Anode power deposition in applied-field MPD thrusters
- Sverdrup Technology, Inc., Brook Park, OH (United States) NASA, Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States) Ohio State University, Columbus (United States)
Anode power deposition is the principle performance limiter of magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters. Current thrusters lose between 50 and 70 percent of the input power to the anode. In this work, anode power deposition was studied for three cylindrical applied magnetic field thrusters for a range of argon propellant flow rates, discharge currents, and applied-field strengths. Between 60 and 95 percent of the anode power deposition resulted from electron current conduction into the anode, with cathode radiation depositing between 5 and 35 percent of the anode power, and convective heat transfer from the hot plasma accounting for less than 5 percent. While the fractional anode power loss decreased with increasing applied-field strength and anode size, the magnitude of the anode power increased. The rise in anode power resulted from a linear rise in the anode fall voltage with applied-field strength and anode radius. The anode fall voltage also rose with decreasing propellant flow rate. The trends indicate that the anode fall region is magnetized, and suggest techniques for reducing the anode power loss in MPD thrusters. 20 refs.
- Research Organization:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
- OSTI ID:
- 6907619
- Report Number(s):
- AIAA-Paper--92-3463; CONF-920747--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
300100 -- Direct Energy Conversion-- MHD Generators
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330000* -- Advanced Propulsion Systems
ANODES
ARGON
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRODES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MHD GENERATORS
NONMETALS
PERFORMANCE
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
RARE GASES
THRUSTERS