Abstract
Numerical modeling of the pulsed inductive thruster exercising a time-dependent, two-dimensional, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamics code provides bilateral validation of the thruster's measured performance and the code's capability of capturing the pertinent physical processes. Computed impulse values for helium and argon propellants demonstrate excellent correlation to the experimental data for a range of energy levels and propellant-mass values. Quantitative energy deposition analysis confirms the thruster's approximately constant-efficiency operation and captures the experimentally observed, critical-mass phenomenon. An idealized model produced a simple impulse expression for this energy range that expands the validity of the aforementioned insights to other propellants and corroborates the thruster's singular operation with ammonia propellant The simple impulse expression produced compares well with experimental trends and can be used to guide design and optimization of operating conditions.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 51-58 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Propulsion and Power |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2007 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aerospace Engineering
Cite this
Modeling and performance analysis of the pulsed inductive thruster. / Mikellides, Pavlos; Neilly, Chris.
In: Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 23, No. 1, 01.2007, p. 51-58.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Modeling and performance analysis of the pulsed inductive thruster
AU - Mikellides, Pavlos
AU - Neilly, Chris
PY - 2007/1
Y1 - 2007/1
N2 - Numerical modeling of the pulsed inductive thruster exercising a time-dependent, two-dimensional, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamics code provides bilateral validation of the thruster's measured performance and the code's capability of capturing the pertinent physical processes. Computed impulse values for helium and argon propellants demonstrate excellent correlation to the experimental data for a range of energy levels and propellant-mass values. Quantitative energy deposition analysis confirms the thruster's approximately constant-efficiency operation and captures the experimentally observed, critical-mass phenomenon. An idealized model produced a simple impulse expression for this energy range that expands the validity of the aforementioned insights to other propellants and corroborates the thruster's singular operation with ammonia propellant The simple impulse expression produced compares well with experimental trends and can be used to guide design and optimization of operating conditions.
AB - Numerical modeling of the pulsed inductive thruster exercising a time-dependent, two-dimensional, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamics code provides bilateral validation of the thruster's measured performance and the code's capability of capturing the pertinent physical processes. Computed impulse values for helium and argon propellants demonstrate excellent correlation to the experimental data for a range of energy levels and propellant-mass values. Quantitative energy deposition analysis confirms the thruster's approximately constant-efficiency operation and captures the experimentally observed, critical-mass phenomenon. An idealized model produced a simple impulse expression for this energy range that expands the validity of the aforementioned insights to other propellants and corroborates the thruster's singular operation with ammonia propellant The simple impulse expression produced compares well with experimental trends and can be used to guide design and optimization of operating conditions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33847057317&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33847057317&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2514/1.22396
DO - 10.2514/1.22396
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33847057317
VL - 23
SP - 51
EP - 58
JO - Journal of Propulsion and Power
JF - Journal of Propulsion and Power
SN - 0748-4658
IS - 1
ER -