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Title: MOA - The Magnetic Field Amplified Thruster, a Novel Concept for a Pulsed Plasma Accelerator

Abstract

More than 60 years after the later Nobel laureate Hannes Alfven had published a letter stating that oscillating magnetic fields can accelerate ionised matter via magneto-hydrodynamic interactions in a wave like fashion, the technical implementation of Alfven waves for propulsive purposes has been proposed, patented and examined for the first time by a group of inventors. The name of the concept is MOA - Magnetic field Oscillating Amplified thruster. Based on computer simulations, MOA is a highly flexible propulsion system, whose performance parameters might easily be adapted, by changing the mass flow and/or the power level. As such the system is capable to deliver a maximum specific impulse of 13116 s (12.87 mN) at a power level of 11.16 kW, using Xe as propellant, but can also be attuned to provide a thrust of 236.5 mN (2411 s) at 6.15 kW of power. While space propulsion is expected to be the prime application for MOA and is supported by numerous applications such as Solar and/or Nuclear Electric Propulsion or even as an 'afterburner system' for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion, other terrestrial applications can be thought of as well, making the system highly suited for a common space-terrestrial application research and utilisationmore » strategy. This paper presents the recent developments of the MOA Thruster R and D activities at QASAR (www.qasar.at), the company in Vienna, which has been set up to further develop and test the Alfven wave technology and its applications.« less

Authors:
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. QASAR Technologie(s) GmbH, Richard-Strauss-Strasse 12, A-1230, Vienna (Austria)
  2. Institute of Communication Networks and Satellite Communication, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 12/I, A-8010 Graz (Austria)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21049478
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 969; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: Space Technology and Applications International Forum-STAIF 2008: 12. conference on thermophysics applications in microgravity; 1. symposium on space resource utilization; 25. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion; 6. conference on human/robotic technology and the vision for space exploration; 6. symposium on space colonization; 5. symposium on new frontiers and future concept, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 10-14 Feb 2008; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2845010; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; AFTERBURNERS; ALFVEN WAVES; COLLECTIVE ACCELERATORS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; IMPLEMENTATION; MAGNETIC FIELDS; MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS; PERFORMANCE; PLASMA GUNS; PROPULSION; PROPULSION SYSTEMS; SPACE; THRUSTERS

Citation Formats

Frischauf, Norbert, Hettmer, Manfred, Grassauer, Andreas, Bartusch, Tobias, and Koudelka, Otto. MOA - The Magnetic Field Amplified Thruster, a Novel Concept for a Pulsed Plasma Accelerator. United States: N. p., 2008. Web. doi:10.1063/1.2845010.
Frischauf, Norbert, Hettmer, Manfred, Grassauer, Andreas, Bartusch, Tobias, & Koudelka, Otto. MOA - The Magnetic Field Amplified Thruster, a Novel Concept for a Pulsed Plasma Accelerator. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2845010
Frischauf, Norbert, Hettmer, Manfred, Grassauer, Andreas, Bartusch, Tobias, and Koudelka, Otto. 2008. "MOA - The Magnetic Field Amplified Thruster, a Novel Concept for a Pulsed Plasma Accelerator". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2845010.
@article{osti_21049478,
title = {MOA - The Magnetic Field Amplified Thruster, a Novel Concept for a Pulsed Plasma Accelerator},
author = {Frischauf, Norbert and Hettmer, Manfred and Grassauer, Andreas and Bartusch, Tobias and Koudelka, Otto},
abstractNote = {More than 60 years after the later Nobel laureate Hannes Alfven had published a letter stating that oscillating magnetic fields can accelerate ionised matter via magneto-hydrodynamic interactions in a wave like fashion, the technical implementation of Alfven waves for propulsive purposes has been proposed, patented and examined for the first time by a group of inventors. The name of the concept is MOA - Magnetic field Oscillating Amplified thruster. Based on computer simulations, MOA is a highly flexible propulsion system, whose performance parameters might easily be adapted, by changing the mass flow and/or the power level. As such the system is capable to deliver a maximum specific impulse of 13116 s (12.87 mN) at a power level of 11.16 kW, using Xe as propellant, but can also be attuned to provide a thrust of 236.5 mN (2411 s) at 6.15 kW of power. While space propulsion is expected to be the prime application for MOA and is supported by numerous applications such as Solar and/or Nuclear Electric Propulsion or even as an 'afterburner system' for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion, other terrestrial applications can be thought of as well, making the system highly suited for a common space-terrestrial application research and utilisation strategy. This paper presents the recent developments of the MOA Thruster R and D activities at QASAR (www.qasar.at), the company in Vienna, which has been set up to further develop and test the Alfven wave technology and its applications.},
doi = {10.1063/1.2845010},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21049478}, journal = {AIP Conference Proceedings},
issn = {0094-243X},
number = 1,
volume = 969,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 21 00:00:00 EST 2008},
month = {Mon Jan 21 00:00:00 EST 2008}
}