGINES
ION PROPULSION
ION THRUSTERS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
NASA
PROPULSION
SPACE VEHICLES
XENON
ELEMENTS
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
GASES
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
HYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
PLASMA HEATING
RARE GASES
THRUSTERS
US ORGANIZATIONS
VEHICLES
420200* - Engineering- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques