Demonstration of a new electrothermal thruster concept
- 15 May 1984
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 44 (10) , 1014-1016
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.94603
Abstract
The design and test of a microwave electrothermal thruster are described. The device, which employs a coaxial microwave discharge, was tested in nitrogen gas with 200–600 W of 2.45‐GHz input power. Experimental measurements of thrust, specific impulse, and energy efficiency are presented for different flow and discharge pressures. Measured energy efficiencies varied between 30%–60% and the performance compared favorably with other electrothermal thrusters operating in nitrogen gas. The experimental performance demonstrated the feasibility of the concept.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Experimental results in high-specific-impulse thermoionic accelerationAIAA Journal, 1964