Volume and surface propellant heating in an electrothermal radio-frequency plasma micro-thruster

Direct measurement of neutral gas heating in a radio-frequency electrothermal plasma micro-thruster

Spatiotemporal study of gas heating mechanisms in a radio-frequency electrothermal plasma micro-thruster

A spatiotemporal study of neutral gas temperature during the first 100 s of operation for a radio-frequency electrothermal plasma micro-thruster operating on nitrogen at 60 W and 1.5 Torr is performed to identify the heating mechanisms involved. Neutral gas temperature is estimated from rovibrational band fitting of the nitrogen second positive system. A set of baffles are used to restrict the ...

Direct Measurement of Axial Momentum Imparted by an Electrothermal Radiofrequency Plasma Micro-Thruster

Gas flow heating using radio frequency plasmas offers the possibility of depositing power in the center of the flow rather than on the outside, as is the case with electro-thermal systems where thermal wall losses lower efficiency. Improved systems for space propulsion are one possible application and we have tested a prototype micro-thruster on a thrust balance in vacuum. For these initial tes...

Vacuum Testing of a Miniaturized Switch Mode Amplifier Powering an Electrothermal Plasma Micro-Thruster

A structurally supportive miniaturized low-weight (≤150 g) radiofrequency switch mode amplifier developed to power the small diameter Pocket Rocket electrothermal plasma micro-thruster called MiniPR is tested in vacuum conditions representative of space to demonstrate its suitability for use on nano-satellites such as “CubeSats.” Argon plasma characterization is carried out by measuring the opt...

Preliminary Investigation of High Power Microwave Plasmas for Electrothermal Thruster Use

EZ, E,^, EP Results are reported from preliminary tests to evaluate the high power microwave electrothermal thruster (MET) fr concept, which employs a free-floating plasma discharge maintained by applied continuous wave (CW) microwave Hz, H,^, HP power to heat a propellant gas flow. Stable plasmas were created and maintained in helium (He), nitrogen (N 2), and hydrogen (H2) as propellants in bo...