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Initial development of a 3kW pulsed electrothermal thruster

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5649268
;

A water-cooled pulsed electrothermal thruster is operated at 1-3 kW for 2.6 x 10 to the 7th pulses to measure operating characteristics and component life. The discharge capillary chamber of Si3N4, Al203 or BN, is 5 mm in diameter by 56 mm long. Water propellant is injected continuously as a straight or atomized jet. The thruster is driven by a 10 J capacitive pulse-forming network at 100-400 pps. Preinjection propellant boiling is prevented by proper thermal design at 95 percent propellant utilization efficiency. No insulator erosion occurs, and electrode mass loss extrapolates to a life of 10 to the 8th pulses. No degradation in electrical characteristics is evident over a 1 hour test at 380 pps. 13 refs.

OSTI ID:
5649268
Report Number(s):
AIAA-Paper--89-2265; CONF-8907118--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420200* -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
ABLATION
COOLING
DESIGN
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS
FUEL SYSTEMS
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POWER SUPPLIES
TESTING
THRUSTERS