Arcjet rocket

About: Arcjet rocket is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1121 publications have been published within this topic receiving 9687 citations. The topic is also known as: Arcjet.

Propellant management for low thrust chemical propulsion systems

Abstract: Low-thrust chemical propulsion systems (LTPS) will be required for orbital transfer of large space systems (LSS). The work reported in this paper was conducted to determine the propellant requirements, preferred propellant management technique, and propulsion system sizes for the LTPS. Propellants were liquid oxygen (LO2) combined with liquid hydrogen (LH2), liquid methane or kerosene. Thrust levels of 100, 500, and 1000 lbf were combined with 1, 4, and 8 perigee burns for transfer from low earth orbit to geosynchronous earth orbit. This matrix of systems was evaluated with a multilayer insulation (MLI) or a spray-on-foam insulation. Vehicle sizing results indicate that a toroidal tank configuration is needed for the LO2/LH2 system. Multiple perigee burns and MLI allow far superior LSS payload capability. Propellant settling, combined with a single screen device, was found to be the lightest and least complex propellant management technique.

Simulation and design of a hydrogen arcjet thruster seeded with cesium

Abstract: Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2001.

Transient pressure measurements in liquid propellant rocket thrust chambers.

Abstract: Transient pressure measurements in rocket thrust chambers used in propulsion systems research

High-Power and High-Thrust-Density Electric Propulsion for In-Space Transportation

Abstract: M scenarios such as building a scientifi c outpost on the moon or human exploration of Mars require new propulsion systems for in-space transportation of heavy payloads [1]. A thrust level of at least 100 N and a specifi c impulse level of 30 km/s are of central importance to increase the payload capacity and shorten the trip time as much as possible. The propulsion system mass should be as lightweight as possible. Therefore, both thrust density and effi ciency of the propulsion device should be high. Nuclear and solar thermal propulsion offer very high thrust densities but are still weak in their specifi c enthalpy level and thus specifi c impulse (see Chapter 1), which is clearly below 10 km/s (see Table 1). Ion and Hall-ion thrusters offer both the required exit velocity level but their thrust density is still relatively low. Promising in-space propulsion candidates for heavy payloads are currently thermal arcjet thrusters with which an exit velocity of 20 km/s at 100 kW and a thrust density of more than 2100 N/m2 can already be achieved. This technology is in an advanced developmental stage; low power devices have been implemented in commercial applications with hydrazine as propellant and are exceptionally reliable. The highest thrusts and thrust densities reached to date have been achieved with MPD self-fi eld thrusters. However, the effective exit velocity is still limited to 15 km/s. Although the achievable thrust density is an order of magnitude lower, applied-fi eld MPD thrusters should still be considered for this

Development of optical diagnostics for performance evaluation of arcjet thrusters

Abstract: Laser and optical emission-based measurements have been developed and implemented for use on low-power hydrogen arcjet thrusters and xenon-propelled electric thrusters. In the case of low power hydrogen arcjets, these laser induce fluorescence measurements constitute the first complete set of data that characterize the velocity and temperature field of such a device. The research performed under the auspices of this NASA grant includes laser-based measurements of atomic hydrogen velocity and translational temperature, ultraviolet absorption measurements of ground state atomic hydrogen, Raman scattering measurements of the electronic ground state of molecular hydrogen, and optical emission based measurements of electronically excited atomic hydrogen, electron number density, and electron temperature. In addition, we have developed a collisional-radiative model of atomic hydrogen for use in conjunction with magnetohydrodynamic models to predict the plasma radiative spectrum, and near-electrode plasma models to better understand current transfer from the electrodes to the plasma. In the final year of the grant, a new program aimed at developing diagnostics for xenon plasma thrusters was initiated, and results on the use of diode lasers for interrogating Hall accelerator plasmas has been presented at recent conferences.