Evaluation of a steady state MPD thruster test facility

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6047004

Reed, C B; Carlson, L W; Herman, H; Doss, E D; Kilgore, O

The successful development of multimegawatt MPD thrusters depends, to a great extent, on testing them under steady state high altitude space conditions. Steady state testing is required to provide thermal characteristics, life cycle, erosion, and other essential data. the major technical obstacle for ground testing of MPD thrusters in a space simulation facility is the inability of state-of-the-art vacuum systems to handle the tremendous pumping speeds required for multimegawatt MPD thrusters. This is true for other types of electric propulsion devices as well. This paper discusses the results of the first phase of an evaluation of steady state MPD thruster test facilities. The first phase addresses the conceptual design of vacuum systems required to support multimegawatt MPD thruster testing. Three advanced pumping system concepts were evaluated and are presented here.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA); Air Force Rocket Propulsion Lab., Edwards AFB, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6047004
• Report Number(s): CONF-8509205-1; ON: DE86003051
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420200* -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
ARGON
ELEMENTS
EROSION
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GASES
HIGH VACUUM
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NONMETALS
PROPELLANTS
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
PUMPING
RARE GASES
SPACE VEHICLES
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
TEST FACILITIES
TESTING
THERMODYNAMICS
THRUSTERS
VEHICLES