Abstract
Electric solid propellants are advanced solid chemical rocket propellant that can be controlled (ignited, throttled and extinguished) with electric current. Work reported here focuses on application of electric solid propellant in a pulsed electric thruster similar to a pulsed plasma thruster. In the future it may be possible to develop a dual-mode electric solid propellant thruster that is switchable between steady applied electric current chemical mode and pulsed alternating electric current electric mode. Results presented here use a laboratory test thruster to create an arc discharge of 5-20 J per pulse in a cylindrical cavity of propellant. Results for Teflon and electric solid propellant are compared. Results indicate the electric solid propellant has higher ablation mass loss per pulse than Teflon (14.82 vs 7.17 µg/J), in agreement with theoretical analysis. The equivalent resistance and inductance of the arc plasma are 50 mΩ and 125 nH, respectively, for both propellants. Analyses indicate that the physical process of ablation is similar between propellants with thermal material properties driving the difference in the observed mass lost.
Recommended Citation
M. S. Glascock and J. L. Rovey, "Electric Solid Propellant Ablation in a Pulsed Electric Thruster," 2018 Joint Propulsion Conference, article no. AIAA 2018-4818, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Jan 2018.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2018-4818
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Publication Status
Full Access
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
978-162410570-8
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2024 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2018
Comments
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Grant NNX15AP31H