Numerical Simulation on the Plasma Behavior in a Pulsed MPD Thruster

• Kubota Kenichi

  東京工業大学大学院総合理工学研究科

• Funaki Ikkoh

  宇宙航空研究開発機構宇宙科学研究本部

• Okuno Yoshihiro

  東京工業大学大学院総合理工学研究科

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• パルス作動ＭＰＤスラスタ内のプラズマ挙動に関する数値計算
• パルス サドウ MPD スラスタナイ ノ プラズマ キョドウ ニ カンスル スウチ ケイサン

Abstract

Numerical investigation on the transient phenomena of the plasma flows in a pulsed MPD thruster has been conducted. Argon is used as a propellant and the mass flow rate is fixed to 0.8g/s. Just after the discharge is initiated, a shock wave is induced in the thruster due to the intensive Joule heating around the cathode, and then the shock wave is propagated to a downstream region at a speed of about 3,000m/s. This numerically evaluated velocity of the shock propagation agrees with the shock velocity derived from the Rankine-Hugonio relation including an electromagnetic effect. When the discharge duration time is too small, for example, 120μs, the specific impulse is almost half as long as that in the steady operation due to low propellant utilization. To enhance propellant utilization efficiency, the discharge duration of the pulsed MPD should be large (> 600μs).

Journal

• JOURNAL OF THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES

  JOURNAL OF THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES 55 (645), 503-508, 2007

  THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES

Keywords

• Electric Propulsion
• Pulsed MPD Thruster
• Shock Propagation

Details

• CRID: 1390282679446404608
• NII Article ID: 10020089710
• NII Book ID: AA11307372
• DOI: 10.2322/jjsass.55.503
• ISSN: 24323691
• ISSN: 13446460
• NDL BIB ID: 8984399
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I8984399
• Web Site: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjsass/55/645/55_645_503/_pdf
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed